The sea temperature at Corsica (Plage de Palombaggia) today is 21.5 °C (71 °F) – cold to refreshing water, better for a short swim. The usual October average is 21.3 °C. The forecast for the next 3 days is 21 to 21.4 °C. Over the last 30 days the sea has cooled from 26 °C to 21.5 °C. Swimmable from June to November, when the sea averages 18 °C or more. Source: Sea Temp Map (seatempmap.com) – NASA MUR satellite data and the Copernicus Marine sea forecast.
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.8°C / 56.8°F | 14.3°C / 57.7°F | 14.7°C / 58.4°F |
| February | 13.4°C / 56.1°F | 13.7°C / 56.6°F | 14.1°C / 57.3°F |
| March | 13.3°C / 56.0°F | 13.8°C / 56.9°F | 14.2°C / 57.5°F |
| April | 14.0°C / 57.1°F | 14.7°C / 58.4°F | 15.3°C / 59.6°F |
| May | 16.3°C / 61.3°F | 17.5°C / 63.5°F | 18.2°C / 64.8°F |
| June | 20.9°C / 69.7°F | 22.1°C / 71.7°F | 23.3°C / 73.9°F |
| July | 24.5°C / 76.2°F | 25.3°C / 77.5°F | 25.9°C / 78.7°F |
| August | 24.9°C / 76.8°F | 26.0°C / 78.8°F | 27.2°C / 81.0°F |
| September | 23.4°C / 74.1°F | 23.9°C / 75.1°F | 24.6°C / 76.2°F |
| October | 20.3°C / 68.5°F | 21.3°C / 70.3°F | 22.1°C / 71.8°F |
| November | 18.2°C / 64.8°F | 18.8°C / 65.8°F | 19.4°C / 66.9°F |
| December | 15.3°C / 59.5°F | 15.8°C / 60.4°F | 16.1°C / 61.0°F |
| Month | Min | Avg | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 11.1°C / 51.9°F | 11.6°C / 52.8°F | 12.3°C / 54.2°F |
| February | 11.3°C / 52.3°F | 12.0°C / 53.6°F | 13.0°C / 55.4°F |
| March | 11.8°C / 53.3°F | 12.6°C / 54.7°F | 13.5°C / 56.4°F |
| April | 13.3°C / 55.9°F | 14.3°C / 57.7°F | 15.2°C / 59.3°F |
| May | 16.8°C / 62.2°F | 17.9°C / 64.2°F | 19.0°C / 66.1°F |
| June | 21.4°C / 70.6°F | 22.8°C / 73.0°F | 24.1°C / 75.4°F |
| July | 24.4°C / 75.9°F | 25.7°C / 78.2°F | 26.9°C / 80.5°F |
| August | 24.7°C / 76.4°F | 25.8°C / 78.4°F | 26.9°C / 80.4°F |
| September | 22.0°C / 71.6°F | 22.9°C / 73.2°F | 23.8°C / 74.8°F |
| October | 19.0°C / 66.3°F | 19.8°C / 67.6°F | 20.6°C / 69.1°F |
| November | 15.4°C / 59.7°F | 15.9°C / 60.6°F | 16.6°C / 61.8°F |
| December | 12.6°C / 54.8°F | 13.2°C / 55.7°F | 14.0°C / 57.2°F |
5-year averages (2021–2025). Min/Max are typical daily lows and highs, not record extremes. (Copernicus ERA5)
Plage de Palombaggia holidays
About 10 km by road south of Porto-Vecchio, on the south-east coast of Corsica, Plage de Palombaggia is a long curve of pale sand backed by umbrella pines and red granite rocks. Offshore lie the small Cerbicale Islands, a nature reserve, and the water in front of the beach is shallow and clear.
Beaches
Palombaggia shelves gently, so the first metres of water suit small children, and the sand runs for well over a kilometre, with the quieter Tamaricciu beach just to the south. The beach faces east and is open to the sea, so on windy days the waves pick up. Parking is a mix of public and privately run car parks along the road, which fill up early in summer; check the signs for charges. Further south, Santa Giulia is a wide, shallow bay with watersports, and Rondinara, on the way to Bonifacio, is a round cove almost closed by two headlands.
Things to do
The old upper town of Porto-Vecchio, the nearest town to Palombaggia, sits inside Genoese walls above its marina and salt pans, with cafés on the square and views over the gulf. Boat trips from Porto-Vecchio sail past the Cerbicale Islands and along the coast to Bonifacio, whose old town stands on white limestone cliffs, and on to the Lavezzi Islands in the Strait of Bonifacio nature reserve. Inland, the road climbs to the Col de Bavella, where walking trails run below the jagged granite peaks known as the Aiguilles de Bavella.
Weather and best time to visit
From June to October the sea at Plage de Palombaggia is warmer than 20 °C / 68 °F.
Summers in southern Corsica are hot, dry and sunny, and July and August are when Palombaggia is at its busiest. June and September are warm with fewer people and easier parking. Wind is common on Corsica, and a strong easterly can make the sea rough on Palombaggia's side of the coast. Winters are mild, with most of the rain falling between autumn and spring.
Hotels and where to stay
Hotels and holiday villas are scattered among the pines along the Palombaggia road, a few minutes from the sand. Porto-Vecchio, a short drive away, has a range of hotels, restaurants and shops, while Santa Giulia has resort hotels on its own bay.
Signature hotels: Les Bergeries De Palombaggia
Airport and getting there
Figari Sud-Corse Airport (FSC) is the nearest, around 30 km from Palombaggia by road, with flights from mainland France and routes that vary by season. Ferries from mainland France dock in Porto-Vecchio, and Bastia, farther north, is another arrival point by ferry or plane, with a longer drive south. Buses are few, so a hire car is the practical way to reach Palombaggia and the other beaches.