Discovering the Isle of Beauty: Our favourite Corsica beaches

The hem of this majestic and mountainous island is a frill of varied, but unfailingly beautiful beaches. In one direction, the red-rock peaks reach skyward with sometimes snowy arms. In the other, they stoop and soften into desert, beach, coastal cliffs and hidden coves that enwrap Corsica in a loving tender embrace. 

In this article, we look at some of our favourite beaches across the island of Corsica. At Le Collectionist, we are committed to providing a tailor-made experience to match your holiday desires, and so, our list of recommendations has a little something for everyone. While the beaches in the north and the south differ wildly in their environs, they still hold a uniquely Corsican allure. 

The terrain of Corsica lends to an array of activities, from hiking to snorkelling, from cycling to horse-riding. Spend your holiday in boots, flippers, cleats, or stirrups, or simply recline into the quintessentially languid days of a summer holiday alongside the lapping waves of the Mediterranean. To see the beauty of these beaches, read Corsica beaches images to be amazed by the pictures of brilliantly blue waters that undulate onto bright white beaches along the Corsican coastline. 

Our list of the top 10 beaches in Corsica

• Lotu Beach
• La Chiesa Beach, Lavezzi Islands 
• Fazzio Beach
• San Giovanni Beach
• Portigliolio Beach
• Isolella West Cove
• Capo di Feno
• Lozari de Belgodère
• Ficajola Beach
• Nonza Beach

Read about our top 10 beaches in Corsica that are off the beaten track here.

Our 5 favourite sandy beaches in corsica

• Lotu Beach
• Saleccia Beach
• Calvi Beach
• Santa Giulia Beach
• Campomoro Beach

What is the best time to visit Corsica? 

Corsica's beauty can be enjoyed throughout the year, but if it's the beaches you're after, then visit the island from May through to September. To avoid summer's swelter and the heaving crowds that accompany it, go in May or September, before the rush or when the masses have dissipated somewhat.

For hiking, make the most of the cooler, but still pleasant climes in the months of April and October. Hiking and walking can still be enjoyed throughout the year and there is no shortage of terrain to occupy the intrepid adventurers who inevitably come to love Corsica.

A road trip itinerary: the most beautiful beaches in Corsica

Surrounding Corsica, the Mediterranean ebbs and flows against the island's picturesque fringes. It is a tideless worship of the island and its beauty, the lapping waters bowing against the sandy beaches and dramatic cliffs all along Corsica's shores. Follow our itinerary to see the most beautiful beaches in Corsica (to be published soon).

Buckle up and wend your way along the roads to these stunning beaches for days of idleness on sandy oases. Starting in Porto-Vecchio, make a b-line for one of Corsica's most famous beaches - Palombaggia. From here, pack your picnic for the shores of Santa Giulia for endless activities. Head south towards the magical city of Bonifacio before stopping at Fazzio beach, where the cove cradles the turquoise sea. Next, the golden sands of Campomoro will lull you into a dazed contentedness. At the next stop, you will find yourself gazing across the bay towards Ajaccio from Plage de Porticcio. 

The more audacious travellers could continue up the west coast, through the Calanques de Piana and onto the wild Plage de Ficaghjola. Once you pass through Calvi and beyond Plage de Bodri, the beaches become more untamed and rugged. Ostriconi entices with its tranquillity, while Plage de Lotu and Saleccia have an allure that is unrivalled on the island. Some of these beaches are more difficult to reach, but every ounce of effort is worth your while.

Which part of Corsica has the best beaches?

While neither side can be said to have the outright best beaches, the more rugged north is a haven for lovers of nature and peace and quiet, while the south is famed for its gentle white beaches, where cafes and bars are a stone's throw away. With that said, both sides of the island have great variety.

best beaches in south corsica

The south is home to beaches with an inimitable ability to make you feel like you are in a vibrant tropical paradise. White sandy beaches stretch against the lapping azure waters of the sizeable still bays. Plunge into our article on the best South Corsica beaches.

The best sandy beaches in South Corsica

Palombaggia Beach

Palombaggia beach, Corsica, has a reputation unlike any other on the island. Of the many sweeping stretches of silky sand in the south of Corsica, Palombaggia is perhaps the most famous. Just south across the point of Porto-Vecchio, this beach is one of the longest and most scenic beaches on Corsica. In addition to its effortless natural beauty, there is a merry atmosphere that gently osmoses from the restaurants and bars that are scattered beneath the natural awning of the pine trees. 

The beach is framed by impossibly blue waters, radiantly rosy rocks and a verdant wall of pines trees, beneath which respite from the heat of the day can be found. The swimming area has a gentle gradient and, in the summer, lifeguards monitor the waters, making it a great family-friendly place to frolic in the freshening sea. Palombaggia's unique ambience easily slips it into our favourite South Corsica beaches. 

Roccapina Beach

With its 400m arch of fine white sand that slips beneath a blanket of azure water, Roccapina is an immensely beautiful beach with plenty of discoveries to be made. Real adventurers can climb up to the tower that is perched amongst the rocky outcrops in the hills above, before descending to the vast expanse of Erbaju Beach on the other side.

Erbaju boasts a two-kilometre belt of equally picturesque shoreline, where peace pervades. Taken together, Roccapina and Erbaju make a truly special seaside idyll, where one can opt for quietude or bask in the gentle hum of the summery scene that bubbles on around you. 

The best shallow water beaches in South Corsica

Santa Giulia Beach

Santa Giulia Beach has been described by many as one of the most beautiful beaches on Corsica, which is no small feat. This immense bay flaunts its glistening aquamarine waters with utmost aloofness and ease. The white sand sits just beneath the surface of the rippling, marbling sea, giving it a uniquely bright-blue colour. The bay is sheltered by the surrounding land, which adds to the superb transparency of the water. 

