Bonifacio, Korsika - staden på klippan

Bonifacio is the southernmost town in Corsica, and it sits on an incredibly dramatic high limestone and granite cliff. When we saw Bonifacio from afar, we couldn't believe it - the towering white cliffs, the small town and the vast blue sea are more like a fairytale world. Join us in Bonifacio, Corsica.

Table of contents

Steep cliffs

Bonifacio is dramatically situated on high cliffs. If you follow the coastline by car a short distance from the town, you can get a dramatic view of the town and the cliffs. You can stand here and look almost indefinitely. What a view!

Bonifacio ligger dramatiskt på en hög klippa — Bonifacio is dramatically situated on a high cliff.

The harbour and the fjord

Bonifacio (Bunifaziu in Corsican) is the oldest town in Corsica and is located in southern Corsica in the Strait of Bonifacio. The town on the rock, as it is called, has a beautiful harbour, and a fjord that is protected behind the high limestone cliffs.

We are only 12 km from Sardinia at the moment, and there are ferries all the time to Sardinia which takes about 50 minutes. Here, fishing boats alternate with large yachts in an incredibly beautiful harbour, and if we think about it... this is one of the most complete holiday towns in Europe. Everything is beautiful!

The houses by the harbour seem to continue into the mountain ...

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Walking and shopping

There are plenty of luxury yachts and tourist ships in the harbour, and on the Promenade le la Merkan you can pick and choose among the restaurants. Here, the outdoor cafés are close to the quay and on a beautiful summer day, like today, it is full of tourists.

The alleyways are also full of small shops selling things like summer clothes and jewellery. The city was founded in 828 by the Tuscan Marquis of Boniface.

Hamnen, med citadellet i bakgrunden — The harbour, with the citadel in the background

Promenade de la Mer - med butiker och restauranger — Promenade de la Mer - with shops and restaurants

Restaurants

We were visited by two fellow bloggers from the blog Discovering the planet. We took the opportunity to eat wild boar stew, which is a speciality here in Corsica. There are 260,000 wild boar on the island (as many as there are people), so anything made with wild boar is classic - various stews and sausages, for example. How did it taste? Tender and good with a bit of game flavour! Good and with nice company!

Restaurang i Bonifacio — Restaurant at the harbour with Daniella and Göran from Discovering the planet

The old town and citadel of Bonifacio

If you continue (steeply) uphill, you will reach the fortified old town and the 12th century citadel. Among the narrow and charming alleys, small restaurants or shops are tucked into the old medieval town. Good shoes are recommended and don't be in a hurry as you can stroll for hours. Take the opportunity to watch the coral from here which is famous for its deep red colour, or try the local cheese Brocciu.

Napoleon also strolled around here for a few months with his family once upon a time. Two beautiful cobbled streets are Rue des Epereurs or Rue du Palais-de-Garde, if you can find it among the picturesque alleys.

Charmiga gränder i den befästa stadsdelen på berget — Charming alleys in the fortified hilltop neighbourhood

Sjöutsikt från restaurang — A special place with a lake view ... Do you dare?

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The King of Aragon's staircase

On the outside of the mighty cliffs is the 'Staircase of the King of Aragon'. The staircase is carved into the limestone cliff and has 187 steps down to the sea. Legend has it that it was made in one night in 1420, when Alfonso V and the Aragonese army took the city. Well ... there's another story.

Monks came to Bonifacio some 100 years before and made the stairs to reach drinking water, which was strained through the rock before reaching the sea. You can certainly use the stairs when visiting the old harbour town.

kungen av Aragoniens trappa, Bonifacio — The King of Aragon's staircase

Cemeteries and churches

There's another great attraction in the neighbourhood and it's a cemetery that is absolutely magnificent. The Catholic cemetery, Cimitière Marin, with old mausoleums (memorial building on a grave) is located at the top of the cliff. Here you stand and look over the entire Mediterranean Sea and what cemetery has that somewhere? Magic!

Kyrkogården i Bonifacio — The Cimetière Marin cemetery overlooking the Mediterranean Sea

kyrkogården från havssidan — The cemetery and citadel walls from the sea

Two churches stand out in particular. The 13th century St Dominika is built in the Gothic style. We also have the Romanesque church of Elise Sainte Marie Majeure with a square bell tower, with a water reservoir under the arches that was a must in the past. Don't forget this because it's something special.

Central campsite in Bonifacio

We highly recommend a visit to this town and if you want to camp (motorhome, caravan, tent, cottage) you can stay at the very central campsite. the Araguina, which is 200 metres from the port.

Camping Bonifacio — Campsite with a central location in Bonifacio

Leave Bonifacio

It was as cool to leave the city as it was to come here. It's so beautiful that you can brave the ferry and see the whole city from the Mediterranean towards Sardinia.

