The Ultimate Guide to Bonifacio — A Change of Place Travel

Bonifacio is a glittering port city found on the southern tip of Corsica, France, and is teeming with so much to do and see for both history lovers and photography enthusiasts alike. Surrounded by turquoise water, this city is home to a large Citadel, and a harbor that is filled with some of the most majestic yachts on the water. One of the largest tourists draws in Corsica, Bonifacio is a bastion of European history, and is an incredible place to learn by doing and seeing. With Italian flair in the names and food, but French language being spoken and flags flown, Bonifacio is a city of coastal European charm, and big city glamor. Follow along as I guide you through the best way to spend an entire day in Bonifacio, guaranteeing you will maximize your time there, and be able to soak in the splendor of Bonifacio.

To be able to see everything in this article with plenty of time to immerse and indulge in the sights, make sure to leave early, and make it to Bonifacio no later than 10 am as parking lots fill up fast. The best parking spot (note: easy in and easy out of the city) can be found right next to the Bonifacio marina, and next to a gas station. In your GPS, enter the name of the business “First Stop Etablissements Botti Bonifacio”, as the parking lot is next door to this car repair shop and Esso gas station. This is quite a sizeable parking lot, but spots will fill up fast! See map below:

Walk to the marina immediately south of the parking lot by walking past the pay machine, and following well paved sidewalk. The Marina will open up immediately to your right, and you will see boats and tourists all around…you won’t be able to miss it! Take a few moments to really admire the harbor, with the sailboats, smaller tour boats that motor out to the famous cliffs of the port city, and large mega yachts (while we were there, we spotted one that is worth a whopping $150 million). Lined with restaurants and boats, the marina is a gorgeous place to walk and people watch, though I don’t really recommend any of the lunch spots along the water, and recommend a lovely lunch spot later in the article. Please note, there is also clean restrooms nearby, use them now before setting out for the day!

The marina that will greet you as soon as you enter the city. Look for mega yachts here!

After admiring the beauty of the water and the surrounding cliffs of the port, you will notice a line forming for a trolley on the road next to the marina – you will want to board this trolley to get to the top of the city and explore the best parts of Bonifacio. You can pay ahead of time at a small brown kiosk with the words “Le Petit Train de Bonifacio” on top of it. Luckily, the trolley runs every 30 minutes, and costs only 6 euros per person, and saves you the discomfort of climbing several flights of stairs in the hot sun. Also, you will receive a brief history of Bonifacio on the ride. The train will take you to the top of the cliffs surrounding the city, and then will circle back to drop riders off.

When you reach the top of Upper Town and the train comes to stop, hop off and walk directly to the Escalier du Roy d’Aragon.

Please note: To participate in the Escalier du Roy d’Aragon, you MUST be wearing closed toe shoes.

The stairs ascend/descend at a 45-degree angle along the side of a cliff, and helmets must be worn at all times as the clearance for your head is pretty low in some areas. Physical fitness is necessary for this trek (I had to stop multiple times on the way up the stairs to catch my breath…as did everybody else), but the spectacular views of bright turquoise water are well worth it. There are a few boat tours that will drive up alongside the stairs, but nothing beats climbing them yourself as people did when they were built, while carrying buckets of water for the town. You can also decide if you believe they were dug out in one night by soldiers during a siege…this seems incredible to me!

Cost: 6.5 euros per person, included entrance to the Bastion de l’Etendard

Hours of Operation: Daily 10 am-5:30 pm

Time spent: 90 minutes

Closed toe shoes and a helmet MUST be worn at all times on the hike. The helmet is necessary, and even I bonked my head on a few low rock surfaces, so please adhere to safety precautions!

The stunning blues and teals of Bonifacio! You can take a boat to see the stairs from the water, but nothing beats climbing them yourself!

These stairs are very steep and will take time to climb up and down. They are also wet from the rocks leaking water, so allow yourself time to traverse.

From this experience, you will be good and sweaty, so walk to the northeast corner of the Upper Town and grab a bite to eat at Le Bastion. One of the top-rated restaurants in the town, this spot was about half full the entire time we ate, and no reservation was required. They are especially known for their Corsican aubergine starter with marinara sauce (really yummy!), and their lasagna with beef (filling and delicious, comes with a side salad and fries).

Fun tip: There is a delicious beverage in Corsica called “Or” and it tastes exactly like Sprite, but is a sparkling lemonade. It is very refreshing and light for the hot days you’ll encounter in Corsica.

Cost: 10-25 euros per person

Hours of Operation: 11 am-10:30 pm daily

Time spent: 90 minutes

After lunch, take some time to walk around the town and do some shopping. There are a myriad of shops selling just about anything you could ever want! There are 2 shops I liked in particular. If you enjoy nautical clothing and are okay spending a little more on a souvenir, check out The Signet Store and outfit everybody in Breton striped shirts and sweaters from Saint James. If you are more of a collectibles type person, make your way to Les Terasses D’Aragon a la Marine. Here you will find beautiful jewelry from coral, and collectibles such as knives and trinkets that are unique to the area. If you are looking for something smaller, there is an abundance of souvenir shops all around the city, including several resort wear style clothing stores as you descend a large staircase running parallel to a street named Mount Rastello, before you get back to the marina at the end of this itinerary.

Next up, you will want to head back into the thick of things and take a tour of the
Citadel of Bonifacio. Make sure to climb through all of the lookout points, especially the ones facing the entrance to the harbor. You will get a stunning view of the small space boats have to navigate to reach the city, and a bird’s eye view of the lower town. Once used as a military fortress, the citadel now is an awesome spot to wander around, and take in Bonifacio in all of its glory.

You will also want to visit the Bastion de l’Etendard, the location where the military used to house all of its artillery. This is a great place to visit towards the end of the day as you are able to go in shaded, enclosed rooms, and explore tunnels and rooms dug into the earth in the Bastion…you can even see Sardinia from the top of the Bastion! Make sure to exit via the Porte de Genes, a medieval drawbridge into the Bastion, with some of the most beautiful views of Bonifacio…perfect for a photo op!

Cost: 6.50 euros per person, included entry to Les escaliers du Roy d’Aragon

Hours of Operation: Daily 10 am-5:30 pm daily

Time spent: 2 hours

Bird’s eye view of Bonifacio from the Bastion de l’Etendard

From here, proceed down the steps of the Port de Genes, and continue to the bottom of the hill. You will cross a cross walk on rue de Mount Rastello, and continue down a large flight of steps. At the bottom, you will be back at your starting point at the marina, and you can walk back to your car.

As you can see, Bonifacio is a city of many faces, rugged, historical, cosmopolitan, and traditional. Bonifacio is a must see when you visit the island of Corsica, and will be a favorite stop on your journey.