The gulf of Porto

Once at the marina, you can admire the fully renovated square Genoese tower and its top terrace offers a great viewpoint over the entire site. To get there, follow a path cut into the rock - the gradual discovery of Corsica’s fortified seaside makes it worth the visit. The tourist station is pleasant, with the tiny port nestled in the river estuary and the inland countryside is worth seeing, particularly the site of the village of Ota, the gorges of the Spelunca River that flows to Evisa, the refreshing river and the lovely Genoese Zaglia and Pianella bridges. To eat, you can opt for the busy marina, or a quiet and bucolic picnic by the river.

Girolata

This end of the world peninsula boasts a small Genoese fort, eucalyptuses, and a sheltered bay with turquoise waters. Not so long ago, there was no electricity or running water here, and the postman Guy Ceccaldi, nicknamed Marathon Man, was the only connection this place had with the outside world. Still today, no road reaches the fishermen’s village. Hikers start off at the Croix Pass and walk along the nice Tuara beach for four hours before they reach the village. You can go there by sea if you go on a boat trip from Ajaccio, Cargese, Porto, Galeria or Calvi. The easiest way to get there is to take a boat from Porto, where you’ll even be offered to travel by night. Unfortunately, the place tends to get overcrowded in the summer so you’ll stand a better chance to really enjoy its charms in spring or autumn.

Piana and the Rocky Inlets

Piana and its rocky inlets are the second wonder of the Gulf of Porto. This charming village is listed among the most beautiful villages in France. The inlets are listed on UNESCO World Heritage List. They consist of a series of nature-carved red granite rocks of surprising shapes that make up surreal or supernatural figures. The road itself gives you a good idea of the landscape, but you’ll really enjoy this exceptional site fully if you go on foot.

In the summer many people walk on the rocky paths winding between the rock blocs in the scrub. It’s an easy one-hour walk. You end up on a cliff overlooking the sea, with a panoramic view on the Gulf of Porto. At a bend in the path, the rocks take strange shapes that everyone can interpret differently – some will see a dog’s head, others a squirrel, a bishop carrying a cross, a stronghold, an eagle, depending on their inspiration… If you want to have a swim, you must take the D824 that leaves the village and winds down towards Arone beach, a genuine oasis of beauty.