Making the most of Calvi Corsica
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Ships must anchor and tender into Calvi at Quai Landry. Waterfront cafés line the quay, but it is a busy road behind which lies the resort centre’s vibrant nightlife.
The tender drop-off is beside downtown Calvi, making most port attractions easy to reach on foot.
Calvi has two sections: the new downtown by the port and the older area rising toward the citadel. Both are best covered on foot.
L’Eglise Santa Maria, the “Big Pink Church”, is hard to miss and worth visiting. It is a lovely old-style Catholic church with an Orthodox-style feel.
Calvi draws more beach lovers every year and is gradually becoming a popular holiday resort.
Getting around
There are no buses. A small train runs the coast from Île Rousse to Calvi, while a blue train operates from Calvi to Bastia.
For trips beyond the city, taxis are expensive.
Food and shopping
Corsican shops commonly sell dried meats, noticeable by their smell, along with an impressive range of honey, olive oil, spices and herbs from mountain maquis bushes. More adventurous shoppers can try chestnut flour, farine de châtaignes, a local specialty used in crêpes, cakes and more.
Shopping is found along Rue Artisanat.
Basse Ville is where markets, restaurants and hotels are concentrated.
Money
The currency is the Euro.
Staying connected
For local emergencies, call 112.
Opening Hours and
French shops, businesses, information services, museums and banks are generally open all day. Smaller enterprises may close for lunch between 12.30pm and 2pm. Big shops typically trade Monday to Saturday, 8 or 9am to 6.30 or 7.30pm; smaller ones Tuesday to Saturday, though some open Monday afternoon. Boulangeries and food shops can be found open when others close, normally until noon on Sunday.