Hey there!
We are back with a new blog post to bring you our top 5 of Corsica beaches, regarding our experience in the island for the third time.
If you landed on this blog post because you are looking for the most beautiful beaches in Corsica, we hope this post can help you in anyway.
As we mentioned already, we have been in this beautiful Mediterranean island 3 times and to be honest already hoping to go back again as it is a stunning place to be, discover and enjoy your holidays. From high pikes mountains, to natural swimming pools in the valleys and to the most beautiful beaches in Europe, this island is a must visit and should be on your bucket list.
Our first experience was short but after those days we knew that we needed to go back as soon as possible, so did we 2 months after. We were so excited to go back that we didn’t even think how crowded it could be in August, so we had a surprise. And this made us decide to not ever go to beaches/summer destinations in July or August, because what can be a great experience, can turn out in not so good one.
From that moment on, we always go to these destinations in off season (May, beginning of June, end of September and October). The weather is beautiful, the temperatures are not so hot but good enough to enjoy, the beaches and most of the places are not crowded and it helps us for sure to have a great experience. Also, in high season most of the parking lots are not free, not cheap and the majority don’t allow campers to park or sleep over.
So, something we take from all these times travelling these destinations are definitely: avoid high season at all cost.
We have released on our YouTube channel a few videos about our vanlife experience, so feel free to check them out too.
At the bottom of this guide you can find a map with the beaches we have visited so far.
Have this said, let’s jump right away to our top 5 Corsica Beaches:
Santa Giulia Beach
Although is not a secret for the majority, this place needs to be on your bucketlist. We tried to visit this beach on our second time in the island (August), but right after visiting Palombaggia Beach we have decided to not go because it was high season and our experience could not be positive as we would like to. So the third time we were in the island (October), we couldn’t leave the island without visiting Santa Giulia. And, as expected we were blown away. If there is a place in this island that deserves your visit, is definitely this beach.
You can park right next to it, and it just takes 1 or 2 minutes until you can put your feet in the sand. Also in October, campers are allowed to park there, which in August not really.
The place screams „paradise“ everywhere. Surrounded by true nature, a mountain that you can hike to the top and have an overview over the bay, and the most turquoise water you might find in the island. It could be anywhere in the Caribbean or in the Pacific, but it is right here: in Europe.
You can walk from one side to the other for over a kilometer of white sand and green background scenario of the mountain and hills.
In one of the sides of the beach, there is a lovely rocky place which can remind us a bit Seychelles islands. It is as beautiful as it can be, and a great place to spend hours snorkelling.
There are a few restaurants along the beach which provide you most of your needs like food, beverage and toilets, and you can also book a sunbed & umbrella.
Also there are a few activities you enjoy as: water skiing, towed buoys, fly board, snorkelling and boat rides. You choose.
Roccapina Beach
On our third time on the island, we decided to go and discover the west side coast. We knew that it was not so „popular“ as the east coast, so the chances of finding wild and beautiful places were high.
The roads are most scenic as they go through the mountains and along the coast giving us a truly „wow“ experience while driving.
We decided to not sleep over in the parking lot because there were signs forbidding it, so we went safe and slept around 3 km away from the road that leads down to the beach. Although we know some people who have slept in the parking with no issues.
The road that leads you to the parking it is not in good shape. It’s a non paved and super bumpy road, as most of the beaches accesses in Corsica. It took us around 10 minutes from the main road until the parking lot. Better accessible with a 4×4 car/camper.
This wild beach lays over true nature, surrounded by the mountains and green forests. There are no restaurants or toilets, so take your basics with you, because you gonna stay for a day long.
There are a few trails that people do until the top of the mountain where there is a small fort and the so known Lion of Rocappina. We also did it and we totally recomend it. It is steep but no longer than 1h30 the whole loop. Up there you have an overview over the bay and you witness a truly wild mother nature „construction“.
We can’t recommend this place any more, we had an amazing experience here. There are some medusas and we even had an encounter with an octopus, that you can also see on our last YouTube Video.
Palombaggia Beach
We have been here more than once, as in this part of the island is really hard to find places to sleep over. So, just 5 minutes away from this beach, there is a parking lot which allows anyone to park and stay overnight for 10€/day. It is the most affordable place we have found on the island, and we totally recommend it. They also offer some services as fresh water, empty grey waters and showers. So if you are travelling with your car/camper and just want to have a place to park for the day, this is the place.
Palombaggia is probably the second most known beach on the island, and so the most visited and crowded in the high season. As before, we suggest everyone to go off season to have a more chilled experience, away from the crowds. Our first experience was not so pleasant as we were there in August. Although is a long beach, it still gets cramped easily.
There is plenty of restaurants, sunbeds & umbrellas, and it gets overloaded by boats during the day. It’s easily understandable why, as this beach is speaks for itself. We could find a place at one of the edges of the beach, hidden by a few rocks and we had an amazing time there. It’s perfect for spending hours snorkeling, diving and swimming in those turquoise waters.
They charged us 30€/day for parking which we had no other option then accepting as we really wanted to stay for the day. A good thing is that it gives a cupon that we can use in one of the restaurants for a meal, so we ended up having lunch there, which also turned to be away from being cheap. It is not at all, even though we had this 30€ „discount“.
A great thing about this beach is that you can walk through a small piece of forest and get into the Tamaricciu Beach which is also deserves your attention. We also had an amazing time there and a grea swim in the sunset.
Petit Sperone Beach
This beach was an amazing surprise, as we kinda found it accidentely. Our goal was to spend the day in Piantarella Beach, near the Lavezzi Islands, but we decided to go for a walk and just ended up finding the Petit Sperone Beach.
If we recommend Piantarella Beach? Oh yes! Absolutely. But just 10 minutes walking from it, you can find this „cala“ which it is a small paradise. Totally in the wildness, there are no restaurants or anything besides nature. It is a truly immersive experience, just white sandy beach and turquoise water.
Not so far away, you can also find the Grand Sperone Beach, which we have no been but from what we could see, it’s also deserve a visit. We have plenty of reasons to go back again. Do you feel us? :p
The acess to this beach is made through Piantarella Beach walking through the sand and then through a small cliff and forest. The closest you can leave your car is next to the Nautic Port of Piantarella, parked along the road. Go early enough otherwise you won’t have a free place.
A tip from us: don’t miss the chance to dive in in these 3 beaches as they are close to eachother.
Ghjunchitu Beach
This was our first ever Corsica beach.
Other mentions
Tamaricciu Beach (picture)
Carataggio Beach (picture)
Capo di Feno (picture)
Canella Beach (picture)
Cala d’Orzo (picture)
We know that there are plenty of beautiful beaches to discover in this island, but this top is related to our personal experience being in Corsica. Next time we plan to visit Saleccia Beach and go back to Cala d’Orzo as the weather was not good and we ended up staying in the van most of the time. Also the access to this beach is tough and not recommendable if you don’t have a 4×4 car. Sure you can make it until down (as it goes for 3 or 4 km in non paved and bumpy road), but the way up is even harder. Be aware of that.
We hope this small guide can help you somehow and make you decide to visit this beautiful island. We can’t recommend more this destination.
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Love,
João and Leonie
