Porto-Vecchio Travel Guide

Tourist Guide
Santa Giulia Beach featuring general coastal views
Visit this stylish, cosmopolitan port town, home to a historical Old Town, a sleek marina and idyllic beaches.

Porto-Vecchio is a lively harbour town with a maze of historic streets. With luxurious stretches of sand nearby and a charming town centre filled with bars, restaurants and designer boutiques, this seductive holiday destination combines relaxation and culture.

Porto-Vecchio is the third-largest city in Corsica. It was once known as Cité du Sel (City of Salt) the strength of the local economy rested on the production of salt. Today it’s a well-established resort town with a chic and glamorous image often drawing comparison to Saint-Tropez.

Wander the ancient cobbled streets of the Old Town to find plenty of historic attractions. Head to Place de République, the main town square, to people-watch from terraces of fashionable cafés. Note the gnarled and twisted tree in the centre of the square, providing shade for surrounding cafés. This tree, known as Bel Ombra, has been here since 1901. The square is also home to the notable Romanesque Church of St.-Jean Baptiste, which dates back to the 19th century and contains an interesting 16th-century painting of the Crucifixion. 

Other places of historic interest include the restored Bastion de France, now housing a gallery, and the old city gate, Porte Genoise. Head down the hillside to the Porto-Vecchio Marina to watch luxury yachts or take a boat trip to the uninhabited Lavezzi Islands.

Sunbathe, swim or stroll in the sands of the renowned Palombaggia beach. Stretch out on the sand and look toward the Cerbicales Islands in the distance. Other beautiful beaches nearby include the golden stretch of Santa Giulia.  

Take a daytrip to the Bouche de Bonifacio Nature Reserve and explore coastal grottos and inlets. Travel inland for an active adventure. The mountains of the Alta Rocca region offer opportunities to hike, rock climb and horse ride.

To avoid crowds, visit Porto-Vecchio in early or late summer when the weather is warm and the crowds thin. The city is located on the southeast coast, with Figari Sud-Corse Airport about 15 miles (24.2 kilometres) away.

Hôtel Costa Salina
Hôtel Costa Salina
4 out of 5
Quai Pascal Paoli, Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-Sud
The price is ฿4,944 per night from 4 May to 5 May
฿4,944
per night
4 May - 5 May
Stay at this 4-star hotel in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy free parking, an outdoor pool and breakfast. Our guests praise the pool and the property condition in their ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (219 reviews)
Porto Vecchio Costa Salinas
"Really excellent hotel with a good location and view of the harbour area . The staff are very friendly also and helpful . The pool ( I heated ) area is really nice"

Reviewed on 10 Sep 2023

Hôtel Costa Salina
Le Balamina
Le Balamina
Rue de Turriccioli, Porto-Vecchio
The price is ฿5,768 per night from 10 May to 11 May
฿5,768
per night
10 May - 11 May
Stay at this golf hotel in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking and breakfast. Popular attractions Santa Giulia Beach and Palombaggia Beach are located ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (204 reviews)
Very Good All-round with Onsite Parking
"This is a very nice hotel with a beautiful roof top pool and a small gym. We have stayed her twice. Both rooms were spacious and tastefully decorated. The beds are comfortable and the rooms are clean. There are nespresso- like coffee machines We also ate at the restaurant: the food and service were ..."

Reviewed on 9 Jan 2024

Le Balamina
Golden Tulip Porto Vecchio
Golden Tulip Porto Vecchio
4 out of 5
Rue Henri Frenay, Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-Sud
The price is ฿7,242 per night from 3 May to 4 May
฿7,242
per night
3 May - 4 May
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking and an outdoor pool. Popular attractions Santa Giulia Beach and Palombaggia ...
9.4/10 Exceptional! (75 reviews)
Amazing stay in this very friendly hotel
"We had a wonderful week in this fabulous hotel. Everything from it"s location with easy walking distance to both the port and the town pf Porto Vecchio, to the friendliness of the staff who couldn't do enough to make our stay as enjoyable as possible and the amazing spotless room overlooking the ..."

Reviewed on 4 Sep 2023

Golden Tulip Porto Vecchio
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Residence Marina di Santa Giulia
Residence Marina di Santa Giulia
1 out of 5
Marina di Santa Giulia, Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-sud
Stay at this beach residence in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the property condition in their reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (159 reviews)
Perfect location. Comfy small house
"Very nice and comfy houses. We had all we needed: bbq, indoor ans outdoor tables, kitchen…"

Reviewed on 7 Nov 2023

Residence Marina di Santa Giulia
Domaine Santa Giulia Palace
Domaine Santa Giulia Palace
4 out of 5
Baie De Santa Giulia, Porto-Vecchio, Corse-du-sud
Stay at this 4-star beach residence in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking and 3 outdoor pools. Popular attractions Santa Giulia Beach and Palombaggia ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (140 reviews)
"Probably one of the worse places I have stayed in 10 years. We reported issues within 2 hours of arrival. No one came to see me or tried to address anything and we left after less than 2 days. The general manager avoided me until I emailed him direct and demanded he call me. He then claimed our claims ..."

Reviewed on 26 Jul 2023

Domaine Santa Giulia Palace
Résidence Lago Verde
Résidence Lago Verde
Avenue du Général de Boissoudy, Porto-Vecchio
Stay at this family-friendly aparthotel in Porto-Vecchio. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking and a children's pool. Our guests praise the property condition in their ...
9/10 Wonderful! (101 reviews)
"The owners couldn’t do enough for us so friendly and approachable would highly recommend"

Reviewed on 30 Aug 2019

Résidence Lago Verde
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Things to do

Reviews of Porto-Vecchio

4.3
Top destination
5 - Excellent
5
" "5 - Excellent 55.55555555555556%
4 - Good
3
" "4 - Good 33.333333333333336%
3 - Okay
0
" "3 - Okay 0%
2 - Disappointing
1
" "2 - Disappointing 11.11111111111111%
1 - Terrible
0
" "1 - Terrible 0%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
4 Aug 2019

Porto Vecchio is lovely. Beautiful area where to stay to get to know South Corsica.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
2 Aug 2019

A lovely town. We were surprised at how nice it was.

4/5 - Good

Verified traveller
26 Jul 2019

Plenty of restaurant options and pretty town to explore

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller
10 Jun 2019

Beautiful town

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