Porto-Vecchio doesn't have a bus station; instead, the various companies who come here stop and depart outside their agents' offices on the edge of the old town. Coming from Bastia or the eastern plain (eg Solenzara or Aléria) you'll be dropped at the Corsicatours office on 7 rue Jean-Jaurès; services to and from Ajaccio via Bonifacio, Sartène and Propriano stop outside the Trinitours office on rue Pasteur, just north of the citadelle; finally, the minibus connecting Porto-Vecchio with Ajaccio, via the chief villages of Bavella and Alta Rocca, pulls in at Île de Beauté Voyages, at 13 rue Générale de Gaulle, near the post office. From here it's a five-minute walk to the main square, place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, site of the efficient tourist office (July & Aug Mon–Sat 9am–8pm, Sun 9am–1pm; June & Sept Mon–Sat 9am–1pm & 3–6pm; Oct–May Mon–Fri 9am–noon & 2–6pm, Sat 9am–noon; tel 04.95.70.09.58, www.accueil-portovecchio.com), where you can consult timetables for local buses.Accommodation is easy to come by except in high summer. One of the least expensive places is the central Le Modern, 10 cours Napoléon (tel 04.95.70.06.36; €55–70; closed Oct–April), followed by the basic Panorama, 12 rue Jean-Nicoli, just above the old town (tel 04.95.70.07.96, fax 04.95.70.46.78; €40–55), which isn't all that well maintained but offers the cheapest beds in town. If you can afford it, it's worth spending a bit extra to stay down by the marina, where pick of the bunch is the very pleasant Goéland, port de Plaisance (tel 04.95.70.14.15, [email protected]; €100–125). If you're camping and don't have a vehicle, your best bet is the Matonara site (tel 04.95.70.37.05), just north of the centre at the Quatre-Chemins intersection – it's large, with lots of cork trees for shade. Otherwise, try the well-equipped Arutoli on route de l'Ospédale, 2km northwest of town along the D368 (tel 04.95.70.12.73), which has an enormous pool. For eating, a safe choice is Le Tourisme, opposite the church, which serves fragrant Porto-Vecchien specialities – such as mussels in fennel and pastis served on a bed of tagliatelle; they offer a menu at €23, and there's a range of various good-value formules at lunchtime. Chez Anna, a classy little pasta place on rue Camille De Rocca Serra, is a little more tucked away but worth hunting out for its delicious stuffed aubergines and fresh gnocchi with mussels. Top quality Corsican charcuterie, cheese, wine and other local delicacies can be sampled at A Cantina di l'Oriu, 5 cours Napoléon; get there for "Happy Hour" (6.30–7.30pm) when they offer taster plates with a glass of wine for €5. At other times, count on €12–15 for assorted meats and olives. Nightlife in Porto-Vecchio centres on the main square in the old town where, in the summer, hordes of suntanned Italians strut their stuff. A lively bar to head for is Pub de Bastion, at the northeastern end of the old town, which claims to serve three hundred varieties of beer and stages live music (ghastly rock cover bands) most Friday and Saturday nights. The snazziest club in the area, however, is Via Notte (tel 04.95.72.02.12, www.vianotte.com), a full-on Italian-oriented place that stages top Euro DJs in July and August (when admission charges and drink prices go through the roof).
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