Plage de Roccapina, Sandy beach in Sartène, France

Roccapina beach is a narrow crescent of pale sand on the Sartène coast of Corsica, bordered inland by low scrub and a dark green hillside. The water shifts from light turquoise near the shore to deeper blue further out. No structures or signs stand on the sand.

A Genoese tower overlooks the beach and once served as a defense point against sea attacks during 16th-century Mediterranean conflicts. This fortification was part of a larger network protecting the Corsican coast from pirate raids and foreign fleets.

The beach lies in the commune of Sartène on Corsica's southern west coast, about 1,000 km from Paris. Its name is shared with the Roccapina site, where a Genoese tower stands on the headland above the sand. Bathers reach the cove by the unpaved track off the N196, and the shallow turquoise water near the shore deepens to blue further out.

You reach the beach by driving on a dirt road from the N196 highway near Auberge Coralli, with parking areas at both ends. Go slowly on the unpaved road and be prepared for uneven ground that can get tricky during wet weather.

The beach lies at the foot of a granite massif whose most famous feature is a rock resembling a crouching lion, the Lion of Roccapina. The site is a protected natural area, and the beach is reached by an unpaved track from the N196 near the Auberge Coralli.