What to See in Corsica

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Corsica has one site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site:

Gulf of Porto ★★★ (1983)
This is the only Corsican site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It represents the coastal area of the Corsica Regional Nature Park and offers stunning landscapes and rich marine biodiversity, which can also be explored through diving.

Southern Corsica (2A)

Ajaccio ★★
The capital of South Corsica boasts a beautiful cathedral, a historic quarter, and the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, now turned into a museum.

Bonifacio ★★★★
A stunning town with its port, citadel, old quarters, and cliffs along the coast, which can be explored on boat trips. Located at the southern tip of Corsica, it offers ferry connections to nearby Sardinia.

Cargèse ★
A small village nestled in a bay north of Ajaccio, with a marina and beautiful beaches.

Cucuruzzu ★
This is the site of a prehistoric fortified village located northeast of Sartène.

Filitosa ★
Prehistoric site featuring several "statue-menhirs", located near Propriano.

Piana ★
One of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France" (more for its setting than its architecture). It overlooks the stunning Gulf of Porto and is home to the equally beautiful Calanques of Piana.

Porto-Vecchio ★★
A beautiful town with its citadel, churches, and historic buildings, located in the southeast of Corsica. It is also a renowned seaside resort famous for its beaches (Palombaggia, Cala Rossa).

Propriano ★
This is a small town on the southwest coast with a fair amount of port activity, including commercial, fishing, tourism (marina), and ferries. It’s also worth noting the beautiful beaches in the surrounding area.

Sartène ★★
The "most Corsican of Corsican towns" is a hilltop town. It has a very beautiful centre.

Natural Heritage

Sanguinaires Archipelago ★★
A small archipelago at the entrance to the Gulf of Ajaccio, serving as a natural reserve for both flora and the birds it shelters.

Piana Calanques ★★★
These are stunning calanques between Calvi and Ajaccio located in the Gulf of Porto.

Cape Roccapina ★★
Not far from Sartène, this wild headland by the sea and its bay also offer beautiful beaches.

Gulf of Porto ★★★
This is the only Corsican site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It represents the coastal area of the Corsica Regional Nature Park and offers stunning landscapes and rich marine biodiversity, which can also be explored through diving.

Spelunca Gorge ★★
These are very impressive gorges where you can hike.

Lavezzi Islands ★★★
These are pretty, wild little islands with secluded beaches off the coast of Bonifacio. They are a protected nature reserve.

Bavella Massif ★★
This massif is defined by its granite spires, the "Aiguilles de Bavella". It offers hiking opportunities and swimming in nearby waterfalls and rivers.

Corsica Regional Nature Park ★★★★
Spanning both departments, this park covers nearly half the island. Heavily visited, it is home to many Corsican natural and cultural sites. It is also where the famous GR20 was created, allowing hikers to cross the island in about fifteen days over 200 km from Calenzana to Conca.

Piscia di Gallo Waterfall ★★
One of the island’s most impressive waterfalls, surrounded by uniquely shaped rock formations.

Bonifacio Straits Nature Reserve ★★
It covers the entire coastline around Bonifacio and is part of a Franco-Italian marine park project. The Lavezzi and Cerbicale islands are included in this reserve.

Scandola Nature Reserve ★★★
Located on the edge of the Gulf of Porto and classified as such by UNESCO, this coastal area offers stunning landscapes of coves and cliffs.

Upper Corsica (2B)

Bastia ★★
It's the capital of Haute-Corse, built between sea and mountains, with its citadel overlooking the bay and its old port.

Calenzana ★
South of Calvi, on the edge of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, this is the starting point of the famous GR20, known to all hikers. The area is also home to the remains of old lead mines.

Calvi ★★
The town is known for its imposing citadel. You can go diving and enjoy other water sports near the town.

Centuri ★★
This fishing village in Cap Corse has become a tourist spot for its very pretty port, religious buildings, castles, and Genoese towers.

Corte ★★
A large hilltop town, once the capital of independent Corsica, with an ancient citadel. Nearby lie the valley and the stunning Restonica Gorge with opportunities for swimming and hiking.

L'Île-Rousse ★
East of Calvi, along a rocky coastline, it is one of the ferry access points from the mainland and a seaside resort appreciated for its beaches and hinterland.

Lucciana ★
This municipality bordering Borgo is known for its religious buildings, including the Canonica Cathedral, and the ruins of the ancient city of Mariana.

Moltifao ★
A small village in the centre of the island, home to the "Tortoise Village", which aims to protect France's land tortoises.

Saint-Florent ★★
A beautiful seaside village nestled in a stunning gulf. In addition to its beaches, you can discover a cathedral and an old Genoese citadel here.

Sant'Antonino ★★
This hilltop village is one of the most beautiful in France for its panoramic views and old houses clustered around a rocky pinnacle.

Vergio ★
In the heart of the Corsica Natural Park at the pass of the same name, this is Corsica's oldest ski resort. Hiking, kayaking, and canyoning are also possible in the surrounding area.

Natural Heritage

Cap Corse ★★★
This is the mountainous peninsula at the northern tip of Corsica. It boasts a rugged coastline with many charming coastal villages, making it one of the island's most interesting spots to explore, especially on foot.

Agriates Desert ★★★
This is a stunning maquis zone along the coast, offering both peaceful beaches and trails perfect for hiking.

Restonica Gorge ★★★
Near Corte, these gorges are a very popular tourist site. Visitors come for swimming and hiking.

Lake Nino ★★
Perched at over 1,700 m above sea level, this is Corsica's second-largest lake. Its proximity to the GR20 trail makes it very busy in season.

Corsica Regional Nature Park ★★★★
Spanning both departments, this park covers nearly half the island. Heavily visited, it is home to many Corsican natural and cultural sites. It is also where the famous GR20 was created, allowing hikers to cross the island in about fifteen days over 200 km from Calenzana to Conca.

Biguglia Lagoon Nature Reserve ★
The site is recognised for its ornithological significance. It is home to an ecomuseum.

Nature Reserve of the Cap Corse Islands ★
These are several small islands off the Cap Corse classified as a nature reserve.

Asco Valley ★★
In the centre of the island, this is a valley and gorges popular for their landscapes and hiking.