Plage de la Roya

Plage de la Roya is the closest large sandy beach to Saint-Florent in Haute-Corse, northern Corsica, curving along the gulf just south-west of the town. The gulf water is usually calm and shallow near the shore, so it suits families, swimmers and kayakers, and you can walk there from the marina.

Hotels, paddleboard hire and little shade

Low vegetation and a few hotels line the back of the sand. In season, a dive centre and kayak and paddleboard hire operate near the beach, and the calm morning water is best for paddling before the wind rises. There is little natural shade, so a parasol and water are worth bringing, while restaurants and shops are a short walk away in town. The beach gets crowded in July and August.

The 1440 citadel and the Nebbio cathedral

Saint-Florent grew up around its Genoese citadel, built in 1440, about 1 km from the beach. Until the 18th century the citadel was the seat of the governor and of the bishops of the Nebbio. The former cathedral of the Nebbio, Santa Maria Assunta, stands just outside the town, about 1.2 km away. It is a Pisan Romanesque church of the 12th century, built on a site known in Roman times as Cersunum. The wine village of Patrimonio lies 6 km away.

Boats and walks to the Agriates

The marina, about 500 m from the beach, is the departure point in summer for boats along the Agriates coast to remote beaches such as Saleccia and Lotu. The Roya is also the Saint-Florent end of the sentier des douaniers, the coastal path across the Agriates. The walk to these beaches takes several hours each way, so many walkers take the boat one way and walk back, or the reverse.