Famous for its turquoise waters bordered by polished rocks, Santa Giulia bay also boasts one of the most beautiful beaches in Corsica. With fine sand and shallow, warm water, Santa Giulia beach mostly attracts sunbathers, but don’t hesitate to bring your snorkel gear along: the small rocky reef located at the center of the bay lends itself to a nice snorkeling session.
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How to get to Santa Giulia snorkeling spot?
Santa Giulia is located about 5km south of Porto Vecchio and 20km north of Bonifacio. A few roads lead to the beach but in order to get as close as possible to the snorkel area, we advise you to stop at the well-indicated parking lot located next to Moby Dick Hotel.
During summer, the beach is often packed with tourists: consider arriving early to ensure you can park, or take the beach shuttle to avoid parking issues.
Entering the water to snorkel Santa Giulia
We advise to enter the water in front of the rocky reef as much as possible, so as to reduce the swimming distance to the spot.
Santa Giulia snorkeling tips
The snorkel area encompasses the surroundings of the rocky islets located at the center of the bay, about 150m from the beach. While the bay’s seabed is mostly sandy, polished rocks covered with peacock’s tail seaweed (Padina pavonica) and a few Posidonia meadows can be seen in this area, both sheltering more abundant sea life.
Water is very shallow next to the beach, and you might have to walk for about 15 meters before being able to fin. Swim towards the rocky islets. You will come through a rather monotonous white sand area (↕2-5ft/0.5-1,5m), where sand sea stars and some small groups of juvenile mullets can nevertheless be seen.
Once close to the islets, you can start exploring the rocky area the way you like. Be aware that the external side of the reef (facing the open sea) is generally more exposed to waves than the inside (facing the beach).
Huge blocks of polished granite are scattered on the seabed, alternating with sandy areas and Posidonia meadows (↕1,5-3m). Sea urchins and hermit crabs can often be seen on the rocks just underneath the water surface.
Rocks covered with algae are the territory of five-spotted wrasse and peacock wrasse, whose males fins are lined with fluorescent blue. Small groups of salema can also be seen around the rocks, as well as common two-banded seabream. If lucky, you will also spot gilt-heat bream or a sharpsnout seabream in the deeper areas.
In the sandy beds surrounding the reef, you may also have the chance to spot a small pelagic stingray darting over the sand.
Santa Giulia beach is packed with visitors during summer. Mind the other swimmers, snorkelers, and all kinds of boats sharing the bay with you.
Restaurants and accommodation nearby
The Moby Dick hotel is located next to the beach, right in front of the spot. Along Santa Giulia beach, several other restaurants and accommodation options can be found. The closest supermarkets are in Porto Vecchio, about 10 minutes if driving from the beach.
Live an incredible encounter with a stingray and a moray eel in Santa Giulia sandy beds in this video 👇 shot by Fico!
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