Retiring in Corsica

Puma2A · 2026-04-07 · Message 21 of 25

For 48 years I’ve been in Corsica, I’ve seen dozens of businesses destroyed by fires or bomb attacks.(businesses owned by Corsicans or mainland French). ...

And unfortunately, the trend continues!! In recent days: https://www.corsematin.com/article/faits-diversjustice/56630645261477/incendie-a-biguglia-6-a-8-camions-de-livraison-brules

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Retiring in Corsica

Clairebv · 2026-06-25 · Message 22 of 25

Hello, I’ve visited Corsica several times with our kids, and we loved the welcome and friendliness of the locals as we discovered many villages. We’re originally from the JURA region. Now that we’re retired, we’d like to live somewhere between Bastia and Porto-Vecchio. Which village or town would you recommend for a peaceful and warm lifestyle?

Corsica is a bit like every country in the world. It’s fabulous for vacations, always well-regarded by locals as tourists, but everything changes when you become a permanent resident. You’ll always be seen as a *continental* in the eyes of the locals. Once you’ve accepted that, you’ll enjoy a wonderful retirement in Corsica.

A free tip? Don’t get involved in local politics! Let the locals handle it.😉

Hi Domnib and Mitch, My parents moved to Corsica over 50 years ago—first for vacations, then for retirement. Now (since I’ve recently retired), I spend several weeks or months there (always outside of summer) to visit my father, who lives alone. While he still spends some time in the Paris region, he mostly stays in his main home between Ajaccio and Propriano. It hasn’t always been easy (our house was destroyed in 1988 during a *nuit bleue*), but we love Corsica—its varied landscapes perfect for beautiful hikes, its winding little roads (I think I’ve driven almost all of them). The Corsicans can be very welcoming, but we’ll never truly be assimilated and will always remain *Pinzutu*! We respect them, and they respect us. Yes, a wonderful retirement in Corsica is possible!