The best beaches of Corsica: 11x the most beautiful beaches and coves!

Oh Corsica, how beautiful your beaches are! From small intimate bays to vast sandy beaches! And from pebble beaches with the most beautiful sunsets to the ideal family beaches. In this blog you will find eleven amazing beaches in Corsica. Including useful information such as the exact location, accessibility, suitability for children and whether there are restaurants or beach bars on the beach. This way you know exactly which beaches of Corsica you should not miss!

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What are the best beaches in Corsica?

Many tourists flock to Corsica for its beautiful landscapes and for hiking in the mountains. Yet the island with no less than 1000 kilometers of coastline, has much more to offer. There are few places in Europe where we found the beaches as beautiful and diverse as on Corsica. You really have something for everyone here, and that’s not surprising, because there are more than 200 bays or beaches on Corsica. Many beaches are within easy reach and have parking facilities. Most beaches are also well equipped for families with children. In addition to the often pearly white sand and turquoise water, we also found the coastline really spectacular because you are surrounded in several places by a mountainous landscape. As a result, the beaches of Corsica sometimes feel almost un-European.

But where are the best beaches and which beautiful bay is close to your accommodation? We are happy to help you with the overview below of the most beautiful beaches of Corsica! For each beach we give an indication of the following components: accessibility, parking, renting an umbrella or sunbed possible, presence of restaurants/beach bars, type of beach, suitability for children.

Map with the beaches of Corsica

Where are all these beaches in Corsica? The map below shows where each beach on the island is located. This way you can quickly see which beaches are closest to you.

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1. Plage d’Arone | Western Corsica | Close to Les Calanques de Piana

This wonderfully quiet beach is located near Piana. Are you going to hike through the famous Calanches de Piana (our blog about this area can be found behind the link)? Then you can relax here afterwards. The drive there is beautiful, with continuous views of the clear blue sea. The sand is wonderfully soft and you can rent beds here. A perfect family beach and very quiet! Click here for the location of this beach in Corsica.

• Accessibility: Good (20 minutes drive from Piana)
• Parking: Yes, free but not a lot of spaces and the parking lot was in bad shape when we were there (lots of potholes)
• Restaurants available: Yes, Le Cafe de la Plage looked really nice!
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: Yes
• Beach type: Fine sandy beach
• Suitable for children: Yes

2. Plage de Abbartello/Taravo | Western Corsica | Near Propriano

This tiny bay is really a hidden gem! If you don’t know about its existence, you won’t find it unless you sleep in the adjacent hotel or eat at the restaurant. The beautiful white sand is surrounded by rough rocks, which continue into the clear blue water. The waves are quite high here, the water gets deep quickly and there can be currents, so not suitable for swimming with children. But otherwise this is a really beautiful place. Click here for the location of this small cove in Abbartello. Not far from this bay you will find the larger beach, Plage de Tenutella. There are also fewer rocks here.

Also nice is the adjacent restaurant Paillotte Abbartello. And if you really don’t want to leave here, then sleep like we did in the lovely hotel Abbartello. The hotel rooms have a nice balcony that overlooks the sea. Here we sat until late in the evening with a glass of rosé looking out at the dark waves.

• Accessibility: Good (15 minutes drive from Propriano)
• Parking: Yes, free, at the hotel.
• Restaurants available: Yes, Paillotte Abbartello is very very good!
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: No
• Beach type: Fine sandy beach with rocks
• Suitable for children: No

3. Plage de Roccapina | Western Corsica | Between Propriano and Bonifacio

The beautiful bay where the beach of Roccapina is located is not an easy place to get to. You have two options, either you drive 2.5 kilometers on a bumpy unpaved path (only recommended if your car is not too low) or you walk this part down (and back on the way back). But that hard work definitely pays off. This lovely beach is located in a shallow cove, perfect for children. The water is wonderfully clear with lots of fish. Often there are several boats anchored nearby, because you can snorkel perfectly here. In general it is very quiet, but in high season, when Corsica is really full, you will also encounter a lot of people here. Click here for the location of this beach in Corsica.

