Gulf of Porto Genoese Tower View

The Genoese Watchtower

Perched on a red-granite promontory, the Tour de Porto is a square Genoese watchtower built in the 16th century to guard the gulf against raiders. Now a listed monument, it presides over the scene as the unmistakable landmark of the bay.

The Gulf of Porto

The camera looks out across the Golfe de Porto, a deep Mediterranean inlet framed by towering cliffs and the porphyry crags of the coastline. Part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, its waters shift between deep blue and brilliant turquoise.

The Village of Porto

Below the tower cluster the marina, hotels and terraces of Porto, the coastal hamlet of the commune of Ota. It is the gateway to the famed Calanques de Piana and the Scandola nature reserve.

Western Corsica

Backing the bay rise the steep mountains of Corsica's wild west coast, a landscape of maquis scrub, granite ridges and hidden coves that draws hikers and sailors to this dramatic stretch of the island.