Bonifacio has to be earned. It is probably le the most spectacular place in Corsica — a medieval Genoese town perched eighty metres above the sea on white limestone cliffs, with a fjord-shaped harbour below and Sardinia on the horizon. How do you see it in a single day from our villas in Figari? Here is how.
— The essentials
- Distance from Figari : 20–25 minutes' drive (25 km)
- Ideal length : a full day (8 a.m. to 7 p.m.)
- Budget : €12–15 a head for monuments, €25–40 for the Lavezzi
- Parking : €2 an hour in the upper town (€15 a day)
- Best time : outside July and August, or early morning
- Book ahead : the Lavezzi and restaurants in summer
Getting to Bonifacio from Figari
From Les Hameaux de Buttaciolo in Figari, allow twenty minutes' drive south on the N198. The road is fine and traffic usually flows, except between 11 a.m. and midday at the height of August. Leave at 8 a.m. to arrive at 8.30, before the coaches unload around 10.
From Figari-Sud Corse airport, Bonifacio is 30 minutes away. From Porto-Vecchio, also 25. The town is the natural high point of any stay in the far south of Corsica.
Where to park in Bonifacio
Bonifacio has two main parking areas:
- The paid car park in the upper town (near the church of Saint-Dominique) — €2 an hour or €15 a day. Our recommendation : it saves you the climb back up at the end of the day.
- The harbour car park below — handy if you only plan the Lavezzi or a meal at the harbour.
In high season the car parks are full by 10.30 a.m. At 8.30 you are fine. A third, free car park exists at the entrance to the town, but it means a 15-minute uphill walk.
Our hour-by-hour route
Arrive and park in the upper town
Park near the church of Saint-Dominique. A coffee in one of the local bars (cheaper than at the harbour). Take a bottle of water: the afternoon will be long.
The citadel before the crowds
Enter through the Porte de Gênes and walk down rue Doria. The old town is yours. Sainte-Marie-Majeure and its monumental cistern. Narrow Genoese lanes, tall typical houses.
Bastion de l'Étendard
Bonifacio's history museum, a Second World War memorial, and a plunging view over the cliff. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.
The King of Aragon's staircase
189 steps cut sheer into the cliff. Fifteen minutes down, twenty back up. The most spectacular moment of the day.
Lunch at the harbour
Down to the harbour on foot or by car. Booking essential in summer (Kissing Pigs, L'An Fer, Chez Marco).
Boat to the Lavezzi islands
A 30-minute crossing. An archipelago of pink granite in translucent water. Snorkelling, a picnic, doing nothing. Back around 5.30 p.m.
Sunset at the salt marsh
A free dirt track, ten minutes on foot. A view over the citadel and the cliffs. Few tourists, and the best photograph of the day.
Back at the hamlet
Twenty minutes' drive and you are on your terrace in Figari. Glass in hand, legs aching, head full.
L'The King of Aragon's staircase en détail
C'est le the emblematic monument of Bonifacio, and probably the most memorable part of your day. A staircase of 189 steps cut sheer into the limestone cliff at an angle of 45°, listed as a historic monument.
La légende, tenace, veut qu'il ait été creusé en une nuit par les troupes du Roi d'Aragon Alphonse V le Magnanime, lors du siège de 1420. The truth is more prosaic and more beautiful: it was probably cut by Franciscan monks over a long period, to reach the Saint-Barthélemy well, the drinking-water source that supplied the town under siege.
“The dizzying descent seems endless — but the sight that opens up at the bottom is worth every step. The white cliffs cut into the blue of sky and sea, and the gulls hang motionless in front of you.”
— Logbook
The view from the cliffs. On the horizon, Sardinia — only three quarters of an hour by boat.
Practical information The King of Aragon's staircase
- Price : €3.50 per person (2-monument pass €8, 3-monument pass €10)
- Open February to November, hours vary by season
- Closed in strong wind (spray makes the steps slippery)
- Not advised aux guests cardiaques, femmes enceintes, enfants de moins de 4 ans (sauf porte-bébé)
- Dogs not allowed
- Closed, flat shoes are compulsory — forget flip-flops and sliders
- Timing : avoid 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in summer (no shade at all)
The Bastion de l'Étendard
As you come out of the staircase, the Bastion de l'Étendard is well worth the detour. A remnant of the sixteenth-century Genoese fortifications, it now houses a small museum of Bonifacio's history, a memorial to the soldiers of the Second World War, and above all a plunging view over the cliffs and Sardinia on a clear day.
Allow 30 to 45 minutes. Worth noting for your plans: the Bastion will be exceptionally closed on 13 July and 15 August 2026 for official events.
The monuments pass: our budget tip
If you plan to visit several monuments in the day, the 3-monument pass (10 € au lieu de 3 × 3,50 € = 10,50 €) est intéressant. Il comprend l'The King of Aragon's staircase, le Bastion de l'Étendard et l'église Saint-Dominique. Réservation possible directement en ligne sur le site officiel de la mairie de Bonifacio.
The old town: what to see
Beyond the paying monuments, the old town of Bonifacio is an open-air museum in itself and worth several hours of wandering:
- The Porte de Gênes — the original fortified gate, with its drawbridge
- The church of Sainte-Marie-Majeure and its communal rainwater cistern (impressive)
- The church of Saint-Dominique — one of the few Gothic churches in Corsica
- Rue Doria — the main medieval street, with its tall narrow Genoese houses
- The seamen's cemetery — at the end of the citadel, on the cliffs, one of the most moving views
- The ramparts — a circuit of the old town along the fortifications
Where to have lunch in Bonifacio
Bonifacio harbour, set deep in its limestone fjord, is one of the most photogenic in the Mediterranean. Restaurants line the quays — but they are not all equal. Our tried and tested selection:
- Kissing Pigs — simple, sociable, unmissable for Corsican charcuterie and sharing boards. Open for lunch and dinner, moderate prices (€25–35 a head).
