Guide to Porto Vecchio

"Porto Vecchio has become synonymous with stardom, chicness, sophistication as well as amazing beaches and spectacular natural beauty."

Italianate in name and history, this walled harbour town has become Corsica's liveliest and most sophisticated resort. The region is beginning to attract many well-known people from the French TV, music and film industries, many of whom have chosen Porto Vecchio over the Cote d'Azur to spend their holidays or make their permanent homes. Consequently, Porto Vecchio has become synonymous with stardom, chicness, sophistication as well as amazing beaches and spectacular natural beauty.

Restaurants with terraces built into the old town walls add a dash of colour to the stone facades of the old buildings. In the evening, as swallows swoop into the belfry of the central church, locals and visitors gather in outdoor cafes in the main square to gossip and watch the world go by. Down by the harbour the same ritual of aperitif and spectacle goes on from the cafes and restaurants lining the quay, as boats - from little dinghies to sleek motor yachts - come home to port.
Only a couple of kilometres inland, another world is entered as the road swoops and soars through the mountains, the air freshening with height as the road weaves around craggy rocks and massive pine trees towards the forest and lake of Ospedale. Down below, the deep Porto Vecchio Gulf, bordered by numerous beaches, opens out as a spectacular panorama.
Whether in the mountains or by the coast, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the landscape, from horseback riding to quad-bike driving far off the beaten track. As well as Corsica's most famous mountains, Porto Vecchio has a fabulous concentration of the island's finest sandy beaches, from pine-fringed Palombaggia - the best known and therefore the most popular in high summer - to little-known coves only reachable on foot or boat.

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