• Accessibility: Not great, you drive 2.5 kilometers on an unpaved bumpy path. Quite adventurous!
• Parking: Yes, free
• Restaurants available: No
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: No
• Beach type: Fine sandy beach
• Suitable for children: Yes

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Looking for nice hotels or accommodation on Corsica? Then read our Corsica hotel guide! A good overview of budget, midrange and luxury hotels per region! 

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4. Plage de la Tonnara | Southern Corsica | Near Bonifacio

This quiet beach seems to be known only by the locals. And that while it is not far from Bonifacio. It used to be the place where the fishing boats full of tuna came ashore. It is therefore not surprising that this is called the beach of the tuna. Perfect to enjoy a quiet afternoon. We especially liked the view of the mountains in the distance on this bay in Corsica. Click here for the location of this beach.

• Accessibility: Excellent, 15 minutes drive from Bonifacio.
• Parking: Yes, large free parking space
• Restaurants present: Yes, but they didn’t look great.
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: No, but you can rent surfboards and supboards here.
• Beach type: Fine sandy beach
• Suitable for children: Yes, the sea is not deep and slopes gently.

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Be sure to read our Bonifacio travel guide! Full of tips on what to do in this nice city!

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5. Plage de Saint-Antoine | Southern Corsica | Near Bonifacio

This small beach is spectacular not so much because of the sand, but mainly because of the route to it. In about 45 minutes, you walk through the rocks and cliffs to this small bay. Along the way you will be treated to amazing views. Not far from here you will also find a cave with a large hole from above, through which you can see the water running in and back. There is nothing here at all, but the high rocks give you some shelter from the sun. Click here for the location of this beach in Corsica.

• Accessibility: You cannot get here by car and you have to take a walk of about 45-60 minutes.
• Parking: Very limited at the starting point of the walk. The cars are just on the side of the road.
• Restaurants available: No
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: No
• Beach type: Sandy beach
• Suitable for children: No, the sea can have strong currents here and the waves are high. Fun to play in for adults!

6. Beaches of Iles les Lavezzi | Southern Corsica | Lavezzu

Technically, these beaches are not on Corsica itself, but on the beautiful island of Lavezzu, part of the Levezzi archipelago. This is the only island of this group that is public, the rest of the islands are private residences. Here you will find several beautiful small bays with crystal blue water. This is also the perfect place to go snorkelling, because there are a lot of fish here. Take plenty of time to explore the different bays, but keep in mind that you can’t buy food or drinks here. Click here for the location of these beaches.

• Accessibility: You can reach this island by boat, tickets for the ferry can be bought in the port of Bonifacio.
• Parking option: Not present
• Restaurants present: Not present
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: No
• Beach type: Sandy and pebble beaches
• Suitable for children: Absolutely and definitely bring a snorkel set!

7. Plage de Rondinara | Southern Corsica |Near Porto-Vecchio

This is my personal favorite beach in Corsica. As the name suggests, the bay runs almost all the way around and you are therefore very sheltered. When you drive down the hill by car, you can already see this special bay. There is hardly any current and therefore you have beautiful turquoise blue water. The sand is soft and surrounded by trees that provide shade, not bad on a hot summer’s day. There are many fish around the long jetty, great for snorkeling. And finally, here you have a very nice beach bar (Restaurant De La Plage Chez Ange) with sun loungers, tasty and affordable food and even massages. The beach is located exactly between Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio, so perfect when you combine it by visiting one of the two cities in the morning. Click here for the location of my favorite beach in Corsica!

• Accessibility: Medium… You first have to go up a winding road up the hill, and then down again. When it is busy, traffic jams sometimes form here. About 30 minutes from Bonifacio. But it’s definitely worth it!
• Parking: Yes, paid. 5 Euros for a whole day.
• Restaurants available: Yes the nice Restaurant De La Plage Chez Ange!
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: Yes and you can even get a well-priced massage here.
• Beach type: Sandy beaches
• Suitable for children: The ultimate place for kids! Tranquil, shallow water, shade from the pine trees and soft sand!

