Founded in 1758 by the father of Corsican nationalism Pasquale Paoli, Île-Rousse bases its economic fortunes on the activities that take place within its port area. After those of Bastia and Ajaccio, the port of Upper Corsica is in fact the third on the island for passenger and freight traffic. An absolutely remarkable result if we consider the size of the port, which also boasts a significant pleasure boating activity.
Île-Rousse is a tourist resort renowned above all for its crystalline sea and its sunny beaches: among these we cannot fail to mention the plage de l'Île-Rousse (near the historic center) and the plage de la Digue. Although they are not included in the municipal area, we also point out the plage de Bodri and the plage de Ghjunchitu.
During your stay in l'Île-Rousse you cannot miss a visit to the main of the islands of the archipelago which is located north of the Municipality: the Île de la Pietra. On the Edenic islet (connected to the mainland by a road) there are two significant monuments of the city: the Tour Génoise and the Lighthouse.
The Ile-Rousse railway station is known for being the terminus of the famous tramway de la Balagne: it is a tourist line (therefore active only during the summer) which allows travelers to easily reach all the seaside resorts that located between Ile-Rousse and Calvi.