Fjorden i Bonifacio — View from the city on the cliff

Lämnar Bonifacio — Cool experience from the ferry in the Corse-du-Sud region and the medieval town.

The complete holiday town of Bonifacio

Bonifacio has everything you could want on your holiday. A beautiful harbour and nice restaurants in different price ranges. Small picturesque alleys and magnificent sights. An old town with dramatically beautiful views.

But what about the beaches? 10 minutes by car, moped or the local bus, which takes 20 minutes, to Corsica's absolute finest and clearest beaches, located at Sperone. I said they have everything!

Plage du Petit Sperone — Little Sperone Beach

READ MORE: Travelling to Corsica - your guide to Corsica's best destinations

13 Comments

Add yours →

BP says:

Dramatic is just the first name. Absolutely fantastic over and over again from my side here in front of the screen. Oh you are there irl, which is even better of course!

19 June 2015 - 20:05

Ruth in Virginia says:

We travelled there by ferry from Sardinia and were stunned by the sight.
of the white limestone cliffs . "The white cliffs of Dover" can throw the
victory in the wall. 🙂 We were there the first week of April, and very few hotels were
open; had to take one that was more expensive than we planned, but it was worth the extra.
You have really shown the most beautiful Corsica has to offer. I hope that
makes others want to go there. Even few Americans think of Corsica, when they
thinking "Europe", unfortunately. Good luck!

19 June 2015 - 20:47

Comment by post author

admin says:

BP, all of Corsica is dramatic and beautiful! Highly recommended!

Ruth in Virginia, I realise that it must have been fascinating to see the limestone cliffs as you drive towards them! We've hardly seen any Americans here so that may be true. Most tourists seem to be French or German.

19 June 2015 - 21:54

Matts Torebring says:

The scenic places you are visiting now and discovering one by one must be many times more pleasant to experience than the long, currently overcrowded sandy beaches of the French Riviera. We visited Argeles Sur Mer at the end of the Riviera, but didn't even take a photo. It was no place for us, thanks to the magnificence of nature that both you and we experience. Have a good time

19 June 2015 - 21:58

Ninny says:

Corsica looks absolutely beautiful, you seem to have a wonderful time there. Hope to get there sometime...!
Wishing you a nice midsummer!

19 June 2015 - 22:05

Comment by post author

admin says:

Matts, isn't it hard when there are too many people and too crowded? Nice that you also found a place you like!

Ninnie, Corsica is amazing! Go here sometime if you get the chance!

19 June 2015 - 22:39

Mr Steve says:

I'm not one to complain about things I didn't get around to doing, but why, why, why didn't I tick Corsica off my islands-to-visit list while I still could? Why?
Thank you for giving me a second chance with you.

19 June 2015 - 23:29

Ditte says:

It will probably be difficult for the rest of your intended destinations to top Corsica with its turquoise sea, fantastic and varied nature and that it is not all that crowded. Admittedly, the high season is not yet underway, but why crowd overcrowded with unclear water when you can have it like this.
I know I liked Sardinia when I was there, but I thought Corsica was even better.
I enjoy your pictures and remember Bonifacio with pleasure. Wonderful memories from there.

19 June 2015 - 23:41

Comment by post author

admin says:

Steve, it's so nice that you want to join our journey! 🙂

Ditte, yes it will be hard to beat Corsica! We don't have as high expectations for Sardinia, but we have still seen many beautiful pictures from there. It will be interesting to explore that island too!

20 June 2015 - 8:00

Deciree says:

But so lovely place 🙂 Cool with houses up on the cliffs. 🙂

20 June 2015 - 8:20

Ama de casa says:

Yes, it is really nice there! But in those alleys you probably can't drive even with a small motorhome... 😉.

20 June 2015 - 9:57

Daniela says:

The second picture is really nice. What a viewpoint you have found! Looking forward to following the rest of your journey?

20 June 2015 - 13:06

Inga M says:

What a fantastic city building! As you say, you can't believe that it can be true, it must be a fairy tale or a film set! When you walk in the city, it should feel like it could fall into the sea at any time. But of course it doesn't.

22 June 2015 - 8:24

Bonifacio, Corsica - City on the Rock

Steep cliffs

The harbour and the fjord

Walking and shopping

Restaurants

The old town and citadel of Bonifacio

The King of Aragon's staircase

Cemeteries and churches

Central campsite in Bonifacio

Leave Bonifacio

The complete holiday town of Bonifacio

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13 Comments

BP says:

Ruth in Virginia says:

admin says:

Matts Torebring says:

Ninny says:

admin says:

Mr Steve says:

Ditte says:

admin says:

Deciree says:

Ama de casa says:

Daniela says:

Inga M says:

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