Beaches – The East Coast.

The east coast has some of the islands most iconic beaches, great seaside restaurants and many water sports.

Pinarello - Near to the village of St. Lucie de Porto Vecchio this beach is a huge arc of white sand, stretching for 2kms and overlooked by a Genoese watch tower. The water is very shallow for quite a distance, making it ideal for children, there are also some nice shady areas under the trees. Most water sports are available here and at the southern tip of the bay is a village with several good beachside restaurants and snack bars.

Cala Rossa - This is one of the smartest beaches in the area that opens on to the bay of Porto Vecchio and the open sea. Because of the 4 star Luxe hotel nearby, the in-crowd can be observed and a good place to do it is from the restaurant “The Beach” who allow free parking. If you eat there and if you feel inclined, you can rent one of their sun loungers and parasols for a hefty fee! At this end the water is fairly shallow, head round the bay further and you will find the sea becomes very deep very quickly so is not great for children.

Palombaggia - South of Porto Vecchio, this beach easily rivals the Seychelles with its incredible weathered rocks and white sands. The water is shallow and great for children, as is the sand which is just right for making sand castles! There are a few lovely restaurants and ones with children’s menus and various spots with sun loungers and umberellas.

Tamariccia – A little further south of Palombaggia lies another beautiful curve of sand known as Tamariccia where the sand is soft and fine and the water is shallow and clear. It has one of the smartest beach restaurants in the area with better food than most beach shacks and prices to match.

Santa Guilia – The bay at Santa Guilia is quite beautiful and the turquoise water is a marvel to see. The almost perfect round bay means the water is shallow and warm and the sand is great for sandcastles, hence ideal for kids. You will find almost everything you could want from a built up beach here - many motorised and wind powered water sports are available as well as pedalos and canoes, there are several restaurants and snack bars with kids menus, sun loungers and parasols.

Rondinara – Further south towards Bonifacio is Rondinara. The name suggests a round beach and on descending after some fire scarred hills, you will see the shell shaped cove that most people would favourably compare to an ideal of a pacific island paradise. There is a lovely restaurant which does great salads and children’s food. Very often you will see cows on the beach, minding their own business and enjoying the sunshine!

Beaches – The West Coast

Going north from Bonifacio the beaches on the west coast are wilder and due to the prevailing westerly’s tend to be windier, hence they are less frequented than those beaches on the East Coast. They will suit those who want to find relative seclusion or adrenaline junkies looking for the latest trend sport but not those who want to be seen or to find the best (or any) beach restaurants.

Tonnara – a must for the wind surfers and kite surfers, several itinerant kite water sport schools regularly use this beach for their lessons.

Roccapina – As the road north twists and turns along the stunning coast road you arrive at a hamlet called Roccapina which is well known for its recumbent lion shaped rock on the opposite headland. Roccapina is a wonderful bay situated below the lion.

Propriano – the Valinco Gulf has some of the best beaches on the island and a day in the area warrants a few hours on one of them. On the southern end of the bay is Campo Moro a particularly a great beach for the kids. The view is amazing and the water shallow and crystal clear. On the north side is Capicciolo and Olmeto Plage. There are at least 50 beaches stretching all the way to Porto Pollo which also has a wonderful beach of at least 5kms long.

Cala D’Orzu – The beaches between Porto Pollo and Porticcio are well worth discovering, none more so than the beach at Cala D’Orzu. There are a couple of wonderful beach restaurants, and the beach is a stunning arc of white sand.

Verghia - Plage d’Argent (or silver beach) in Verghia just 40 mins south of Ajaccio can quite easily be mistaken for a Caribbean beach. With fine white sand and an aquamarine sea you can just relax or hire a jet ski to zip round on. There is a fantastic restaurant here called A Pineta, upon arrival your car will be parked as you make your way into a chic restaurant with tables on the seafront. Enjoy freshly cooked Mediterranean food with a glass of the local wine. After lunch you can hire a double four poster bed on the beach and have waiter service for the rest of the afternoon.