Northern Corsica's main international airport is located just south of Bastia, from where visitors can organise multiple day-trips to various places of interest such as Cape Corsica or the mountains near Corte, all located about one hour drive away from the coastal town.
Gastronomy is at the very heart of Corsica's culture and gourmets will find in the citadel town of Bastia some exquisite places to sample traditional Corsican specialities such as brocchiu, charcuterie, veal with olives or even bouillabaisse.
Eating in the town centre:
For a taste of Corsican typical specialities, head for the "Rue des Sens" restaurant at 1 rue Pino. Menus start at €14.
"La Table du Marche Saint-Jean" in the place du Marche is the ideal choice in this part of town for fish and seafood dishes. Menus are at €25.
"Un Autre Monde" offers a great choice of sweet and salty crepes. The restaurant is located at 3 rue saint Erasme.
Snacks and ice-creams are available all day at the "Glacier Raugi", at 2bis rue Capanelle.
Restaurants within the citadel:
"Sampiero", place du Donjon, and "La Citadelle", 6 rue du Dragon, both serve a large array of traditional Corsican dishes and their locations within the citadel's walls always add something to the atmosphere.
"Sampiero" also specialises in fish dishes, including fish soup and scorpion fish.
Seaside restaurants:
The Old Harbour is an excellent place to find a restaurant with sea view such as the "Le Colomba" restaurant at 2 quai sud. This is a good place for French cuisine.
The "Caveau du Marin" is also based in the Old Harbour, in the Quai des Martyrs-de-la-Liberation. The chefs serve French and Corsican cuisine dishes and menus start from €22.
"Les Zephyrs" offers various typical dishes from the island, as well as pizzas, pasta dishes and crepes. The restaurant is in 6 rue des Zephirs and is only open for the high season starting from the end of April.
For pizzas and grilled meat dishes, "Le Pressoir" is the ideal spot in town, with a la carte and menus at €20. The restaurant is open everyday except on Sundays, and is located on route du cap toga.
Restaurants outside of Bastia:
Holidaymakers planning a visit to Biguglia Lake, which is the island's biggest lake and a popular place for water sports activities, can stop for lunch at "Les Colonnades" gastronomic restaurant, which is located just over four kilometres south of Bastia.
The menus include an array of Mediterranean dishes for €25. The restaurant is part of the Ostella hotel which is in Avenue Sampiero Corso.
Alternatively, visitors looking for a quicker lunch can stop at the nearby fast-food restaurant "The Country Burger" in rue Santa Maddalena Le Prado. The restaurant is closed on Thursdays.
Visitors heading north towards Cape Corsica will enjoy fish dishes and seafood with unrestricted view over the Mediterranean Sea at the "La Terrasse" restaurant in Place d'Erbalunga in the village of Brando, situated 11 kilometres north of Bastia.
