Bastia is where almost every Cap Corse journey starts: the ferries dock here, the airport is half an hour away and the D80 leaves from the northern end of the seafront. It is also a proper Mediterranean town in its own right — more Italian in feel than anywhere else in Corsica, a little scruffy, and all the better for it.
The Genoese founded it in 1378, when their governor Leonello Lomellini built a fortress — a bastiglia, which gave the town its name — on the rock above a fishing cove. The cove became the Vieux Port and the quarter around it Terra Vecchia, the “old land”; the walled citadel that grew up round the fortress is Terra Nova. Bastia was the capital of Genoese Corsica for centuries and is still the island’s main commercial port.
You can see the essentials in half a day on foot. If you arrive by evening ferry, stay the night and start the cape fresh the next morning.
Top things to do: Bastia
Walk the Vieux Port
The horseshoe harbour is the heart of the town: fishing boats and yachts below, six- and seven-storey houses with peeling shutters above, and the twin bell towers of Saint-Jean-Baptiste — the largest church in Corsica, begun in the 17th century — rising over the lot. Walk out along the Môle Génois, the old harbour wall, for the classic view back to the church, ideally in the morning light or at dusk when the quays fill with restaurant tables.
Climb to the Terra Nova citadel
From the south side of the harbour, steps climb through the Jardin Romieu to the Genoese citadel. Inside the walls the streets are quieter and brighter than the port below. The Governors’ Palace houses the Bastia museum, which tells the town’s history and has terraces with a fine view over the harbour (check current opening days — it usually closes on Mondays). Close by are the former cathedral of Sainte-Marie and the oratory of Sainte-Croix, home of a blackened wooden crucifix that fishermen are said to have found floating at sea in 1428.
Take a coffee on Place Saint-Nicolas
Almost 300 metres long and open to the sea, this is one of the largest squares in France: plane trees, palms, a bandstand, a statue of Napoleon dressed as a Roman emperor and a long row of café terraces. On Sunday mornings a flea market spreads across it. On the landward side, the old Maison Mattei shop sells the Cap Corse Mattei aperitif that has been made in Bastia since 1872.
Shop the market and the old lanes
Behind the old town hall, the Place du Marché hosts a food market on weekend mornings — cheeses, charcuterie, migliacci (savoury cheese pastries) and local vegetables. Rue Napoléon and the lanes of Terra Vecchia between the square and the port are lined with baroque oratories and small shops.
Get out on the water
Boat and sailing trips up the east coast of the cape leave from the Vieux Port, so you can see the first Genoese towers and Erbalunga from the sea without a car. See our tours and boat trips page for the current options.
How to get to Bastia
- By ferry: Bastia has year-round or seasonal sailings from Marseille, Toulon and Nice in France and from Livorno, Genoa and Savona in Italy. The terminal is in the town centre, five minutes’ walk from Place Saint-Nicolas. Details are on our getting here page.
- By air: Bastia-Poretta airport is about 20 km south of town — allow 25 to 35 minutes by car or taxi. A shuttle bus links the airport with the railway station in the centre several times a day.
- By car: central parking is easiest in the underground car parks beneath Place Saint-Nicolas and by the Vieux Port. The citadel’s lanes are narrow; leave the car below and walk up.
Insider tips
- Fill the tank and stock up on cash and picnic supplies in Bastia: fuel stations and cash machines are scarce once you are on the cape.
- Rush hour on the seafront road and through the tunnel under the Vieux Port can be slow; set off for the cape before 9 am or after the morning peak.
- If you only have an hour or two between ferries, do the Vieux Port and Place Saint-Nicolas and save the citadel for the way back.
- A guided walk is a good way to get past the façades — see the Bastia tours in our ranking.
Best tours & boat trips for Bastia
These experiences pair well with a visit to Bastia:
Guided walk from €25 Bastia: Les Légendines, an Unusual Tour
Designed by Bastia’s own tourist office, the “Légendines” tell the town’s stories — its mysteries, art and history — through a guided walk that includes Corsican polyphonic singing and tastings. At the price it is the best-value guided experience in town; check the language of the departure before you book.
- Created by the Bastia tourist office
- Corsican polyphonic singing
- Local tastings along the way
Guided walk from €39 Unusual Tour of Bastia with an Art Historian
A two-hour cultural walk through Bastia in a small group, led by a young art historian who brings the churches, façades and squares to life. Every review so far gives it five stars. A good complement to wandering the Vieux Port and the citadel on your own.
- Small group
- Led by an art-history student
- An immersive, story-led approach
Boat tour from €57 Family Discovery Boat Tour: Bastia Old Port to Erbalunga
About ninety minutes on the water from Bastia’s Vieux Port up the first stretch of the cape, past villages and Genoese towers towards Erbalunga, and back. It is the lowest-priced boat trip on this page and short enough for small children or anyone unsure of their sea legs.
- A short first taste of Cap Corse by sea
- Erbalunga and its tower from the water
- Easy length for children
Private tour from €55 Bastia: Private Custom Tour with a Local Guide
A private walking tour with a resident who shapes the route around what you want to see — the main sights, the history, and useful addresses for eating afterwards. Handy on a first day, when it doubles as an orientation for the rest of your stay.
- Route tailored to your interests
- Landmarks, history and places to eat
- Choose two to four hours
