Ajaccio itself has a reasonable city beach at the northern end of the bay, but the better swimming is a short drive away. The Gulf of Ajaccio's southern shore holds several sandy coves, most of them accessible only by car or scooter.
The Plage du Ricanto sits closest to the airport — convenient if you want a swim before or after a flight, though the setting is functional rather than scenic. Plage de Barbicaja, a few kilometres west on the Route des Sanguinaires, is a small shingle-and-sand beach popular with locals and calmer than the city beach. Further along the same road, Plage de Minetto and the beaches around Capo di Feno offer cleaner water and more seclusion as you approach the Îles Sanguinaires headland.
For the best beaches in the region, head south towards the Gulf of Valinco: Porticcio (about 20 km) and Propriano (60 km) have long sandy strands with facilities.