The Ajaccio charity book fair shuts its doors on its last day, while Folelli's twice-monthly car-boot sale and the usual Balagne flea markets keep Corsica busy July 18-19.
This Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, Corsica runs on two clocks at once. In Ajaccio, the charity book fair at the Chapelle Sainte-Lucie closes its doors after six days. It's a last chance to grab a novel for 50 cents before the usual weekly calendar resumes.
Meanwhile, Folelli's twice-monthly car-boot sale lands squarely on its third Saturday of the month — a coincidence that only happens every other time. Around these one-off dates, the regulars run at full capacity. Costa Verde, Ajaccio, Bastia, the Balagne: peak tourist season keeps them all busy.
Our pick of the week? That closing chapter in Ajaccio, worth the detour before it shuts. Here is this week's selection, mixing one-off dates with the island's unshakeable weekly fixtures.
Book Fair and Charity Sale, Chapelle Sainte-Lucie, Ajaccio (last day, Saturday 18 July)
The Entraide Protestante de Corse runs its annual book fair and charity sale at the Chapelle Sainte-Lucie, 79 cours Napoléon in Ajaccio. It's open daily from 4pm to 8pm since 13 July. This Saturday 18 July marks the very last day.
Second-hand books from 50 cents, clothes and bargain-priced odds and ends fill the tables inside this historic chapel, right in the city centre. Run by Ajaccio's Protestant Church, the event blends charitable bargain-hunting with architectural heritage: the chapel itself is worth the visit.
Contact on site: 06 11 51 48 42. Don't let this one slip: it won't return until next summer. See the listing.
Folelli Car-Boot Sale & Wardrobe Clear-Out (Saturday 18 July)
Folelli's car-boot and wardrobe sale returns to the Espace Semidei, in the shopping-centre car park of Penta-di-Casinca, this Saturday 18 July. It lands exactly on the third Saturday of the month, its regular twice-monthly slot. Second-hand clothes, shoes, accessories and odds and ends sit side by side in a friendly atmosphere.
Added bonus: you can combine the hunt with the weekly shop, on site. The fixed 1st-and-3rd-Saturday calendar gives this format a rare regularity. Handy for eastern-plain residents who don't want to give up their whole day to it. Learn more.
Grande Brocante Vide-Greniers, Sarrola-Carcopino (Saturday 18 July)
A quarter of an hour from Ajaccio, the former ASPTT stadium in Sarrola-Carcopino hosts its weekly Grande Brocante Vide-Greniers this Saturday 18 July. It's run by SAS Piétri from April to October. Around fifty stallholders set up from 8am to 6pm.
They offer antiques, furniture, mismatched crockery, clothes and all sorts of curiosities. The kind of stalls where you turn up the piece you weren't even looking for.
Free entry for visitors, pitches at 15 € for sellers. Bar, toilets and 500 parking spaces make it one of the biggest fairs in the department, easy to spend a whole morning at. All the details here.
Place César Campichi Flea Market (Sacrée Attraction), Ajaccio (Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July)
In Ajaccio's Cannes district, the Place César Campichi flea market runs both this Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July. It's organised by the Sacrée Attraction association every weekend from March to September.
This twice-weekly format covers the whole Corsican tourist season, from the spring awakening to the last summer heatwaves. It gives bargain-hunters two consecutive market days instead of a single weekly date. Handy for visitors with only one free day out of the two, and for regulars keen to double their hunting. See the event.
Weekly Car-Boot Sale, San-Nicolao (Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July, Costa Verde)
On the Costa Verde, San-Nicolao's municipal car park hosts its weekly car-boot sale this Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July. It's run by the Les Enfants ont des Ailes association. Private sellers and professional stallholders set up from 7am, with a 10 € pitch fee, in this green setting on Corsica's eastern coastline.
The two-consecutive-day format makes it one of the most complete fixtures in the area, between beach and market. For anyone wanting to hunt on their own schedule, it's the spot. A popular stop for Casinca locals and summer holidaymakers alike. Check the listing.
Corse Parkinson Car-Boot Sale, Porto-Vecchio (Saturday 18 July)
In the Extreme South, the Corse Parkinson association runs its weekly car-boot sale this Saturday 18 July. It's held at the Bar Pimpan in Porto-Vecchio, on private grounds. Reserved for private sellers and residents of the Sud Corse community of communes, it welcomes up to 30 sellers from 7am to 2pm. The spirit stays entirely charitable.
Registration is by phone only, on the preceding Wednesday and Thursday between noon and 2pm, though entry stays free for visitors. A good reason to hunt for a cause, a stone's throw from the southern beaches before a swim. Check the listing.
Boulevard Pascal Rossini Flea Market, Ajaccio (Sunday 19 July)
Ajaccio's Sunday ritual for bargain-hunters returns this 19 July along Boulevard Pascal Rossini, opposite the high school and the municipal pool. About thirty stallholders offer antiques, knick-knacks, furniture and second-hand goods in a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere.
Ideal for a stroll-and-browse around town before the midday heat. Handy too if you're staying in Ajaccio and want to hunt without getting back in the car. A good follow-up to a Saturday spent at Sarrola or Place César Campichi. See the event.
Sunday Flea Market, Place Saint-Nicolas, Bastia (Sunday 19 July)
One of the island's finest hunting grounds runs this Sunday 19 July, from 7am to 1pm. Head for the vast Place Saint-Nicolas, facing the sea in Bastia's historic centre. About thirty stallholders, professionals and private sellers alike, spread out antique furniture, collectibles, postcards, books and knick-knacks under the plane trees of the old town.
People come as much to browse as for a coffee on the terrace next door. A classic not to skip if you're passing through the Haute-Corse capital this weekend. Details and times.
Aregno Flea Market (Sunday 19 July, Balagne)
In the Balagne, the Aregno flea market sets up this Sunday 19 July facing Algajola beach. A natural setting between sea and maquis that alone justifies the trip. Furniture, knick-knacks, clothes, books and all sorts of objects await hunters from neighbouring villages as well as passing holidaymakers this summer.
The kind of spot where you rummage almost with your feet in the sand. Best visited early in the morning, before a swim, while the light is still soft on the surrounding scrubland. See the listing.
Weekly Flea Market, Calvi (Sunday 19 July, Balagne)
Still in the Balagne, the Calvi weekly flea market takes place this Sunday 19 July on the Route de Calenzana, at the entrance to town. Private and professional sellers unpack furniture, crockery, old objects and second-hand goods. A fixture of local life, running year-round depending on the weather and the season's tourist flow.
Handy for rounding off a hunting weekend on the west coast, between the citadel and the beaches. Best combined with Aregno for a morning of pure Balagne flea-market action. Practical info.
Also this weekend
Still not had your fill of hunting? Regulars of the Casinca district will find the Venzolasca flea market, open Friday and Saturday at the Arena site. For Saturday weekly markets, head to Furiani (COSEC car park, Route de la Marana) or Vescovato. The Valle-di-Campoloro flea market runs Wednesdays and Saturdays.
On the Sunday side, look for the Élan du Cœur sale in Folelli, the Saint-Pancrace fair in Castellare-di-Casinca and the Ghjuventù Cerviuninca sale in Cervione. The big Borgo car-boot sale and the De la Cave au Grenier sales in L'Île-Rousse round out an especially packed picture for mid-July.
Weekend tip: the Ajaccio book fair closes its doors this Saturday evening. If you miss it, head for the Sunday flea markets in the Balagne or Bastia. To find all the sales near you, check our flea markets agenda for this weekend. Happy hunting!
