Capo di Feno Beach (Ajaccio): tips and photos

Why go to Capo di Feno

Capo di Feno is Ajaccio’s big wild beach: about a kilometre of sand, facing the open sea, with no apartment blocks and no seafront road. Behind it, the dunes and low maquis climb towards the hills. People come for the space, for the sunset over the sea and for the waves, which make it a well-known surf spot in Corse-du-Sud (Agence du tourisme de la Corse).

The beach is only about 14 km by road from the centre, but it feels far from the town: you have to cross the hills, and no bus goes there. The flip side of being so open to the sea is that the water can be rough. On windy days, people come to watch the surfers rather than to swim.

Type of beach: sand, water and swimming

The tourist office describes long stretches of sand, dunes and hills covered with maquis. The shore faces west: the sun sets straight ahead of you.

The swell rolls in unobstructed, and the waves can be very strong. The Agence du tourisme de la Corse and the tourist office ask swimmers to respect the colour of the flag flown at the lifeguard station. From 1 July to 31 August, swimming is supervised from 12pm to 7pm at both Grand Capo and Petit Capo, an hour later than at the town’s other beaches (Pays d’Ajaccio tourist office, 2026 season). Outside those hours, swim close to the shore, and never alone when the sea is rough.

Offshore, recent averages (2023-2025) from the Open-Meteo Marine dataset give about 23 °C in June, 26 °C in July and August, and 24 °C in September; the sea is still at 22 °C in October, and around 19 °C in May.

The two beaches: Grand Capo and Petit Capo

Capo di Feno is in fact two beaches, separated by a field and a few hundred metres of rocky coast.

Grand Capo, to the north, is the bigger and busier of the two. Its northern end and centre draw most of the crowd: the car parks, the beach restaurants, the beach equipment hire and the lifeguard station are all on that side. Towards the south, the beach grows wilder, with fewer facilities; you reach it by walking along the sand.

Petit Capo, to the south, is also called Sevani beach, after the hamlet above it. It is smaller, a few hundred metres of sand, and less well known. Between the two, a tiny sandy cove hides among the rocks.

A protected coast

The sand of Grand Capo lies within the Capo di Feno Natura 2000 site, and the sea in front of it within the Golfe d’Ajaccio site. The inventory of natural habitats also places it in the Anse de Minaccia zone, named after the bay it borders. To the north, the hills leading to the headland belong to the Conservatoire du littoral, the public body that protects the French coastline. Use the marked paths to cross the dunes, do not light fires, and take your rubbish away with you.

The headland that gives the place its name is about three kilometres to the north-west, with the ruins of a Genoese tower. If you come by boat, anchoring is regulated: read the orders of the maritime prefecture.

When to go

June and September bring a warm sea and emptier car parks. In July and August, come between 12pm and 7pm to swim while the lifeguards are on duty, and leave time for the drive back: the D111B is narrow. In winter, the beach belongs to surfers and walkers. Finally, the tourist office points out that there is no mobile signal on the site: tell someone where you are going.