Bargain-Hunting Weekend in Corsica, June 20-21: South to Balagne

Summer is settling in, and with it the island's peak bargain-hunting season. This Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June, Corsica brings out its tables between sea and maquis, from the Gulf of Ajaccio to the Extreme South, across the eastern plain and over to the Balagne. Our hunter's tip stays the same: early Saturday morning for the big professional fairs, and Sunday for the more laid-back seaside flea markets. Here are the real stops worth the detour this weekend.

Grande Brocante Vide-Greniers, Sarrola-Carcopino (Saturday, near Ajaccio)

Saturday's heavyweight. A quarter of an hour from Ajaccio, the former ASPTT stadium in Sarrola-Carcopino hosts around fifty stallholders every Saturday from April to October, 8am to 6pm. You'll find a bit of everything: antiques, furniture, mismatched crockery, clothes and assorted 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 on site: easy to spend the whole morning here. Run by SAS Piétri. See the full listing.

Boulevard Pascal Rossini Flea Market, Ajaccio (Sunday)

The Sunday ritual for Ajaccio's bargain-hunters. Every Sunday morning, about thirty stallholders line the pavement along Boulevard Pascal Rossini, opposite the high school and the municipal pool. Antiques, knick-knacks, furniture and second-hand goods spread out in a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere, perfect for a stroll-and-browse around town before the midday heat. A handy urban market if you're staying in Ajaccio and want to hunt without taking the car. All the details here.

Corse Parkinson Car-Boot Sale, Porto-Vecchio (Saturday charity event)

Off to the Extreme South. Every Saturday, the Corse Parkinson association runs its car-boot sale 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 in an entirely charitable spirit. Registration is by phone on Wednesdays and Thursdays between noon and 2pm, but entry is free for visitors. A good reason to hunt for a cause, a stone's throw from the southern beaches. Check the listing.

Weekly Car-Boot Sale, Porto-Vecchio (Sunday)

On Sundays, Porto-Vecchio takes over on Avenue de Bastia, from 8am to 2pm. Run in aid of rotating associations — SOS Décharge, Global Earth Keeper, Corse Parkinson and Chats de Solfa — this charitable sale brings together locals and holidaymakers around a friendly second-hand market in the heart of the Extreme South's capital. Free entry. Handy for extending a hunting weekend in the south before heading to the beach, in a relaxed summer mood. See the event.

Moriani-Plage Antiques Fair, San-Nicolao (Saturday, Costa Verde)

Head to the Costa Verde for proper antiques. Every Saturday, the seaside hamlet of Moriani-Plage, in the San-Nicolao district, gathers some forty professional dealers. This is antiques, old objects and collectibles rather than a family car-boot sale: a playground for anyone after furniture or fine crockery. The backdrop, between sea and mountains, only adds to the appeal. Pair it with a morning at the beach on the eastern coast. See the event.

Sunday Flea Market, Place Saint-Nicolas, Bastia (Sunday)

One of the island's finest hunting grounds. Every Sunday from 7am to 1pm, the vast Place Saint-Nicolas, facing the sea in the heart of Bastia, hosts around thirty stallholders mixing professionals and private sellers. Antique furniture, collectibles, postcards, books and knick-knacks spread out under the plane trees of the old town. This is the Sunday flea market par excellence: 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 Cap Corse capital. Details and times.

Bella-Stella Car-Boot Sale, Bastia (Saturday, Lupino district)

For early risers, here's the neighbourhood sale. Every Saturday from 6am to 1pm, the Bella-Stella association runs its car-boot flea market on the square by the church of Notre-Dame des Victoires, in the Lupino district of Bastia. Private and professional sellers offer clothes, crockery and assorted goods, pitches at 10 €. Friendly, authentic atmosphere, far from the tourist trails: this is where locals come to rummage before the sun gets too hot. Learn more.

Aregno Flea Market (Sunday, Balagne)

The Balagne gem. Every Sunday morning, the Aregno flea market sets up facing the Algajola beach, in 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. The kind of spot where you browse almost with your feet in the sand. Best in the morning before a swim. See the listing.

Weekly Flea Market, Calvi (Sunday, Balagne)

Still in the Balagne, the Calvi flea market takes place every Sunday morning 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. Handy for rounding off a hunting weekend on the west coast, between the citadel and the beaches. Combine it with Aregno for a morning of pure Balagne flea-market action. Practical info.

Weekly Car-Boot Sale, Borgo (Sunday, eastern plain)

South of Bastia, Borgo runs one of the busiest car-boot sales on the plain. Every Sunday from 6am to noon, the Route de la Gare welcomes up to fifty sellers. Clothes, crockery, furniture, toys and assorted objects: the classic car-boot formula, dense and varied, with free entry for visitors. It's the morning bargain hotspot for residents of greater Bastia. Best to arrive early to get the pick of the lot. Check the notice.

Ghjuventù Cerviuninca Car-Boot Sale, Cervione (Sunday, Costa Verde)

We finish with a seaside gem. Every Sunday, the youth association Ghjuventù Cerviuninca brings life to the Prunete seafront, a coastal hamlet of Cervione, on the 4 Chemins car park. A friendly, human-scale second-hand market run by local volunteers, it's the perfect spot to browse at ease while watching the sea, between two stalls of everyday objects. Village and coast spirit rolled into one. See the full listing.

Also this weekend

Regulars of the eastern plain will find the Saturday weekly markets at Furiani (COSEC car park, Route de la Marana), Vescovato and San-Nicolao, plus the Folelli wardrobe-clear-out sale, held on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month — so this 20 June. On the Sunday side, the Élan du Cœur sale in Folelli and the Saint-Pancrace fair in Castellare-di-Casinca round out the picture. In Ajaccio, the Place César Campichi flea market is open both Saturday and Sunday. More on the Folelli sale.

Weekend tip: get up early, bring cash and a sturdy bag. To find all the sales near you and plan your next outings, take a look at our flea markets agenda for this weekend. Happy hunting!