Santa Giulia's gentle slope makes it a superb place to spend your holidays splashing around in the shallows and swimming out further from the shore without any trouble. It is an excellent swimming spot to take the kids. A number of bars and restaurants poke and spill out from the shade with sun loungers and shady terraces, enticing you with their welcoming atmospheres and the prospect of refreshing drinks. Santa Giulia, Corsica (to be published soon) is one of our favourite beaches to splash and bathe your way through the Corsican summer.

Lavezzi Islands

The beaches of Lavezzi Island (to be published soon) are a haven for sea life: the shallow rocky waters are a tropical paradise, where fish drift, swim and dart between the many nooks and crannies. Exploration is the name of the game on these beaches, so don your snorkel and goggles, strap on your flippers, and peruse the transparent waters and admire the fascinating world beneath the sea's surface.

The island, more of a small archipelago with smaller rock masses around the main island, is situated off the coast to the south of Corsica. Among the wild and untamed beaches on the island is Spiaggia di Cala Giunco, which is a beautiful boulder-strewn beach with golden sand. The large boulders conceal endless treasures awaiting discovery and beckon visitors to clamber atop them; they provide and intriguing and almost science-fiction backdrop to the beach.

best beaches in north corsica

The north is a place where nature reigns supreme and relaxation comes with utmost ease. Some of the beaches in the north are the most remote on the island, but worth every ounce of effort it takes to get to them. Discover more with our articles on the best beaches in north Corsica (to be published soon).

The best sandy beaches in North Corsica

L'Ile Rousse Beach

This white-sand beach sits between the pleasantly buzzing and welcoming town of l'Ile-Rousse and the seemingly infinite stretch of sea that leads, eventually, to the northwestern coast of Italy. The beach's proximity to the town's wonderful cafes, restaurants and shops makes it one of the better beaches to dip in and out of. Everything you need is at your fingertips: saunter from the sun-drenched sands and along the promenade, stopping for a coffee, or to pick up an ice cream, or to gorge on a delicious lunch at a restaurant like Le Grande Large.

The colour of the surrounding rocks gives the water a red tinge in parts, giving the town its name. The area is known for its charming market, its history and the striking landscapes littered with rose-hued rocks. On the adjacent island of Pietra, you will find a time-worn Genoese tower and a Wes Anderson-like lighthouse nestled amongst the red and golden outcrop. A must-visit for the gourmands, perhaps after a slow day of idling by the lapping waters of l'Ile Rousse Beach, is Pasquale Paoli - a fine-dining restaurant 

Saleccia Beach

Saleccia Beach is one of the best beaches north Corsica (to be published soon) has to offer: it is stunning, wild, and serene. Tranquillity prevails on this blissful strip of paradise on the Northern shore of Corsica. While its beauty has made it popular, its remote location is largely to thank for the relative quietude that can often be found on this beach. The piquant aromas of the inshore maquis flit on the breeze and blend harmoniously with the salty scents that rise from the serene sea. 

Adding to the bucolic charm of this beach, there are often cows snoozing away in the shade laid down by the pines. The beach is accessible via a footpath from Lotu Beach, which typically takes 50 minutes to walk. Lotu, however, also has limited access. Read below to find out more about how to access Lotu. There is also an option to walk fro 45-minutes from the parking, but this carpark is only accessible with a 4x4.

The best shallow water beaches in North Corsica

Ostriconi Beach

Ostriconi Beach is an oasis-like beach that is teetering on the outer edge of the Agriates Desert, another of Corsica's beguiling and intriguing natural phenomenons. The is something untouched about this beach: perhaps it is the wild foliage which encroaches onto the beaches fringes; or the river that gently trickles across the sand and into the sea. It is wild, but can be completely gentle, with its silky soft white sand and, on still days, its turquoise water shimmering at the touch of the sun's warming tendrils.

On windier days, however, the sea can become quite choppy, revealing Ostriconi's untamed wildness, as the surface is disturbed by the rise and fall of the cantering white horses cresting each swell. In the summer, the beach is supervised and a great place to wallow in the shallower parts of this steadily sloping bay. 

Lotu Beach

Saleccio's more worldly and accessible neighbour sits on the edge of the St Florent commune in the Agriates Desert. Surrounding scrubland gives way to a bay that can only be described as belonging on a postcard. The clear water that ebbs and flows over the 400m stretch of white sand holds an irresistible allure, one that sees people return time and again to this far-flung idyll on the northern side of Corsica. The bay is shallow and a great place for children to swim in a safe environment.

The beach shares a wildness with its neighbour Saleccio, but its accessibility draws in more visitors. That isn't to say that one can drive straight up to the beach: the only means of access is by foot from St Florent, which is a fairly hefty hike by most standards, or a 45-minute walk from the carpark of the 4x4 access route. The best option, though, is to take the boat shuttles from St Florent harbour. It is well worth the effort to visit Lotu and Saleccio - two of the most unspoilt, yet endlessly pleasing beaches in Corsica.

Your Corsica holidays will feel effortless once you are immersed in the culture, history, cuisine, and natural beauty of the island. Everywhere you look, everywhere you are, there will be something to do, see, or explore. With our lists of Corsica beaches, one facet of island life is made more simple.

Not all beaches fit on this list, though most are equally deserving. St Cyprien, Corsica (to be published soon) for example, promises a different experience to all of the above. Plage de Nonza glamorously displays a beach of a completely different kind, with its black beach and the staggering mountains that huddle over it. 

To delight in all of Corsica's glory, explore our collection of Corsica villa rentals to springboard your next trip to this French region.