Bonifacio

Get in

thumb|Pleasure boats at the port

Get around

It's a stiff hike up to the Citadel, though if you've arrived by ferry at the western edge of town, it's as quick to stride off up the slope as to walk into town centre for alternatives. A touristy but easier approach is on Le Petit Train, which runs every 30 min April–Oct. Buy your ticket in advance from the kiosk next to the marina TIC - but they won't sell if the next train is booked out. It clatters away up Ave Charles de Gaulle into the ramparts, does a little circuit of the headland plateau, then drops off and picks up by the town hall before trundling back down. €5 flat fare, many people choose to ride up and walk back but there's no reduction for that.

See

The Port is a pleasant area for strolling and eating, but it's probably best saved until you've seen the Citadel and are thinking about your onward transport. The Citadel is the big draw, and there are several ways up. Ave Charles de Gaulle is the main vehicle route, so it's gradual and has a sidewalk, but it's ratty with traffic. More scenic are the stairs, Montée Rastello, which begin by the They ascend to the saddle of the hill where they cross Ave Charles-de-Gaulle, then onward (now called Montée St Roch) to enter via the Genoa Gate. A steeper stair ascends from further west, crossing Quai Sott a Portigliola. Pedestrians can't enter the citadel via the tunnel under Porte de France.

The saddle of the hill below the Citadel is called the Pass of St Roch. It's the starting point for several walks and has a small chapel. It commands a sweeping vista over the straits, and affords one of the best land-based views of the "Grain of Sand" or Also called U Diu Grossu or "big finger" in Corsican, this is a peculiar rock just offshore, look down and east (left) from the road.

Enter the Citadel via the This was for centuries the only entrance to the upper town, until the Porte de France was created in the 19th century. The impressive drawbridge is an 1830 replacement of the 17th-century original. The bastion which guards the gate is now a museum. You can't walk the path on top of the walls (the Chemin de Ronde or Patrol Path) as this is closed for safety reasons. thumb|Chemin de Ron…

Do

thumb|Lavezzi archipelago Scuba-diving in the Straits is excellent, though you may have to drive out of town (e.g. to Porto Vecchio) to find a commercial dive shack running trips there.