Bastia

Bastia, at the commercial heart of Corsica

The capital of Haute-Corse is the second largest city of the island. In the early days the the Genoese called it Cardo. At the busy port and its surroundings, you can see historical landmarks and protected nature reserves. It’s 90 km away from the Italian mainland and 50 km from Elba Island.
Nowadays Bastia has the old port, the passenger’s port and a commercial port. Travel to the first capital of Corsica, with cheap ferry tickets to Bastia through Let’s Ferry.

The port of Bastia

Top attractions
• The Square of Saint Nicholas at the port is one of the biggest squares in France. Walk around to see the Statue of Napoleon and visit the restaurants and cafés. From this square you can take the tourist train that will take you on a 50-minute guided tour around the city.
• The Citadel is the Old Town of Bastia, built in 1380. Narrow alleys and some of the most important monuments of the area are here: The Notre Dame Street is the main street while at the Sainte-Marie Cathedral you can see the statue of the Virgin Mary which weighs 500 kilos.
• In Citadel you can see Bastia’s landmark, the Governor’s Palace,which hosts the Bastia Museum. In this museum you can see the history and some pieces of art about Corsica spanning over the last 10 centuries.

Top beaches
• Very close to the port you will find the Di Toga beach, a small, pebbled and secluded beach.
• The Miomo is located in a medieval scenery with a Genoese tower and a palmtree. It is pebbled and the only available facility here is canoe rentals. It’s 5 km from the port.
• The De l'Arinella beach is a long and sandy coast with blue clear waters. Here you can practice windsurfing, water bike and canoe. It’s 5 km from the port.

Top activities
• Walk at the Romieu Garden, a bloomed, romantic garden which was designed in the 19th century. It connects the old port to the Citadel.
• Visit the Biguglia Pond Nature Reserve, the biggest wetland in Corsica. See hundreds of bird species like cormorants and flamingos. In the same are you can at the beach Plage de la Marana. It’s a long sandy coast, 13 km from the port.
• Explore Cap Corse, a peninsula that covers an area of 40 km with wetlands, Genoese towers and coasts. The Marine Natural Park of Cap Corse and Agriate is also there and is the biggest marine park in metropolitan France. You will see many bottlenose dolphins and some rare bird species.

Tip: You can reach the port by car, bus, train, ferry or plane. Bastia’s airport is in Lucciana, 16 km from the port.
Explore Corsica’s largest port with cheap ferry tickets to Bastia through Let’s Ferry.

Don't miss: Only in Bastia you will taste Muscat du Cap Corse PDO, one of the finest muscats in the world!