Practicalities
Buses from Calvi, via Galeria, and from Ajaccio, via Cargese, pull into the junction at the end of route de la Marine, opposite the Banco supermarket, en route to the marina. Timetables are posted at the stops themselves, and at the tourist office , down in the marina (May, June & Sept daily 9am-noon & 3-7pm; July & Aug daily 9am-7pm; Oct-April Mon-Thurs 2-6pm; tel 04.95.26.10.55), where you can buy Topoguides and brochures for hikes in the area. Tickets for the boat excursions to Scandola, the Calanche and Girolata (depart 9.30am & 2.30pm) are available in advance from the operators at their office in the marina. Mountain bikes and scooters , ideal for day-trips up the Spelunca gorge, can be rented from the cafe opposite Timy supermarket, at the top of the village, though the cost is well over the odds (90F/?13.68 per day per bicycle or 300F/?45.60 for an 80cc step-through). Porto has plenty of hotels , and stiff competition between them means that tariffs are surprisingly low outside peak season. The best all-round budget option is Le Maquis , above the village on the route d'Ota (tel 04.95.26.12.19, fax 04.95.26.12.77; 220-300F/?34-46), which has plain but comfortable rooms with and without en-suite bathrooms. If it's full, then try Le Colombo , next door (tel 04.95.26.10.14, fax 04.95.26.19.90; 300-400F/?46-61), an informal sixteen-room hotel overlooking the valley, imaginatively decorated with driftwood and flotsam sculpture. The Panorama , down in the marina (tel 04.95.26.11.05; 220-300F/?34-46), is another good choice, with a wonderful little terrace restaurant on its ground floor, as is the Brise de Mer next door (tel 04.95.26.10.28, fax 04.95.26.13.02; 220-300F/?34-46), which looks over the eucalyptus trees in the valley to the sea. Apart from the dismal Camping municipal behind the beach, Porto's campsites are all grouped in the village near the supermarkets. Pick of the bunch is the Sol e Vista (tel 04.95.26.15.71), which has lots of shady terraces stacked up the hillside; Le Porto (tel 04.95.26.13.67), on the opposite side of the road bridge, is almost as pleasant, and within easy reach of natural swimming pools in the river. Pizzerias and standard hotel-restaurants make up the bulk of eating places in Porto, with prices generally increasing the nearer you get to the tower. Try the moderately priced Le Maquis , in the hotel of the same name at the top of the village, which serves honest, affordable home-cooking in a warm bar or on a tiny terrace overlooking the valley. Along the walkway leading from the square to the marina, Le Sud (tel 04.95.26.15.11) is arguably the village's top restaurant, thanks to its policy of serving nothing except the freshest local food - hence the limited menu (if the local fishermen haven't landed anything, you won't find fish on the menu). Another place to eat that's well worth considering if you have transport, or are happy to walk 4km, is Chez Felix in Ota (tel 04.95.26.12.92), which serves delicious local specialities such as sanglier en daube , a rich wild-boar stew, on a sunny terrace with stunning views across the valley to Capo d'Orto.
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