Corsica’s wild west coast

Route description

Ferries from the mainland arrive in Bastia, where the old harbour is lined with tall Genoese houses. The D81 climbs over the Col de Teghime to Saint-Florent, then crosses the empty scrubland of the Désert des Agriates towards L’Île-Rousse and Calvi, whose Genoese citadel stands on a rock above a long sandy bay.

South of Calvi the D81 becomes a narrow, winding coast road with few places to pass. At Porto, red porphyry cliffs and a Genoese watchtower rise above a pebble bay, and in summer boats leave for the Scandola nature reserve, which can only be seen from the sea.

The road from Porto to Piana runs through the Calanques de Piana, pinnacles of red granite above the Gulf of Porto, on a stretch so narrow that motorhomes and coaches often have to reverse to pass each other. Drive it early in the morning and use the lay-bys to stop rather than halting on the road. Beyond Piana the road winds on to Ajaccio, Napoleon’s birthplace, with a lively market and harbour.

From Ajaccio the T40 runs south past Propriano and the granite town of Sartène to Bonifacio, whose old town sits on white limestone cliffs that hang over the sea. Walk the cliff path at sunset for the best view of the houses on the edge. Book ferries well ahead for July and August, and note that wild camping is not allowed in much of Corsica, so plan nights at campsites.