Voodoo Bordello: The Perils of Bonifacio

Cap Pertusato, Bonifacio~Cliffs of Lime

A year ago I couldn't get near this place. Booking a hotel in the most southern point of Corsica 6 months in advance was hopeless. Population 3,000 and 6 miles north of Sardinia, the unobtainable quickly became the deeply coveted. I obsessed. Ask my friends...

Bonifacio had been conquered by the Moors, the Romans, the Pisans, the Genoese, the King of Aragon of Spain, an organized yet unknown sea-faring tribe, the French (it's a touchy subject so don't push it), and Corsican pirates. With evidence of being inhabited by the unknown as far back as 6570 BC, it is widely recognized that the giant cannibalistic Laestrygonians described in Homer's Odyssey were the 7th century BC inhabitants of Bonifacio. And, who are we to argue?

Escalier du Roi d'Aragon
Overlooking the Strait of Bonifacio

The Backbone

The Backbone and The Lighthouse

Violently carved and beaten over centuries by wind and water, the lime cliffs of Bonifacio have eroded so that they resemble bones, brittle and porous. The ramparts of the citadel were constructed to protect the haute ville (old town). But, the remaining architecture has been whittled into a skeleton and is all that stands protecting the cemetery and upper town that teeters on the edge with the straits waiting patiently, perilously below. Gravity + time + weather will certainly continue to dictate the fate of Bonifacio.

Bonifacio

Weathered Citadel Crypt

View Over the Entrance to the Port

Inside the Crypt from Above
"Enter with Respect"

Escalier du Roi d'Aragon Overlooking the Strait of Bonifacio

Escalier du Roi d'Aragon

Old Town ~ Haute Ville

I'm not a hostel person. I no longer camp. I am not wealthy. I am not well-off.

But, I do know how to vacate.....

Research long enough -and with the directive of a treasure hunter- you will find gems that can serve as your home base for a few days, not break your wallet, and be completely rewarding when you return to the hotel later in the day. And, when you do....linger. Talk to your bartender as an explorer -not a tourist. Tip well -even when you might not need to. And, remember that YOU, no matter which country you are from, serve as an unofficial ambassador to your homeland when you travel internationally.

So, don't fuck it up!