Corsica’s main port, between the Old Port of Terra Vecchia, the citadel of Terra Nova and the gateway to Cap Corse.
Huddled behind its walls and bastions, around the Governors’ Palace that is now a museum, the citadel of Terra Nova keeps watch over the Old Port below. Bastia is a web of narrow lanes. Its lower part, Terra Vecchia, spread out along the coast. Despite the modern buildings, the town still feels like a Mediterranean port.
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Its heart is place Saint-Nicolas, a long, shady esplanade built on land reclaimed from the sea, with a marble statue of Napoleon in a toga. The whole history of the town lies in its bastiglia, the original fortress that gave it its name. Here the sea and the mountains decided where the houses would go, clinging to the slopes.
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From the modest harbour it once was, Bastia has become the island’s main commercial port. Capital of Corsica under Genoese rule, it has known the glories and hardships of any fortified town, and it suffered heavy damage in the Second World War. Today it is the economic hub of Haute-Corse. To plan the rest of your stay, our guide to north Corsica covers Cap Corse, the Balagne and Corte, with driving times from Bastia.
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Climb from the Old Port up to Terra Nova by the steps of the Romieu garden. At the top are the Governors’ Palace and its museum, then the lanes of the citadel leading to the former cathedral of Sainte-Marie and the Sainte-Croix oratory. The view over the Old Port and the rooftops of Terra Vecchia is the best in town.
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Photo : Cosudibastia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If you prefer somewhere quiet, Bastia and the nearby villages have plenty of guest houses. Most are run by local people, who will point you to good places to eat and visit in town and around.
Photo : SlimMars 13 / Pexels
Updated 2 November 2026
Photo: arnaud audoin / PexelsBehind the commercial port, this 22,400 m² esplanade is the heart of the town, lined with cafés and plane trees. It has the statue of Napoleon (Napoléon) as a Roman emperor, carved by Lorenzo Bartolini and put up in 1853, which is listed as a historic monument. A bandstand is open all year, and there are merry-go-rounds for children.
Photo: arnaud audoin / PexelsThe Terra Vecchia district spreads around the Old Port, with its tall colourful façades, its lanes and its restaurants on the quays. It is the best walk in town, especially at the end of the day. The market is held on place du Marché in the mornings.
Photo: djedj / PixabayAbove the Old Port, the Terra Nova citadel grew from a keep built around 1380; the ramparts and the palace followed a century later. The Governors’ Palace, residence of the representatives of Genoa (Gênes), was later used as barracks. Its façades are listed as a historic monument, and the citadel has been on the historic monuments register since 2023. The palace now houses the musée de Bastia, devoted to the town’s history, which reopened in 2010.
Photo: arnaud audoin / PexelsNear the Old Port, its twin-towered façade rises above the quays. Built from 1636 to 1666, it was given its present façade in the 1860s. The interior is Baroque, with a high altar from 1694. It is listed as a historic monument.
Built in 1611 for a confraternity founded twenty years earlier, the chapel has kept much of its 17th-century interior decoration, with paintings and stucco work added in the early 19th century. It is listed as a historic monument.
Inside the citadel, the former cathedral of Sainte-Marie, built in the 15th century, was rebuilt in the early 17th century. Just behind it, the Sainte-Croix oratory holds the Christ des Miracles (Christ of Miracles), deeply venerated by the people of Bastia: according to tradition, two fishermen found it floating in the sea.
On the road to Patrimonio and Saint-Florent, the pass looks over Bastia and the Marana lagoon strip on one side, and over the gulf of Saint-Florent and the Agriates on the other. The cannons and the memorial recall the fighting of the Liberation in 1943, led in particular by the Moroccan tabors of the French army.
IllustrationSouth of the town, the largest lagoon in Corsica is a nature reserve and a stopover for migrating birds. You drive along it on the way to the airport.
North of Bastia begins Cap Corse, with its corniche road, its little harbours and its villages. Allow a day to drive round it.
A few minutes away, the village of San Martino di Lota looks down on the sea from the hills. To the south, the site of Mariana has the remains of a Roman town and the Canonica, a Romanesque church.
Guided tours and excursions from the town, and the cultural events of the autumn.
Two hours in town with a specialist, to make sense of the churches, the oratories and the façades of Terra Vecchia.
A private, tailor-made walking tour, to see the town with someone who lives there.
The Old Port, the citadel and place Saint-Nicolas in two hours, with a guide.
The tracks of the hinterland and the mountains behind Bastia, with a driver.
Every autumn, free concerts all over town. The 27th edition begins on 2 November 2026. Programme in the town’s events listings.
A film festival at the Régent cinema, whose 11th edition begins on 6 November 2026.
Prices and ratings checked on GetYourGuide in October 2026.
Bastia stretches between the sea and the mountains: the centre is easy on foot, the outskirts call for a car.
Photo: SlimMars 13 / PexelsThe most charming area, within walking distance of everything, with restaurants on the quays. Parking is difficult.
The market is held in the mornings on place du Marché. Ask your accommodation where to leave the car, or head for a covered car park.
Quiet, in the upper town, with a view over the Old Port.
The Bastia museum, in the Governors’ Palace, and the lanes of Terra Nova are on your doorstep. The Old Port restaurants are down below, by the steps of the Romieu garden: allow for the climb back.
Photo: SlimMars 13 / PexelsThe shopping centre, near the commercial port and the station: the most practical choice if you arrive by boat or train.
The airport shuttle reaches the station in about 25 minutes: you can manage a short stay without a car. With children, place Saint-Nicolas has its merry-go-rounds.
Towards Pietranera, at the gateway to Cap Corse, for trips to the north.
A tour of Cap Corse takes a day by car: starting from here saves you crossing the town in the morning. A few minutes away, the village of San Martino di Lota looks out over the sea.
Near the airport and the long beaches of the Marana, with more space. A car is useful. See also our beach guide.
Bastia town centre is about a quarter of an hour from Furiani by car, outside summer and without stopping.
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Bastia Poretta airport is 20 km south of the town, about 30 minutes by road. A shuttle bus links it with Bastia station in about 25 minutes. See flying to Corsica.
Bastia is the island’s busiest port, with sailings from Marseille (Corsica Linea, overnight), Toulon and Nice (Corsica Ferries), and from Italy: Livorno (Livourne), Savona (Savone) and Genoa. See getting to Corsica by boat.
Bastia is the starting point of the Chemins de fer de la Corse (Corsican railways), with lines to Corte, Ajaccio and Calvi, and the end of the suburban line from Casamozza. See the train in Corsica.
The centre is best seen on foot. The Via Bastia bus network covers the wider Bastia area, and the Via Corsica C10 and C12 coaches link Bastia with Porto-Vecchio and Calvi on certain days. See getting around Corsica.
Parking is difficult in the centre and in Terra Vecchia: use a multi-storey car park or leave the car at your accommodation.
Average highs are above 29°C in July and August (Météo-France climate normals). Bastia gets more rain than the west coast in autumn: October and November are the wettest months. May, June and September are the best months. See when to go to Corsica.
One day for the town, two with the Col de Teghime and Patrimonio, and one more day to drive round Cap Corse.
Office de tourisme intercommunal de Bastia, place Saint-Nicolas, 20200 Bastia. Tel. +33 4 95 54 20 40. Website: visit-corsica.com.
