On the north-west corner of the cape, Centuri is the fishing port people picture when they think of Cap Corse: a pocket-sized harbour enclosed by two short jetties, wooden boats stacked with nets and pots, and a ring of old houses in shades of grey, ochre and pink, some still roofed in slabs of green serpentine stone.
Centuri is widely described as France’s leading port for spiny lobster (langouste). A small fleet still sets out from here in the season, which runs roughly from spring to the end of September, and the restaurants around the quay serve the catch grilled, with pasta or in bouillabaisse. It is not cheap — lobster is sold by weight — but it is as fresh as it gets. In the bay sits the rocky islet of Capense, and the sun sets directly opposite.
Top things to do: Centuri
Eat lobster on the quay
Almost every table in the port looks onto the boats. Ask the price per 100 grams before you order, and expect the simplest preparation — split and grilled — to be the best. If lobster is beyond the budget, the same restaurants do good fish of the day and pâtes à la langouste at a gentler price.
Walk up to the Moulin Mattei
At the Col de la Serra, where the D80 crosses from one coast to the other above Centuri, a ten-minute path leads from the roadside car park to a restored windmill with a red conical roof. It was rebuilt in the 20th century as an advertisement for the Cap Corse Mattei aperitif and is now the cape’s great viewpoint: Centuri and its islet below, the west coast running south, and Giraglia to the north. It is windy — hold on to your hat.
Stroll to Cannelle
A lane and footpath climb from the port to the flower-filled hamlet of Cannelle, perched above the bay. It takes 20–30 minutes on foot and gives the best view down onto the harbour.
Swim off the rocks or at Mute
Centuri has no sandy beach, only rock platforms and a small pebble cove at Mute, just south of the port. For sand, drive 15 minutes south to the bay of Alisu below Morsiglia.
How to get to Centuri
- By car: Centuri-Port is at the end of a side road that drops from the D80 at Camera, a few minutes west of the Col de la Serra. From Macinaggio allow 30–40 minutes; from Saint-Florent, about 1 hour 30 minutes along the west coast.
- Parking: the harbour itself is closed to visitors’ cars. Use the car park above the village and walk down — it fills at lunchtime in summer.
- On foot: Centuri is the western end of the Sentier des Douaniers, four to five hours from Barcaggio.
Insider tips
- Stay the night if you can. By six in the evening the day visitors have gone and you have the sunset and the harbour almost to yourself. See where to stay.
- Reserve a table for lunch in July and August, and check that restaurants are open if you come before May or after September.
- The Moulin Mattei is best in the morning for the west-coast view and at sunset for colour.
Best tours & boat trips for Centuri
These experiences pair well with a visit to Centuri:
Private tour from €399 per group Bastia: Private Driver – Customised Tour of Haute-Corse
If you would rather not drive the corniche yourself, this is the one product that lets someone else do it: a private driver for four hours, on a route you agree together — panoramas, villages, beaches and tastings. A new listing with no reviews yet, priced per group of up to three, so compare it with the cost of a day’s car hire.
- Price is per group of up to three
- Your own itinerary: villages, beaches, viewpoints
- Food-tasting stops possible
Boat tour from €110 From Saint-Florent: Cap Corse and Agriates Desert Boat Tour
The one trip that joins both sides of the Gulf of Saint-Florent: north along the cliffs of Cap Corse towards Nonza, then across to the Agriates for the beaches of Saleccia and Lotu and a sea cave reached only by boat. Paddleboards and snorkelling equipment are carried on board and lunch is part of the day. Rated 4.7 by more than 200 guests, it is the most-booked Cap Corse experience on GetYourGuide.
- The west coast of Cap Corse and Nonza seen from the sea
- Swimming stops, paddleboards and snorkelling gear on board
- Beach time on the white sand of Saleccia, with lunch
