Top Things to do in Porto Vecchio Corsica

**Updated May 2019

My families base for our recent trip to Corsica (France) was the small town of Porto Vecchio on the southern coast. I quickly fell in love with the towns charm and abundance of character! But, while it has a peaceful vibe we found that there were plenty of things to do to keep us busy. Thus here are my top things to do in Porto Vecchio Corsica…

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Things to do in Porto Vecchio Corsica –

1) Explore the town itself:

The first of my Porto Vecchio things to do is a rather obvious suggestion, and that is simply to explore the town itself (which is split into the old town and the harbour).

The Old Town: up in the hills, the heart of Porto Vecchio is a maze of adorable stone streets, which are filled with boutique shops selling anything from clothes to homeware.  Meanwhile, there are countless Bakery’s, Gelato stores and restaurants that are bound to get your taste buds tingling.

Porto Vecchio things to do
Porto Vecchio old town

 

The Harbour: the harbour of Porto-Vecchio Corsica has a slightly more modern vibe than the rest of the town. Here you’ll find several waterfront restaurants/bars to enjoy.

2) Have a delicious meal:

As mentioned above, there are many fabulous restaurants in Porto Vecchio. The town has a range of establishments, from those that are family friendly to the more exclusive venues. In other words, there’s an option for everyone. Thus there’s no excuse not to enjoy a wonderful meal in the town.

3) Head to one of the Porto Vecchio beaches:

There are plenty of beaches near Corsica Porto Vecchio where you can relax and take in the sunshine, but there are two ‘Porto Vecchio Beaches’ that I’d recommend above the rest. The first of these is Plage de Palombaggia. Voted one of the best beaches in the whole of Corsica, this beach is beautiful as it has some of the clearest water I’ve ever seen!

Porto Vecchio beaches: Plage de Palombaggia
Porto Vecchio beaches: Plage de Palombaggia

In addition, it has great facilities. You’ll find plenty of sun loungers to rent, a bar serving drinks, and even a beach hut which offers water sports such as paddle boarding and Jet Ski Hire.

The only downside of Palombaggia beach is that it can get very busy during peak season over the summer. This said the beach is thankfully large enough that you can find a quiet corner if you know where to look… If you walk to the far left-hand side of the beach, the sand will narrow and be replaced by rocks. If you then paddle through the shallow water here, and around the back of the said rocks, you will reach a ‘secret cove’.  

Porto Vecchio beaches
The ‘secret cove’

 

Admittedly, it is a bit of a walk to reach this location, but this difficulty means that the stretch of pristine sand is almost always deserted, bringing tranquillity, calm seas and the perfect spot for snorkelling!

Moving on, located slightly further out of town and along the coast, Santa Giulia Beach is the second of my Porto Vecchio beach suggestions. It is actually pretty similar to Palombaggia in the sense that it offers water sports and has breathtakingly clear water.

Porto-Vecchio Corsica Santa Giulia Beach
Santa Giulia Beach

But Santa Giulia differs as it’s a lot quieter and more relaxed. Also, there’s a particularly good cocktail bar right on the waterfront which could tip the balance slightly in its favour. 😉

4) Take A Boat Trip from the Harbour:

Sticking with the sea, the next of my things to do in Porto Vecchio Corsica is to take a boat tour. This is because the coastline that surrounds the town features some amazing scenery. Plus, the sea is so breathtakingly clear that it wouldn’t be out of place in the Bahamas.

Not wanting to miss out on either of these things, my family and I opted to go on Croisiere Exclusive’sCircuit Dentente’ tour for €60 each. Although this admittedly was rather expensive we certainly got our money’s worth during our time at sea!

Things to do in porto vecchio corsica

Our ‘captain’ was a wonderful guide as he knew so much about the area. We also stopped off at several beautiful swimming spots and were even provided with snacks and cocktails! Thus I’d highly recommend the tour.


Porto Vecchio Things To Do Nearby –

As you can see from above, there are plenty of things to do physically within the town of Porto Vecchio. However, I’d highly suggest hiring a car so you can make the most of all there is to do nearby the town as well. Highlights include:

1) Driving through Corsica’s mountains:

Two-thirds of Corsica’s territory is made up of spectacular granite mountains and vast forests which are tied together by numerous lakes, rivers and waterfalls.

Porto Vecchio things to do
The mountains near Porto Vecchio

During my visit, we drove a simple loop up through the mountains and back along back the coast to Porto Vecchio (a journey which took about 4hours). It was an amazing experience, largely because I had not expected such scenery to greet me on such a tiny and often overlooked island. I actually lost count of the number of times we pulled over to take in the view!

2) Tackling a High Ropes Course:

The forests which surround the mountains near Porto Vecchio Corsica provide a paradise for adrenaline seekers as they’re home to many high rope courses. My dad and I decided to tackle the Xtreme Suds High Ropes Course, which is a short drive from the town.

 Xtreme Suds High Ropes Course

Xtreme Suds offers several different routes of varying difficulty, meaning it’s a great day out for families and big kids (like my dad and me) alike! My personal favourite route took us out of the trees and up a huge rock face, which provided amazing views back down over the valley. Of course, we then got to Zip-Line the 60 or so meters back down to the ground!

Overall, we had a fabulous afternoon tackling the different courses available here, hence why I’m featuring it on my list of the top things to do in Porto Vecchio, plus tickets are a very reasonable price – only around €20 for an adult.

