In 2017, the town had 2,342 inhabitants. A former village of shepherds, it is located at 275 m above the sea level, at the foot of the  massif Monte Grosso and at the end of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica.

Known for its vineyards and its cheese, the so-called "Calinzana", this village offers a variety of sports activities such as climbing, paragliding, and especially hiking. A large number of hikers come to Calenzana, which is one of the starting points for the famous GR20 trail, but also for the Mare e Monti trail and the transhumance trail , which allows hikers to discover a thousand-year-old path leading from the plain to the mountain.

Calenzana is a large village full of small shops, a municipal campsite, and a service station.