Ten kilometres north of Bastia, Erbalunga is the first place on the D80 that makes people brake. Its old houses stand shoulder to shoulder on a tongue of rock that pokes into the sea, their walls rising straight out of the water, and at the very end a ruined Genoese tower keeps watch over a harbour barely big enough for a dozen boats.
Erbalunga is the marina of the hillside commune of Brando and was once a busy little trading port. It has long attracted painters, and the family of the poet Paul Valéry came from here. Today it is the smartest village on the east coast, with a handful of good restaurants, a shady square of plane trees and a small pebble beach to the north.
Top things to do: Erbalunga
Wander out to the tower
From the square, narrow lanes and vaulted passages lead through the old quarter to the rocks at the tip of the point, where the half-collapsed tower stands. It takes ten minutes, and the view back along the waterfront houses is the one on every postcard. People swim from the flat rocks here when the sea is calm.
Have lunch by the harbour
Erbalunga has a reputation for eating well, from simple grilled fish on the quay to more ambitious cooking. In July and August book ahead, especially for dinner; out of season several places close.
Swim at the pebble beach
Just north of the village a long pebble beach faces the open sea. The water is clear and deepens quickly; bring beach shoes. On summer mornings it is calm and quiet.
Catch a festival or the Good Friday procession
In early August the village hosts a music festival on the square. Erbalunga is also known for A Cerca, a Good Friday procession in which penitents walk a long circuit through the hamlets of Brando before forming a spiral, the granitula, on the square in the evening.
How to get to Erbalunga
- By car: follow the D80 north from Bastia for about 10 km (around 20 minutes). Use the signed car parks beside the main road — the village lanes are pedestrian.
- By bus: Bastia’s local bus network runs up the coast as far as Erbalunga on most days, which makes this the one cape village that is easy without a car. Check current timetables locally.
- By boat: short boat trips from Bastia’s Vieux Port run up to Erbalunga and back — see tours and boat trips.
Insider tips
- Come early or late: between 11 am and 3 pm in summer the car parks fill and the lanes are busy.
- Erbalunga works well as a first or last night on the cape — it is close enough to Bastia for an early ferry or flight. See where to stay.
- If you are driving the whole loop in one day, limit yourself to 30–40 minutes here; there is a long way still to go.
Best tours & boat trips for Erbalunga
These experiences pair well with a visit to Erbalunga:
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
Sailing trip from €108 Le Grand Tour: Cap Corse Sailing Trip from Bastia Old Harbour
Four hours under sail along the eastern shore of the cape, starting from the old harbour in the middle of Bastia. You pass the Genoese towers and marinas that the D80 strings together, seen from the side they were built to watch, with a stop to swim. The easiest way to get onto the water if you are staying in town or arriving by ferry.
- Leaves from Bastia’s Vieux Port — no car needed
- Genoese towers, villages and coves of the east coast
- Swimming stop in a small group
