Beaches
Beaches in town, to the north and to the south
Arinella and Ficaghjola lie within Bastia itself. The other beaches on this page belong to neighbouring communes: along the coast to the north to San-Martino-di-Lota, Santa-Maria-di-Lota and Brando, and to the south to Biguglia, Borgo and Lucciana.
On this page
Beaches in town
Arinella is Bastia’s largest beach, a non-smoking sandy beach. There are sunloungers and parasols for hire, a water sports centre, playgrounds and a skate park.
- Facilities: showers, toilets, first-aid post
- Bus: the S3 and S10 shuttle buses in the bathing season
Ficaghjola is a pebble beach on the Front de Mer in the south of the town.
- Facilities: showers, first-aid post, no toilets
Along the coast to the north
North of Bastia a string of beaches follows the road to Cap Corse. Plage du Flenu in San-Martino-di-Lota is often called Plage de Pietranera. This small pebble beach has rocks in the middle; there is parking along the D80 road, and a footpath leads down from there.
- Facilities: showers, toilets, first-aid post
Grisgione, also in San-Martino-di-Lota, is a small pebble beach on the road to Cap Corse. There are very few parking spaces on the D80, so the bus is the better option. In summer paddleboards and pedalos are available for hire.
- Facilities: no showers, no toilets, no first-aid post
Miomo lies a few kilometres north of town in Santa-Maria-di-Lota. A tower stands by the pebble beach, and there is a pontoon in the water.
- Facilities: first-aid post, no showers, no toilets
Further north is the beach at Erbalunga, a hamlet in the commune of Brando. It has no showers, toilets or first-aid post. For the village and the coast beyond, see Cap Corse.
South of town
South of Bastia there are three bathing spots in other communes: Pineto in Biguglia, Alba Marana in Borgo and La Maraninca in Lucciana. None of them has showers, toilets or a first-aid post.
Bathing water in 2026
The bathing water ratings for the 2026 season, by stretch of coast:
- In town: Arinella excellent, Ficaghjola excellent
- Along the coast to the north: Erbalunga excellent, Grisgione excellent, Miomo excellent, Plage du Flenu excellent
- South of town: Alba Marana good, La Maraninca sufficient, Pineto excellent
To the beach by bus
Bus line C runs from Bastia north along the coast via Miomo and Erbalunga to Sisco, outside the bathing season too. Its stops include Petranera, Grisgione and Miomu, so you can reach Plage du Flenu, Grisgione and Miomo without a car.
In the bathing season the S3 and S10 shuttle buses run to Arinella. They do not operate outside the season.
For travel to Bastia, see Getting there; for the climate through the year, Weather; and for places to stay, Where to stay.
Frequently asked questions
What is the bathing water like at Bastia’s beaches? +
Which beaches can I reach by bus? +
Are there showers and toilets at Arinella? +
Further along the coast
Cap Corse
Cap Corse begins just north of Bastia. Erbalunga is on the east coast, Nonza on the west coast, Macinaggio and Centuri at the tip of the cape, with the Sentier des Douaniers in between.
Day trips
From Bastia you can reach Cap Corse, Saint-Florent and the Agriates, the Biguglia lagoon, the Roman site of Mariana and, by train, Corte in the interior of the island.