Week-end in Ajaccio

Reaching Ajaccio by boat is a real feast for the eyes…

You enter the magnificent gulf once you have gone past the Sanguinaire islands. On the biggest “Mezzomare” stands the lighthouse and the tower of the Parata built in 1608 to defend the island from Barbary pirate attacks. Then following a whole series of little beaches and rocks, you’ll see the citadel and the port which is located in the heart of the town.

Ajaccio is a sunny town open to the sea and to the world ! In Ajaccio, the imperial town where Napoleon was born and grew up, you will not escape the worship of his memory which gets into the streets, the buildings, the statues and the heart of the Ajaccian people.

There are numerous sites and places which evoke the emperor and his family : the Bonaparte home and its exotic garden, the Napoleon exhibition on the first floor of the town hall and at the top of the Maréchal Foch square is the statue of white marble of Bonaparte, as the first consul.

Take the Fesch street, a busy pedestrian shopping street, which will lead you to the imperial chapel, where the 9 members of the Napoleon family lie to rest in the crypt including the cardinal Fesch the emperor’s uncle, a great enthusiast of works of art who was to bequeath all his collections to the town of Ajaccio in order to constitute the funds to set up the museum which is called after him. At the Fesch museum, you can find the biggest collection of Italian paintings, after the Louvre, particularly the early Italian paintings of the XIV century including the ‘Vierge à la Guirlande’ by Botticelli (1470), as well as some superior collections.

Go along the cours Napoléon, the main road, with lots of shops as far as the Diamant square and its wonderful view over the gulf. Here are some café terraces being part of a certain way of life !!!!

Take the Cours Grandval which brings you in front of the Corsican Territorial Assembly which took over the Grand Hotel Continental and its amazing exotic garden and go back up as far as the Austerlitz square (or Casone) and its impressive monument overlooked by the bronze statue of the emperor with his famous bicorne hat.

You can also have a look at Napoleon’s grotto just above, where according to the legend the young Bonaparte went to play and dream…

As you head back towards the sea, walk along the Saint-François beach lined with palm trees. If you have some money to gamble or even just to try one’s luck you can stop at the casino, before going back to the citadel and the old port with its coloured fishing boats amidst sailing ships.

There are two other marinas : the Charles Ornano port and the Admiralty port, where the busy terraces of the cafés and restaurants blend in with the movements of the quay and the sailing boats.

Every morning behind the town hall, there is the market, an opportunity to try out the culinary flavours of the island : delicatessen, cheeses, honey, wines, regional goods and seafood in a warm and friendly atmosphere. At the end of the afternoon, when the sun begins to set on the sea, why not have a glance at the Sanguinaire islands, a magical and unmissable place in the region ! You won’t be disappointed…

On the way, you can have a stop to visit Tino Rossi’s house (an other famous man born in Ajaccio and known all over the world). Not so far from there, where the road ends will appear a group of little islands : the red rocks seem to be set ablaze with one touch of the setting sun. An unforgettable place !

Do you want some more wonderful sights ?

Well then head for Capo di Fenu : a series of beaches with scents from out of this world, little ‘paillotes’ (straw huts), white sandy beaches and sheer relaxation at the end of a jam-packed day.

You should also explore the south bank of the gulf of Ajaccio : Porticcio with lots of large beautiful white sandy beaches, full of water-based activities watched over by the Genoese towers. You can also reach these beaches by the shuttle boats which leave from Ajaccio and so go across the gulf.

Life in Ajaccio goes on at night fall with a great choice of trendy places, exhibitions and shows, night clubs, bars and good restaurants.

You will find enough to keep you entertained in the Ajaccian night after such a stimulating and complete day…