The squat silhouette of a 16th-century Genoese watchtower anchors the northern end of this crescent, its granite blocks blushing pink in the late afternoon sun. Unlike the postcard-perfect chaos at nearby San Giovanni, Plage de la Tour draws mostly French families who return year after year, their coolers packed with rosé from Figari and tomatoes still warm from the morning market in Sartène.
“The shallow, child-safe shoreline and Genoese tower backdrop create a rare blend of history and practical family swimming on Corsica's wilder southern coast.”
Credit: FlickrPlage de la Tour — photo by bonacherajf
The sand here is fine enough to sift through your fingers but coarse enough not to cling, a pale gold that heats quickly underfoot by mid-morning. Shallow water extends twenty meters out, shifting from mint green to deeper cerulean as the seafloor drops away beyond the sandbar. Small fish dart between your ankles in the shallows, and the occasional jellyfish drifts past in July, translucent and harmless.
By four o'clock, the tower's shadow creeps across the beach, and the wind picks up from the west, carrying the scent of wild rosemary and immortelle from the hillside. Families begin packing up, shaking sand from striped towels, while a few stragglers float on their backs, watching swifts cut geometric patterns against the sky. The parking area, just a dusty clearing behind the dunes, empties quietly as the dinner hour approaches.