- L'An Fer — more refined cooking, local produce, impeccable service. Allow €45–60 a head.
- Chez Marco — for seafood and lobster, a harbour institution. €50–80 a head depending on the dish.
Book without fail in summer. In Bonifacio in July or August without a booking you will eat standing up or not at all. A call the day before is enough out of season, but 48 hours ahead at the height of summer.
For more, see our guide to the best restaurants near the villas.
The Lavezzi islands: the second half of the day
If you are in Bonifacio between May and October, do not leave without seeing the Lavezzi. This pink granite archipelago, a nature reservebetween Corsica and Sardinia, is one of the seven wonders of the island.
How to get there
Departures every 30 minutes from Bonifacio harbour, between 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. A 30-minute crossing. Several operators run it (compare on the quay). Allow €25–40 per person depending on the option:
- Simple crossing (return when you like): €25–30
- Crossing plus a boat tour of the islands : €35–40
- A full day by boat including the Grande Grotte : €45–55
The Lavezzi islands — pink granite in translucent water. Our favourite for any family visiting Bonifacio.
What to bring
- Mask, snorkel, fins (the water is extraordinarily clear)
- Hat, sun cream, sunglasses (there is no shelter on the archipelago)
- Water (at least 2 litres per person)
- A picnic (there are no shops on the islands)
- Towel and swimsuit
- Water shoes or sturdy sandals for walking on the granite
What you see there
The Lavezzi are an archipelago of 23 islets and reefs. The main island, the most visited, has several white sand coves — Cala di u Grecu, Cala Lazarina, Anse de l'Achiarina. A small chapel and a seamen's cemetery (a memorial to the wreck of the Sémillante in 1855, 750 dead) mark the memory of the place.
The evening light on the cliffs, seen from the sea on the way back to Bonifacio, is what stays with you longest.
An alternative: the Pertusato lighthouse
If you would rather not take a boat, a fine alternative for the afternoon: the path to the Pertusato lighthouse (5 km there and back, 1 hour 30). It starts on foot from the upper town, well waymarked along the cliffs. A sublime view of the citadel from the southern tip of mainland France.
The lighthouse marks the official boundary between Corsica and Sardinia. It is also where you can see the Grain de Sable, the rock that broke away from the cliff in 1806 and became the symbol of Bonifacio.
Sunset at the salt marsh
Before heading home, one last little-known stop: the salt marsh, on the western edge of Bonifacio. A free dirt track, ten minutes on foot, and you are alone in front of an unbeatable view of the citadel and the cliffs in the golden hour. Few tourists know it. Few photographs of Bonifacio are as good.
Where to stay to visit Bonifacio
Where to stay is a common question. Two options:
- Staying in Bonifacio itself — unique charm, but high prices in summer (€300–500 a night for a decent hotel), dreadful traffic and nightmarish parking.
- Staying in Figari — 20 minutes by car. You reach Bonifacio whenever you like, but enjoy the quiet of the maquis, a private pool, a real garden and reasonable prices.
Nos 7 villas with pools in Figari are built for exactly this kind of stay: less than twenty minutes from Bonifacio, they let you come home each evening to the pool and dinner on the terrace. That is our idea of a stay in Southern Corsica.
What to avoid
- Going in the middle of an August afternoon — the citadel is an oven, the crowds are dreadful, the car parks full
- Taking the tourist train — walk; it is the only way to feel Bonifacio
- Eating on the main square of the upper town — tourist traps, every one of them
- Missing the Lavezzi if you are there between May and October — you will regret it
- Going down the staircase in flip-flops — slippery, dangerous, and refused by the wardens
Frequently asked questions sur la visite de Bonifacio
How long do you need to visit Bonifacio?
A full day is enough for the essentials: the citadel and old town in the morning (2 hours 30), the King of Aragon's staircase (1 hour), lunch at the harbour (1 hour 30), and in the afternoon either the Lavezzi islands (4 hours) or a walk to the salt marsh and the Pertusato lighthouse.
Combien coûte la visite de l'The King of Aragon's staircase ?
L'entrée est de 3,50 € par personne. Le Pass 2 Monuments coûte environ 8 € et le 3-monument pass environ 10 €. L'accès est déconseillé aux guests cardiaques, aux femmes enceintes et aux enfants de moins de 4 ans (sauf porte-bébé).
How many steps does the King of Aragon's staircase have?
According to Bonifacio's official tourist office, the staircase has 189 steps cut into the limestone cliff at an angle of about 45°. It takes 15 minutes down and 20 back up.
Do you need to book the Lavezzi boat trips?
In July and August booking is strongly advised, especially for morning crossings. Departures every 30 minutes from the harbour; allow €25–40 per person depending on the option.
How far is it from Figari to Bonifacio?
Bonifacio is about 25 km south of Figari, 20 to 25 minutes by road on the N198. From Les Hameaux de Buttaciolo, allow 20 minutes in normal traffic.
Can you visit Bonifacio with young children?
Yes, the citadel and old town are pushchair-friendly. The Lavezzi are perfect for children (shallow water, sand). The King of Aragon's staircase, however, is not advised for under-4s (unless carried) or for anyone with knee or heart problems.
When is the best time of year to visit Bonifacio?
From mid-May to late June, or September to mid-October. The citadel is pleasant, the crowds thinner, the prices gentler. In July and August, plan to go very early (arriving before 9 a.m.). See our guide to the best time to visit Southern Corsica.