Bastia rewards a slower pace than most ferry-port cities. The Vieux Port and its neighbourhood of Terra Vecchia are the obvious starting point — lanes climbing from the harbour, baroque churches in unexpected corners, and the smell of coffee drifting from the quayside cafes. From the Vieux Port it's a short walk south to the Citadelle, the Genoese-built upper quarter with the Musée de Bastia inside the Palais des Gouverneurs and the best views in town from its ramparts.
The churches deserve some time: the twin-towered Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste on the harbour is the largest in Corsica; the Église Sainte-Croix holds the venerated Cristo Nero; and the Bastia Cathedral contains the magnificent processional silver statue of the Assumption. For something stranger, climb to the Chapelle Notre-Dame de Monserato with its rare Scala Santa. The Place Saint-Nicolas is where everyone gathers in the evening — wide, shaded, and open to the sea.
For a day trip, the road around Cap Corse is one of the most scenic drives in France.