Parata Point: Genoese tower, trails and views of the Sanguinaires

Parata Point, at the end of the Sanguinaires road 11 km from Ajaccio, is the natural viewpoint over the archipelago. You park at the Grand Site's paid car park (€2.60 an hour, €7 for 5 to 12 hours), stop at the visitor centre (welcome desk, toilets, free map), then follow the marked path to the 1550 Genoese tower at the top of the peninsula, 55 m up. The scent trail, a 45-minute family walk, introduces the site's plants. Access on foot is free.

Key facts

Source: Grand Site of the Sanguinaires Islands and Parata Point. The visitor centre closes on 25 and 31 December.

The route

1. Park at the Grand Site car park, or get off bus line 5 at La Parata.
2. Stop at the visitor centre: detailed map in French and English, exhibition on the wildlife and plants, toilets. An English-speaking member of staff is there in summer.
3. Follow the marked path across the peninsula to the Genoese tower at the top. The interior cannot be visited.
4. Watch the archipelago line up out to sea: Porri, Cormorants islet, Cala d’Alga and Mezzu Mare with its lighthouse.

The trails

• The scent trail: a 45-minute family walk to discover the site’s plants, such as rock samphire or sea heath, whose autumn red may have given the islands their name.
• The customs path: it leads, among other places, to the A Reta climbing site, 10 minutes from the visitor centre.
• The loop from Terre Sacrée: Visorando describes a 6.6 km route (2 h 20, about 170 m of ascent) that climbs to a viewpoint table and then reaches the point and the tower.
• The Crêtes trail: a 4 h 30 hike from Ajaccio, see the Crêtes trail.

Good to know

Access on foot is free. In summer, bring a hat and water for the climb. In the evening, it is the most popular viewpoint for the sunset. Boat departures from the La Parata pontoon have been suspended since 2020: to reach the islands, leave from Ajaccio (see the boat trips). To stay near La Parata or in town, see where to stay.