To do in Porto -Vecchio in Corsica – 16 tips

Writer: Helena Bergström

What can you see and do in Porto-Vecchio in Corsica? This pleasant town, in the southeastern part of Corsica, offers both historic alleys and an environment with fantastic beaches. Here you will find our best tips about sights and experiences.

Porto-Vecchio on Corsica

Porto-Vecchio, or Portivechju as the city is called in Corsican, is a charming little gem. Moreover, the city is surrounded by an incredibly beautiful coast. When we visited Corsica ten years ago, we only visited the beaches. Now we have also looked in the city!

Porto-Vecchio is located on the southwestern part of Corsica, 27 kilometers northeast of Bonifacio.

What can you do in Porto-Vecchio?

So what can you see and do as a tourist in Porto-Vecchio? This is really a beautiful city for those who like cozy alleys with seats outside and shopping. Most people who come here also want to experience the beaches of the area. Here we share our best tips!

1. Visit the old city in Porto-Vecchio

One thing you don’t want to miss to do in Porto-Vecchio is to visit the old city, which is beautifully at a height. Parking is found partly in the area around the marina and partly on the slopes to the central parts. The last part it is perhaps best to walk, because the city center comprises narrow alleys with limited parking facilities.

Walking through the historic city center is very cozy.

2. See the view from the Citadel in Porto-Vecchio

You can find different viewpoints from the old district, but one of the best of the historic citadel, sometimes called “French bastion”. Steps in the citadel and seeing the view from the patio currently costs 2 euros/person (2025).

3. Admire Church Saint-Jean Baptiste

One of the historic locations that you can watch in Porto-Vecchio is the Church Saint-Jean Baptiste. The church, which was inaugurated in 1868, is in the same place where a former church from the 16th century once stood. The facade is never complete, but the church still offers a wonderful example of Neo -Baroque/Neoclassical Church Architecture.

4. Shop

If you like holiday shopping, Central Porto-Vecchio is an inspiring place. Here you will find many shops with swimwear, summer clothing, accessories, interior, art and other – both in a lower and higher price range.

5. Sit on an outdoor seat

We have no idea how many restaurants and cafes there are in Porto-Vecchio, but that’s it a lot of. Whether you want to order a coffee, a sandwich, a beer or a whole three -course meal, you can find a cozy place with a view of the crowd.

6. Eating ice cream at Gelateria L’art de la Glace

If you want to enjoy a good ice, don’t miss it to stop Gelateria de art of ice cream. This glass spot offers really good ice cream with many exciting flavors, such as mandarin, clementine, chestnuts, hazelnuts and honey with pine nuts. Very good!

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7. Walk in the small Bootmarina

Under the old district of Porto-Vecchio is the marina of the city. Here you can view everything, from charming small boats to exclusive luxury yachts. You will also find a pearl restaurants here, as well as a few stores.

8. Spana in Fyren de Chiaappa

Boy Chiappa Located on the Chiappa herd outside Porto-Vecchio and offers a beautiful view. You can almost go all the way to the lighthouse, which is framed by a wall, but you can count on narrow paths and bushy terrain.

9. Nude bath on the Chiappa-the-re

Right next to the La Chiappa lighthouse is Naturistbyn la Chiappa. This is a large naturist area with camping, houses, restaurants, beaches, swimming pools and various activities such as yoga, spa, horse riding, diving courses and rental of boats. We liked this place. A perfect harbor if you want to sunbathe and bathe -free!

10. The sun by order of the Palombaggia

There are many beautiful beaches around Porto-Vecchio and one of the most famous is Palombaggia Beachor Palumbag In Corsican. This is a long and incredibly beautiful sandy beach, where you will also find a number of restaurants and boat rental. On the beach there is also a simple, affordable and very beautiful camper/natural campsite, called “Parking in Pini”.

