Saint-Florent Corsica France
25
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
Emerald Waterways (2 Cruises)
Ponant (8 Cruises)
SeaDream Yacht Club (3 Cruises)
Star Clippers (4 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
By tender at the old basin: the small ships that call here anchor in the bay and land passengers at the foot of the terraces. The whole centre is then walkable.
Yes, in about ten minutes, and access is free. Built in 1440 to seal off the gulf, it crowns a promontory above the rooftops. From the rampart walk the view takes in the bay, the Nebbio ridges and, on clear days, the pale line of the Agriates.
Either the village on foot with the citadel and the cathedral, or a boat shuttle to the Agriates beaches. The two do not fit together: the shuttles to Lotu and Saleccia run on their own timetable, and a tight return ruins the day.
By boat shuttle from the quays, about half an hour. Tickets are sold on the spot and places are limited in high season. Translucent water, pale sand, no buildings on the horizon: the spot has to be earned around the timetable, but the swim is often the day's strongest memory.
The former cathedral of Nebbio, built in the 12th century by Pisan-influenced masons, a few minutes' walk from the centre among gardens and vines. Its pale limestone facade, ranked with arcading inhabited by carved creatures, hides a nave of great purity where the relics of Saint Flor rest. It is one of the finest Romanesque monuments on the island.
Narrow passages, washing at the windows, small squares where Corsican is spoken as much as French. On Place Doria, a fountain topped with a frog serves as the gathering point for the older residents, in the shade of the 17th-century Sainte-Anne bell tower.
Yes, the cellars are reachable by taxi in under fifteen minutes. Patrimonio was the first vineyard on the island to obtain an appellation of origin, and its vines begin barely five kilometres away over the pass.
The coastal path toward the Mortella tower. Its ruined outline so impressed English officers that it is said to have inspired their famous Martello towers. It is a coastal walk without major difficulty, but exposed to the sun.
The island plate: maquis charcuterie, sheep's milk cheeses, spiny lobster for special occasions, and Patrimonio wines. The seafront terraces serve ice cream and coffee from the morning on, the golden hour for watching local life.
The euro, and yes: put a swimsuit and towel in your day bag even without a planned excursion, because the temptation will come. Cards work in shops and restaurants, but keep cash for shuttles and taxis.
