Rondinara Beach (Bonifacio): tips and photos

Why go to Rondinara

Rondinara is easy to recognise from above: a round cove, almost closed off by its two headlands, with a curve of white sand at the far end. The leaflet for the walking trail, published by the commune and the Conservatoire du littoral, calls it a “little inland sea”. This shape keeps the water calm and shallow when the open sea is rough, which makes it one of the easiest beaches in the south to enjoy with children.

It is worth the detour, as long as you accept the drive: half an hour from Bonifacio or Porto-Vecchio, including several kilometres of narrow road. In summer, the bay also fills with boats at anchor. Come in the morning, or in June and September.

Type of beach: sand, water and swimming

The sand is fine and white (Bonifacio tourist office), along a curve of just over 500 m at the head of the bay. The mouth of the cove faces east: the sun rises opposite the beach and sets behind the maquis.

The water is clear, shallow and gently shelving. It warms up quickly in spring. Offshore, recent averages (2023-2025) from the Open-Meteo Marine dataset give about 22 °C in June, 25 °C in July, 26 °C in August and 24 °C in September; inside the bay, the water is often a little warmer in summer.

The dark patches you can see from the beach are Posidonia seagrass meadows. In winter, their dead leaves pile up in banks on the sand, where they protect the beach from erosion. Leave them where they are.

No lifeguard station is listed at Rondinara for 2026: the tourist office map shows supervised swimming only at Balistra beach. You swim at your own risk.

The parts of the bay

At the head of the bay, the main curve of sand takes most of the swimmers, a few minutes from the car park.

On the south side, the sand ends in rocks, near the restaurant. A waymarked path leads from the car park to Punta di Rondinara, the point that closes the bay to the south-east: an easy walk of less than an hour, through the maquis and along the water’s edge.

On the north side, small coves follow one another between the rocks as far as Punta di Prisarella. Behind them, the Prisarella pond, cut off from the sea by a small dune, is home to junipers and some unusual plants. The tourist office warns that cows sometimes wander down to the water.

A protected bay

The bay lies within the Bouches de Bonifacio nature reserve, and the land behind the beach is part of the Natura 2000 site Tre Padule de Suartone, Rondinara. The Conservatoire du littoral protects about twenty hectares around the bay. On site: no fires, no camping, no bivouacking, and take your rubbish away with you.

For boats, anchoring in the reserve is regulated by the Mediterranean maritime prefecture (préfecture maritime de la Méditerranée). If you arrive by sea, read its orders before dropping anchor, and keep clear of the seagrass meadows.

When to go

June and September give you a warm sea without the crowds. In July and August, arrive before mid-morning to find a parking space, or come late in the afternoon. Out of season, the beach is almost deserted; the restaurant and the hire service only open in season.