Corsica's Rural Fair in Aullène and Bonifacio's Night Market Headline July 25-26

This Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July, Corsica swaps its usual flea markets for something rarer. In Aullène, deep in the Alta Rocca, the annual rural fair takes over from the weekly car-boot routine. In Bonifacio, a fifty-year-old night market reopens its stalls in the fortified old town. Between these two one-off dates, the island's regulars keep turning: Ajaccio, Bastia, San-Nicolao, the Balagne.

Our pick of the week goes to Aullène's fair. A rare date, not to be mixed up with the usual Sunday flea markets. Here is the full selection.

A Fiera d'Audde – Animali Nustrale in Festa, Aullène (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July)

Aullène, a hilltop village in the Alta Rocca, holds its annual rural fair this weekend, 25 and 26 July. Thirty-five to forty Corsican producers and craftspeople set up on the village square. An animal park shows off local breeds: cows, pigs, Corsican goats. Shepherds run a sheepdog demonstration, showing off dogs trained to gather the flock. For children, donkey rides round out the programme.

Roast veal on the spit sets the festive tone for the day. This isn't a car-boot sale like the others: people come here for rural life, not for an old cupboard. A chance to see an inland village living at its own pace, far from the coastal beaches. See the listing.

Bonifacio Night Market, Haute-Ville (running through Monday 27 July)

Bonifacio's Night Market runs at the Loggia de l'Arsenal, in the old town, through Monday 27 July. Founded in 1976, the event marks its 51st edition this year. Craftspeople and stallholders set up in the evening, inside walls overlooking the citadel.

For decades, this market has fed the tourist buzz of Corsica's southernmost town. People come late in the day, after the beach, once the heat lifts off the ramparts. A summer classic in Bonifacio that hasn't lost its pull over the years. Check the listing.

Place César Campichi Flea Market (Sacrée Attraction), Ajaccio (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July)

In Ajaccio's Cannes district, the Place César Campichi flea market runs its usual two days this Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July. The Sacrée Attraction association organises it every weekend from March to September.

This twice-weekly format covers the whole Corsican tourist season. It gives bargain-hunters two consecutive market days instead of a single Sunday date. Handy for visitors with only one free day out of the two, and for regulars keen to double their finds. See the event.

Weekly Car-Boot Sale, San-Nicolao, Costa Verde (Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July)

On the Costa Verde, San-Nicolao's municipal car park hosts its weekly car-boot sale this Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July. The Les Enfants ont des Ailes association runs it, with a fixed 10 € pitch fee.

Private sellers and professional stallholders set up from 7am in this green setting on Corsica's eastern coast. The two-day format makes it one of the most complete fixtures in the area. A popular stop for holidaymakers settled along the coast for the summer. Check the listing.

Grande Brocante Vide-Greniers, Sarrola-Carcopino (Saturday 25 July)

A quarter of an hour from Ajaccio, the former ASPTT stadium in Sarrola-Carcopino hosts its Grande Brocante Vide-Greniers this Saturday 25 July. SAS Piétri runs it every Saturday from April to October.

Around fifty stallholders set up from 8am to 6pm: antiques, furniture, mismatched crockery, clothes. Free entry for visitors, pitches at 15 € for sellers. Bar, toilets and 500 parking spaces let you spend the whole morning there, no rush. One of the biggest fairs in the department. All the details here.

Corse Parkinson Car-Boot Sale, Porto-Vecchio (Saturday 25 July)

In the Extreme South, the Corse Parkinson association runs its weekly car-boot sale this Saturday 25 July at the Bar Pimpan, on private grounds. It's reserved for private sellers and residents of the Sud Corse community of communes.

Up to 30 sellers set up from 7am to 2pm. Registration is by phone only, on the preceding Wednesday and Thursday between noon and 2pm. Entry stays free for visitors, in a fully charitable spirit. A good reason to hunt for a cause, a stone's throw from the southern beaches. Check the listing.

Boulevard Pascal Rossini Flea Market, Ajaccio (Sunday 26 July)

Ajaccio's Sunday ritual for bargain-hunters returns this 26 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.

The mood stays relaxed, almost Mediterranean, far from the harbour bustle. Ideal for a stroll-and-browse around town before the midday heat. 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 26 July)

One of the island's finest hunting grounds opens this Sunday 26 July, from 7am to 1pm. Head for the vast Place Saint-Nicolas, facing the sea in Bastia's old town.

About thirty stallholders, professionals and private sellers alike, spread out antique furniture, collectibles, postcards and knick-knacks under the plane trees of the historic centre. People come as much to browse as for a coffee on the terrace next door. Worth remembering if you're passing through the Haute-Corse capital. Details and times.

Aregno Flea Market, Balagne (Sunday 26 July)

In the Balagne, the Aregno flea market sets up this Sunday 26 July, facing Algajola beach. A setting between sea and scrubland that alone justifies the trip.

Furniture, knick-knacks, clothes, books and all sorts of objects await hunters from neighbouring villages and passing holidaymakers. Best to arrive early, before a swim, while the low light still catches the maquis around. A fixture the Balagne keeps up almost all year. See the listing.

Weekly Flea Market, Calvi, Balagne (Sunday 26 July)

Still in the Balagne, the Calvi weekly flea market runs this Sunday 26 July, on the Route de Calenzana at the edge of town. Private and professional sellers unpack furniture, crockery and antique objects.

A fixture of local life that runs year-round, weather and tourist flow permitting. Handy for rounding off a hunting weekend on the west coast, between citadel and beaches. Pair it with Aregno for a full morning of Balagne flea markets. Practical info.

Also this weekend

Still not had your fill of hunting? The Venzolasca flea market opens Friday and Saturday at the Arena site, in the Casinca district. Still on Saturday, head to Furiani (COSEC car park, Route de la Marana), Vescovato, or the Bella-Stella flea market in Bastia. The Valle-di-Campoloro flea market runs Wednesdays and Saturdays. Moriani Plage holds its own Saturday morning, on the Costa Verde.

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 a busy picture for late July.

Weekend tip: Aullène's fair comes round once a year, unlike the Sunday flea markets that return every single week. To find all the sales near you, check our flea markets agenda for this weekend. Happy hunting!