8. Plage de Santa Giulia | Southern Corsica | Near Porto-Vecchio

And then immediately the favorite bay of Ries: Santa Giulia. This beach is also known as the most beautiful beach in Corsica. It’s quite unique, as it sits on a narrow strip of peninsula that separates the sea from a freshwater lagoon. The beach is wide and there are a lot of restaurants and cozy beach bars where you can have a drink or eat delicious pizza. Keep in mind that this beach is very popular and it can often be very busy here. Especially in the summer. Click here for the location of this beach in Corsica.

• Accessibility: Good, about 15 minutes drive from Porto-Vecchio
• Parking: Yes, paid. 5 Euros for a whole day. Tip: be sure to park at the first parking lot (after the roundabout) and do not continue on. Otherwise you are guaranteed to end up in a traffic jam on the super narrow peninsula.
• Restaurants available: Yes, many restaurants and beach bars.
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: Yes
• Beach type: Sandy beaches
• Suitable for children: Great place for kids, shallow water, little current and soft sand!

9. Plage de Palombaggia | Southern Corsica |Near Porto-Vecchio

This beautiful long beach that seems to last endlessly (and actually always turns into a new beach) is close to Port0-Vecchio. The white sand, the white rocks and the clear blue water are sometimes reminiscent of the Maldives. Truly a beach that is worth a visit! If you walk south to the next bays, you eventually come to a mini bay, strewn with large boulders, but very quiet. Nice to have seen! Click here for the location of this beach in Corsica.

• Accessibility: Excellent, as the crow flies, this beach is close to Porto-Vecchio, but it takes 20 minutes because of the winding road.
• Parking options: Yes, click here for the free parking space. Still a 10 minute walk to the beach.
• Restaurants available: Yes, there are many restaurants and beach bars here.
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: Yes, but also surfboards, diving lessons and body boards.
• Beach type: Sandy beaches
• Suitable for children: Absolutely!

10. Plage de Nonza | Northern Corsica | Cap Corse

Plage De Nonza, also called Plage de Noir, is a black pebble beach. It is not very big but very special because of the black pebbles. You reach this beach from the village of Nonza, after a walk via a rock staircase of about 15 minutes. Few tourists come here, so chances are you have the whole beach to yourself. Keep in mind that it can get very hot here as the black color retains the heat well. Click here for the location of this beach.

• Accessibility: Doable. You have to walk down a rock staircase for 10-15 minutes.
• Parking: No, only in the village of Nonza
• Restaurants available: No
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: Yes, but also surfboards, diving lessons and body boards.
• Beach type: Black pebble beach
• Suitable for children: No, according to some locals swimming is not recommended because of possible asbestos in the sea. The route there may also be too difficult for children.

11. Lotu Beach & Plage de Saleccia | Northern Corsica | Desert des Agriates

These two beaches are both spectacular and very difficult to access. Only accessible by boat from Saint Florent or by 4×4 through the “desert” of Corsica, the Desert des Agriates. Even though they are so difficult to get to, both beaches are quite popular, mainly because they are so breathtakingly beautiful. From Lotu Beach, where you regularly encounter sunbathing cows, you can walk to Plage de Saleccia. Take enough water with you because it is a 45 unsheltered minute walk. In any case, it is wise to bring enough food and drinks with you, there are no restaurants here. Click here for the location of Lotu Beach and here for the location of Plage de Saleccia.

• Accessibility: Only by boat or 4×4
• Parking option: No
• Restaurants available: No
• Member beds/umbrellas for rent: No
• Beach type: Fine sandy beach
• Suitable for children: Yes, this beautiful beach is certainly suitable for children

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The most special hotels on the coast of Corsica

Not only going to the beach itself is nice, being able to stay there even longer by sleeping right on the coast is wonderful! The hotels below all have a view of the sea.

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