11 .a selfies scile de tamarcy

If you walk past the entire Palombaggia Plage, the next beach awaits Plage de Tamaricciu. This beach is also very nice, and between the two beaches you will also find an incredibly nice distance with rounded and very special stone formations. Here it is popular to photograph or make a selfie!

12. Discover Plage de Santa Giulia

A little south of the first two beaches you will find a beach called Santa Giulia Beachwhich is sometimes mentioned in combination with talking about the most beautiful beaches in Corsica. We scored the beach at a distance – and it looked really nice – but we arrived in the afternoon and found no parking space in front of our camper. We still offer a few photos that we have rushed!

13. Hang the rondinara on Plage

Another beautiful beach that is worth mentioning Rondinara Beach. If you come with camping vehicles, you can choose to include in Camping Rondinara, and you will have within walking distance (in a relatively steep slope) to the beach. We considered staying here, but the campsite was really full (and could only offer “extra places”), so we chose to roll further.

14. Try various water sports

One thing you can do in Porto-Vecchio, regardless of the beach you visit, is to try various water sports. For example, it is possible to test windsurfing, paddle surfing, water scooters, kayaking or sailing. You can also snorkel or dive.

15. Make an excursion to Bonifacio

If you spend your vacation in Porto-Vecchio, we strongly recommend making an excursion to Bonifacio, which is located just over half an hour south of Porto-Vecchio by car. This nice city has an incredibly spectacular location on dramatic cliffs on the south coast of Corsica. Here you can view the Citadel, admire a fantastic view and enjoy food and shopping.

16. Go boat to the Lavezzi Islands

Last but not least we can advise on making a boat trip to the beautiful Lavezzi Islands. These islands are just outside Bonifacio, so from there you can also take the boat trip, what we have chosen to do. The islands offer unique rock formations and nice, cozy beaches.

More to see and do in Porto-Vecchio for those who love culture and history

There is of course more to see and do in Porto-Vecchio, in addition to our tips. Here are still a suggestions for those who love culture and history:

• Archaeological locations Available at different places in Corsica.
• The Genoese gate is a historical entrance, from the 16th century to the citadel in the old city.
• Local gastronomy Is worth discovering, such as Coppa, Pancetta, Corsican calf and the cheesecake “Fiadone”.

More to see and do in Porto-Vecchio for those who love nature and adventure

There is of course more to see and do in Porto-Vecchio and in the immediate vicinity of the city for those who love nature and adventure. Here you will find more tips:

• OSPEDALE FOREST is a nature reserve with forest and more.
• Plage de Pinarell is a beach located just north of Porto-Vecchio.
• Fautea beach Is another beach that you find in a northerly direction.
• Solenzara-Dalen is a walking space.

Where can you live or stand at the camper?

There are of course many different hotels and other accommodation in and around Porto-Vecchio. We came here with our camper and we mainly loved Parking pinThat is a very simple campsite/nature camping on the beach of Palombaggia. Here you stand shady under the pine trees, while you have a short walk to the fine beach.

There is no electricity on the site, but a simple service in the form of garbage can, fresh water, public toilets in a short walk and a few outer showers. The price is currently (2025) 10 euros/night plus 4 euros in admission price on the first day.

We also camping for a few nights on the naturist campsite Chiappa. This is a well -managed campsite with both shady and sunny places, beautiful beach, excellent service drilling houses, very nice swimming pools and also a large selection of activities. Great if you like sunbathing and swimming without clothes. Here we paid a little more than 50 euros/night, and they had to book at least three nights.

More to see and in the neighborhood

Near Porto-Vecchio we can mainly recommend visiting the wonderfully fine city of Bonifacio. We can also tip the dramatic and beautiful Calanche di piana -fast road on the west side of the island, as well as fine beaches on the west side, such as Plage de Cupabia. You can also view the prehistoric remains in Filitosa.

More tips about things to see and do in Porto-Vecchio?

Have you been to Corsica? Do you have more tips about what you should see and do in Porto-Vecchio? Please tell me!