The citadel, the harbour, the salt pans — and the gateway to Palombaggia, Santa Giulia and Rondinara. Twenty-five minutes from the villa.
The town
Porto-Vecchio — Portivechju — is Corsica's third city, founded by the Genoese in 1539 on a promontory above the gulf. It was known as the salt city: its salt pans, still visible beside the harbour road, made its fortune until the 20th century.
The citadel is best seen on foot: the Genoese gate, the bastions, the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and above all the lanes that open onto Place de la République, where people dine outside. In the evening the ramparts give a view over the gulf and the marina.
Down below, the harbour takes in the yachts and the shuttles that serve the southern beaches and the Cerbicale islands. It is also where the boat trips to Bonifacio and the Lavezzi islands set off.
The southern beaches
Corsica's most famous: pink sand, granite boulders and umbrella pines, facing the Cerbicale islands. 35 minutes from the villa. Best early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
An almost circular closed bay, very shallow and lagoon blue. Ideal for children and water sports. 30 minutes from the villa.
A perfect shell of sand between two headlands, wilder and further south. 45 minutes from the villa, along a small road that ends as a track.
To do
Genoese gate and bastions
Lavezzi, Bonifacio, Cerbicale
Corsican produce, in the morning
Beside the harbour road
Place de la République
Palombaggia, Santa Giulia
The road to the southern beaches (Palombaggia, Santa Giulia) is very busy between 10 am and midday and again on the way back between 5 pm and 7 pm in August. Leave before 9.30 am, or do the opposite of everyone else: the beach late in the afternoon, then dinner in town.
For the citadel, parking is easier at the Porte Génoise car park late in the day, once the beach crowd has left.
Frequently asked questions
Keep exploring
The villa's own village, its shops and its Ovu Santu beach.
The bay, the white sand and the seafront restaurants.
The massif, the hikes and the natural pools.
Boats, diving, canyoning, markets and tastings.
Airports, ferries, car hire and routes.
Book direct
Book direct with the owners: no commission, a single point of contact and a reply within 24 hours.
