Ajaccio's Market by the Port
Ajaccio's main market, the Marcatu d'Aiacciu, is held on Place Campinchi, the square between the old town and the Port Tino Rossi, a few steps from the ferry and marina quays. It is the best place in the Corsican capital to see, taste and buy the island's produce, and it is easy to combine with a walk through the old town and a visit to the Maison Bonaparte, Napoleon's birthplace, a few streets away.
The square has several parts: an open-air market in front of the building, a covered market, and the Halle Gourmande, a covered food hall that opened as part of a redevelopment of the site. On busy days, additional producers' and weekend markets set up around them.
Days and Opening Hours
According to the Ajaccio tourist office:
- Main market (Place Campinchi): Tuesday to Sunday mornings, until about 1pm. Stalls start setting up early, and hours are extended in summer.
- Halle Gourmande: Tuesday to Sunday, mornings until about 2pm.
- Producers' market (Producteurs de Pays): Wednesday and Saturday mornings, with local growers who follow a quality charter.
- Weekend fair: Saturday and Sunday mornings, with clothing, jewellery and essential oils, between Square Élisa and the Halle Gourmande.
The market is closed on Mondays and on 1 January, 1 May and 25 December. Arrive before 10am for the best choice and the coolest temperatures in summer. In August the Halle Gourmande has also hosted occasional evening events, known as nocturnes.
Ajaccio also has a smaller weekend morning market on Place Abbatucci, in the town centre, selling fruit, vegetables, cheese, charcuterie and fish.
What to Look For
Charcuterie is the island's great speciality. Look for:
- Lonzu, cured pork fillet, sliced thin.
- Coppa, cured pork loin.
- Prisuttu, Corsica's long-aged raw ham.
- Figatellu, a liver sausage eaten fresh or grilled, traditionally a winter product made after the pig slaughter season.
Lonzu, coppa and prisuttu each have their own AOP when made from the island's Nustrale breed pigs, so check labels if you want the traditional product.
Cheese comes mainly from sheep and goat milk. Brocciu, a fresh whey cheese with AOP status, is the most famous and is best from late autumn to early summer, when the animals are in milk. You will also find aged tommes and stronger cheeses such as those from the Niolu and Venachese areas.
Other produce includes chestnut flour and chestnut products, Corsican honey (with its own AOP), olive oil, clementines in winter, citrus and figs, and pastries such as canistrelli (dry biscuits often flavoured with aniseed, lemon or white wine) and fiadone, a light cheesecake made with brocciu. Savoury snacks such as bastelle, turnovers filled with greens or onions, and fritters make a good breakfast on the spot.
Fish and seafood are sold at the fishmonger's in the Halle Gourmande and at market stalls, depending on the day's catch.
The Halle Gourmande
The Halle Gourmande is the place to eat as well as shop. It groups a fishmonger, delicatessens, a cheese shop, a pastry stall, a wine merchant and a coffee roaster, with seating for tasting on site. It is a good choice for an early lunch of charcuterie and cheese with a glass of Corsican wine, or a coffee and pastry before the old town gets busy.
Corsican Wine to Try
Ajaccio has its own wine appellation, AOC Ajaccio, whose reds are based largely on the local Sciaccarellu grape and tend to be light, fragrant and slightly peppery. Ask the wine merchant for producers from the hills above the Gulf of Ajaccio. Corsican whites from the Vermentinu grape go well with fish and fresh cheese.
Practical Tips
- Bring cash for small stalls, although many traders take cards.
- Ask to taste charcuterie and cheese before buying; most stallholders are happy to offer a slice.
- Travelling with food: vacuum-packed charcuterie and aged cheese travel well. Fresh brocciu does not keep long and is best eaten in Corsica. Travellers flying outside the EU should check import rules for meat and dairy.
- Getting there: Place Campinchi is a short walk from the ferry terminal, the marina and the old town. If arriving by car, use the paid car parks near the port, as the centre is busy in the morning.
- Combine it: after the market, walk through the old town to the Maison Bonaparte and the citadel area, or along the seafront.
