Bonifacio | Corse

It is a stretch of sea of ​​just 20 minutes by ferry the distance that separates Santa Teresa Gallura from the small village of just 2,600 inhabitants, which is perched on a fjord of incredible beauty that overlooks the famous Strait of Bonifacio, the sea that separates Corsica. from Sardinia for 11 kilometers at the narrowest point of the mouths. For this we have put it in our guide.

Bonifacio has an important past told by churches, monuments, ancient buildings and numerous historical testimonies that date back to 6,500 years ago, long before it became a very busy landing place for Greek and Roman merchants.

Today Bonifacio lives mainly on tourism. Very lively in summer, it is full of typical bars and restaurants such as the famous “Fishermen’s Port" excavated in an internal cave. The most beautiful part of the town is its historic center, divided into the Upper Town and the Old Town and characterized by winding streets, squares and churches overlooking the sea. From the narrow streets of the medieval citadel you can admire a panorama of incredible beauty, which reaches the nearby coasts of Sardinia.

Numerous coves scattered among the cliffs, such as the sandy beaches of Calalonga, Santa Giulia and Palombaggia. The constant presence of winds on the coasts favors sports activities such as surfing and windsurfing.

Inhabited for at least 7,000 years as demonstrated by the Neolithic findings, Bonifacio has an urban center that dates back to the 9th century, when it was founded by the Marquis Bonifacio III of Tuscany.

Since then the city was invaded by Genoese, Spanish and French who from time to time enriched its inhabited center, today divided into two main areas: the citadel perched on the fjord and the marina at the bottom of the bay.

To visit the city of Bonifacio it is preferable to enter on foot from the Porte de Genes and go up the Montée Saint-Roch to visit the Eglise Saint-Erasme of the thirteenth century and the Chapelle Saint Roch dating from the mid-sixteenth century. From this point you arrive at the Bastion de l’Etendard, a fortress close to the port where you can admire the exhibits that trace the history of Boniface from the Neolithic to the present day. From the fortress you cross the two most important squares: the Place du Marché and the Place de la Manichelle from which you can admire a suggestive panorama overlooking Sardinia.

We recommend a visit to the Église Sainte-Marie-Majeure (church of Santa Maria Maggiore), the main church of Bonifacio built in the 12th century by the Pisans in Romanesque style, recognizable by an ancient cistern and by the nave decorated with 14th century frescoes.

From there to the Torrione the step is short. At the foot of this tower you reach one of the main attractions of Bonifacio: the staircase of the King of Aragon, a staircase of 189 steps carved by hand into the rock that leads down to the sea. Legend says that it was excavated in a single night by the soldiers of King Alfonso V of Aragon during the siege of Bonifacio in 1420, but realistically it was built in ancient times by the Franciscan friars to reach a source of fresh water. Continuing towards the west of the city, you come to the suggestive windmills in the Bosco area dating back to the 12th century and still near the Gothic convent of San Francesco and the Marine Cemetery, where you can admire the white sepulchral chapels. Also worth a visit is the small tourist port in the Marina, ideal for a stroll along the seafront.

Numerous and very suggestive are the beaches Plage de l’Arinella and Plage de la Catena north of the fjord. You should try the sailing boat trips from the Port of Bonifacio, with which you can reach enchanting and unspoiled places such as the Lighthouse of the Madonnetta and the Sdragonato Caves where the sea takes on emerald shades. At the coastal end of Corsica we find the characteristic lighthouse of Capo Pertusato, while 4 km from Bonifacio we find the island of Lavezzi (with beaches of incredible beauty) and the island of Cavallo a little further north. Both are part of the Strait of Bonifacio Nature Reserve.