Porticcio is a fishing village located on the south-west of the island of Corsica, which belongs to France. This pleasant resort is located in a large bay right in front of the island’s capital Ajaccio, only about 15 km from its center, where you can visit the museum and birthplace of Napoleon. Porticcio is about 3 km far from the well-known resort St. Francois and 7 km from Pisciatello. It is located right by the sea and offers lots of swimming possibilities, great beaches and other water sports and activities. Porticcio is suitable for family holidays.
Porticcio holiday resort which is situated in one of the most beautiful bays of the west coast of Corsica has become a popular destination for water sports lovers from all over Europe. You will find a wide and long sandy beaches here lined with numerous restaurants and bars. There is also the only water park on Corsica nearby. Visitors can go diving, sailing, surfing, water skiing or playing tennis. There is also a sailing school. Very popular here are Porticcio ship cruises.
In This Article
Beaches, Water Sports, and the Gulf of Ajaccio
The beaches of Porticcio stretch for several kilometres along the Gulf of Ajaccio, offering fine golden sand and a gentle slope into crystal-clear Mediterranean waters. The main Plage de Porticcio is the largest and most developed, with rows of sun loungers, parasols for rent, and beachfront cafes serving fresh seafood and Corsican wines. Families with young children appreciate the shallow entry and the lifeguard supervision during July and August. Water sports enthusiasts find everything they need on this single stretch of coast. Several diving centres offer introductory courses and guided dives to underwater caves and shipwrecks along the rocky headlands. The sailing school at the eastern end of the bay rents catamarans and dinghies by the hour, and windsurfing boards are available when the afternoon breeze picks up. Jet-ski tours take visitors around the headland for views of the Bloody Islands and the Ajaccio waterfront. For those who prefer to stay above the water, parasailing gives a panoramic view of the entire bay from 50 metres up, with the granite peaks of the Corsican mountains rising behind the coast.
Excursions to Ajaccio and the Corsican Interior
The advantage of staying in Porticcio is the easy access to Ajaccio, the Corsican capital, located just 15 kilometres north across the bay. Regular ferries and water taxis cross the gulf in 20 minutes, offering a scenic approach to the city’s old port. In Ajaccio, the Maison Bonaparte museum occupies the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, furnished with period pieces and family portraits that trace the emperor’s Corsican roots. The Fesch Museum holds one of Europe’s finest collections of Italian Renaissance paintings, assembled by Napoleon’s uncle Cardinal Fesch. The Ajaccio market, held each morning on the Place du Marché, overflows with Corsican charcuterie, farmhouse cheeses, honey, and chestnut flour. Inland from Porticcio, the road climbs steeply into the Gravona Valley, where chestnut forests give way to maquis scrub that perfumes the air with rosemary, thyme, and lavender. The village of Cauro, 12 kilometres inland, hosts a weekly market with local crafts and produce. The Monte Gozzi hiking trail begins 8 kilometres from Porticcio and climbs to a viewpoint at 800 metres overlooking the entire Gulf of Ajaccio and the Sanguinaires Islands beyond.
Getting to Corsica and Where to Stay
The most romantic way to reach Corsica is by ferry from mainland France or Italy. SNCM and Corsica Ferries operate daily crossings from Marseille, Toulon, and Nice to Ajaccio, with the crossing taking between 6 and 12 hours depending on the route. If you are lucky, you may spot dolphins riding the bow wave during the crossing. Flights from Paris, London, and other European capitals land at Ajaccio Napoleon Bonaparte Airport, which is just 10 kilometres from Porticcio. Accommodation in Porticcio ranges from four-star hotels with private beach access to family-run guesthouses in the hills above the bay. The Residence Porticcio offers self-catering apartments with kitchenettes and sea-view balconies, popular with families staying a week or more. Several campsites sit in the pine woods behind the beach, providing pitches for tents and campervans at lower rates than the hotels. The best time to visit is late May to early June or September, when the weather is warm, the water is swimmable, and the crowds of August have dispersed.
View Porticcio – one of the most beautiful bays of the west coast of Corsica France in a larger map
Explore all our France travel guides, from Parisian boulevards to Provence lavender.
Explore More
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:
- Best European skiing destinations – Austria
- What to see in Paris – around Eiffel Tower | France – France
- Top sights to see in Paris | France – France
