Ferry from Bastia to Portoferraio

Bastia Guide

Located in the haute-Corse department of France, in the north east of the island of Corsica lies the town of Bastia. The town is Corsica's main hub for commercial activity and is also its principal port, which is in fact divided into three parts. The old port ("Vieux Port") lies in a narrow cove and is mainly used by non-commercial operators such as pleasure and fishing boats. The commercial ferry port is a little north of the town and even further to the north is the Toga Marina which is mainly used by leisure craft such as yachts and sailing boats.

There are a number of visitor attractions in the town including The Museum of Corsica. There is also The Fortress with its keep and 16th century bell tower which provides great views over the old port, Terra Vecchia, the mountains and the coast. There is also the former palace of the Genoese governors which is now home to the museum of Corsican Ethnography.

The ferry Port of Bastia links Bastia to France (Marseille, Nice and Toulon) and Italy (Genoa, La Spezzia, Livorno, Piombino, Savona, Portoferraio).

Portoferraio Guide

The town of Portoferraio is located on the north east coast of the Italian island of Elba, on a headland that closes the gulf towards the north. Portoferraio is one of the island's most ancient towns and can trace its origins back to the Ligurians, the Etruscans and the Greeks, before finally becoming a Roman colony named Fabricia. Cosimo I dei Medici is responsible for the town's layout who began to change it after 1548, when the town's name was changed to Cosmopoli, in order to strengthen the town's defences. Popular attractions in or near the town include the Romanesque Church of Santo Stefano alle Trane, the Villa dei Mulini and Villa San Martino, the Etruscan Fortress of Castiglione, the Pinacoteca Foresiana, the International Art Centre of Italo Bolano and the Botanical Garden at Ottone.

A few kilometers from Portoferraio, towards Bagnaia, in the hamlet of Le Grotte, where visitors can see the remains of a Roman villa from the Imperial period. These were covered by plants and shrubs until 1960 when digging brought to light the great complex with walls in opus reticulatum, big terraces overlooking the sea and a pool with heating and a water circulation system.