3) Going Canyoning:

If heights aren’t your thing then another activity that might take you fancy is Canyoning. Thanks to the islands many rivers and waterfalls there are several different companies that operate exciting canyoning tours from Porto-Vecchio Corsica.

Porto-Vecchio Corsica.

 

Sadly I didn’t get to go canyoning during my own time in the town, But it looks like a fabulous experience and something I’d love to do if I ever return.

4) Visiting Bonifacio:

The last of my things to do in Porto Vecchio Corsica is to take a day trip to the town of Bonifacio. Although a bit further away than the other things on my list, you should not think twice about driving to this medieval town as its bursting with history and beautiful views. You can read my Ultimate Guide to Bonifacio for more information!

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So there you have all my top things to do in Porto Vecchio Corsica. The charm and beauty of the town and surrounding area are honestly like nothing else I’ve experienced in Europe, so I hope I get to return and add more things to do to this list in the future. 🙂

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28 Comments

  1. December 16, 2017 / 9:21 pm

    I had no idea Corsica was so beautiful!
    Thank you for showing this to me – it’s amazing.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 16, 2017 / 9:46 pm

      You’re welcome haha – neither did I before visiting!!

  2. December 16, 2017 / 9:43 pm

    Great to know this place. Amazing photos and useful information. Thanks for sharing.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 16, 2017 / 9:46 pm

      Thanks for reading 🙂

  3. December 16, 2017 / 11:40 pm

    Great post! I’ve done some of those rope climbing adventure course in France once loved it!

  4. December 17, 2017 / 10:21 am

    I would love to visit Corsica one day soon. It looks like a beautiful place and there are tons of things that I’d like to do. Okay, that’s a lie… I just want to hang out on the beach! Great resource.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 17, 2017 / 3:43 pm

      Hahaha the beach was my favourite too 😉

  5. Julianna Barnaby
    December 17, 2017 / 11:31 am

    It looks absolutely stunning! Have never been to Corsica but it’s definitely high on my list. Would love to do the adventure climbs, what a perfect setting.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 17, 2017 / 4:26 pm

      You should definitely visit its a lovely destination 🙂

  6. December 18, 2017 / 12:31 am

    You sold me on number 2, THE BEACH. I would have never imagined the beach being so beautiful there. Then again, I know nothing of Corsica!

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 18, 2017 / 1:19 pm

      I was not expecting them to be so beautiful either!!

  7. Aleksandra
    December 18, 2017 / 2:30 pm

    omg. i fall in love with the view on pic nr 3!

  8. December 20, 2017 / 6:02 pm

    This place looks amazing! And it seems to have it all… nature, adventure and history. Adding it to my list! 🙂

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:09 pm

      Agreed!! I wanted to never leave 😉

  9. December 23, 2017 / 12:58 am

    Looks beautiful there! I never pictured that Corsica would look like that but who cares when it’s pretty. Bonifacio looks amazing! I would love to visit.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:08 pm

      Its totally not what I was expecting either! A little gem of an island for sure 🙂

  10. December 23, 2017 / 4:10 am

    What a charming location! The activities seem very fun, especially the boat ride. Good thing you found a cheaper one and you got some treats on board! The water looks spectacular and so clean there!

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:07 pm

      We were a bit worried we wouldn’t get out on the water because all the tours seemed so expensive! Certainly worth a little digging around to find the perfect one. 🙂 And I know right I was not expecting it to be so beautiful

  11. December 24, 2017 / 3:50 pm

    I like the quiet non packed beaches and #2 seems more our style however finding the secret coves is always nice because they are secret and less crowded. I would definitely hire a car to go and see the granite mountains while I was there as I love driving around that style of scenery.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:06 pm

      Agreed I love feeling like I have the whole beach to myself haha, but yes hiring a car is a must!!

  12. December 25, 2017 / 2:26 am

    Wow so much to do. Would love to go one of these good ol’ days. Love the pictures btw. Thanks for sharing!

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:05 pm

      Thanks for reading and taking the time to write your lovely comment 🙂 x

  13. December 25, 2017 / 7:59 am

    The place, especially the town photo reminded me of Disney’s Tangled. haha It looks like the real place where it got its inspiration. =)

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:04 pm

      Haha I never thought of that but now you’ve said it I can totally see the similarities! 🙂

  14. December 26, 2017 / 11:22 am

    Corsica is a pristine wonderland. Porto Vecchio is indeed a revelation. It offers natural landscapes, beaches, and adventure activities as well. I love the look of Santa Giulia beach, it looks so serene. The boat trip and canyoning sound very interesting too.

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      December 27, 2017 / 12:03 pm

      There’s certainly a lot to check out haha

  15. January 16, 2018 / 6:52 pm

    Wow, the island looks amazing! great post, thanks for sharing 🙂 We’ve been planning a trip to Civitavecchia, Italy for later this year and now I’m thinking maybe we could take a boat over to Corsica to explore the island and do some paddle boarding. Do you know if there are any interior rivers that could be accessed by paddle board? 🙂

    • earthsmagicalplaces
      Author
      January 20, 2018 / 6:36 pm

      You should definitely make a trip over! And yes the interior is full of beautiful rivers, but some do dry up in the summer months so worth doing a bit of research 🙂

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