- Corsica
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France
La Balagne, in northern Corsica, is criss-crossed with walking paths, ranging from the sedate to those requiring crampons.The mountains and valleys are wild, unspoilt and crowd-free; scattered with fig, olive and chestnut trees, and fragrant maquis. From timeless mountain villages such as Ville de Paraso and Speloncato, there are stunning views across the Regino valley towards the distant coast, and as the light changes in the afternoon, the jutting ridges of granite glow pink. Late spring and early summer are the best time for walking; July and August are usually too hot.
The 24km coastline between Calvi and Ile-Rousse is full of wonders. It boasts stunning views of fine sandy beaches and turquoise blue sea on one side and of small villages nesting in the mountains on the other side.
Try the Corsican specialities served in most restaurants and enjoy the delicious ice cream while watching Corsican men play the “petanque” (Paoli Square, Ile-Rousse). Visit the Citadel (Calvi), cycle up the nearby mountains or simply relax on the heavenly Bodri beach. Sea, sun and fun guaranteed.
www.visit-corsica.com/en
Flights to Bastia & Calvi
Daily ferries from Marseille, Nice & Toulon
Google map: bit.ly/IX0Y9D
While Corsica may not get quite the same freezing temperatures as the rest of France, on the Plateau d'Ese, near the village of Bastelica, one can spend a great time skiing and snowboarding. Altitude tops 2,400m, there are only four ski lifts, but it's a great place to escape for the weekend. There's a small restaurant and equipment rental is also available. For those of you lucky enough to visit Corsica in winter (best seasonal food, fabulous hikes, hunting, friendly locals...), it makes a fun day out. For the locals, it's heaven to be able to escape to the slopes at the weekend. For cross-country skiing, one can also try "plateau du coscione" and "col de Vergio". It is quite rare that Corsica does not get any snow, and the best chances are in February and March.
More information: corsicaexperience.com/experiences/sports/
Google map: bit.ly/xSj45O
Widely considered the toughest trek in Europe the GR20 follows the spine of the Corsican mountains from the north west to south east of the island. The trek, mountains and views are spectacular. The hut infrastructure is good and the people are very friendly.
Some people go out and do as much as they can of the route in a week. It can be completed in less than 2 weeks but give yourself 1 week more and you can take the 'alpine variations' and a few side trips. Treat yourself to some time in Corsica at the end of trek to enjoy beaches, good food and powerful cheese.
Although Corsica has now got as popular for its inland activity as it is for its white sand beaches, there is still a very large part of the island's inner beauty that remains pretty much untouched.
Corsica's trekking has got popular through the world-renowned "GR20", a trail that crosses the island from north west to south east. However, it now gets extremely busy from June to September while a lot of other areas with fabulous settings for walks and more serious trekking remain totally unexplored.
The trails of the Taravo valley are among those. For those who will dare asking a local shepherd in the many small villages that populate the valley, lots of them will be happy to take you with them on the regular hike they take up the mountain to feed their cattle. You will follow the old donkey trails leading from one village to another, pick up thyme, rosemary or the corsican Nepita on the way... and enjoy scenic views and the mountain all for yourself.
Popular villages: Petreto Bicchisano, Forciolo, Moca Croce, Sollacaro
Or visit: www.corsicaexperience.com/places/regions-of-corsica/ajaccio-prunelli-and-taravo/
This is an amazing collection of carved standing stones, also known as 'Menhirs', which date to around 1500 B.C. These stones are highly unusual and very different to what we usually think of as standing stones, as many of them are carved with human faces and anatomical details. They really make you contemplate the nature of civillisation more than 3000 years ago!
www.filitosa.fr/en/index.html
Station Préhistorique de Filitosa,
20140 Petreto-Bicchisano, Corse-du-Sud, France
+334 95 74 00 91
Google map: bit.ly/seJ1pU
Corsican wine is rarely encountered outside of Corsica, and when you do it's prohibitively expensive. The Corsicans are an insular lot, and tend to only make enough wine to serve local needs - a little is exported to France and an even smaller amount worldwide. Yet Corsica has the most incredible climate, perfect for wine production. So in itself, the opportunity to sample some of the products of the many small domains is interesting.
Add to this the dramatic Corsican landscape, a temperature which rarely dips below 25 degrees before the winter properly kicks in and the miles of unspoiled beaches where your only companions are a few wandering cows (nice brown and white ones with horns, not fellow tourists) and you've got a very pleasant adventure indeed.
Camping makes the whole thing affordable. Many camp sites have their own beaches for a quick dip before bed. They are littered along the main road that winds its way around Cap Corse and few cost more than 15 euro for the night for a couple with a tent.
There are signs along the roads advertising the different domains - the only choice you face is which one you fancy stopping off at and how much to buy (most don't take cards so you'll need to load up on cash). Each is very different, ranging from the very commercial to the ones where you ring a little bell and someone eventually saunters out and offers you some homegrown olives to go with your taster. An incredible range of wines is produced and every single place will have some unusual speciality to share with you alongside their big earners.
It's all so wonderfully relaxed: plenty of swimming in the remarkably clear sea, a little sunbathing perhaps, lunch from the excellent local market and an afternoon meandering between the domains discovering all of the wonderful wines that the Corsicans are smart enough to keep to themselves. It also makes great economic sense - even buying the wines in a Corsican supermarket will cost you upwards of 40% more than buying direct. Buying them outside Corsica becomes astronomical. At the domains you can expect to pay between 5 and 15 euro a bottle and end up with something really very special to take home with you.
Fly into Bastia (Easyjet flies on a Sunday), hire a car and set off North!
Lovely restaurant in the Citadelle/Terra Nova with fantastic views of the old port and boat activity. We could see Elba on a clear day. Food excellent, lunchtime 18 euro menu was very good value and interesting cooking.
6 Rue Ste Croix just below the Governor's Palace
Bastia Vieux Port and Citadelle (Terra Nova) are very attractive places to wander. You get very good views from the Citadelle, particularly from the Bar de la Citadelle. There's a 'petit train' which takes you around (and up the hill to the Citadelle which is good when it's hot) for six Euros and runs every hour from near the ferry port. If you understand French the tour is good.
Beach bar and restaurant. It's the best place to eat around the village. There is the wide variety of stuff you'd expect in a beach bar; pizza, salads, sandwiches, etc but also much more sophisticated and imaginative dishes, including lovely desserts which were hard to come by in this neck of the woods. It's also the best place to sit and watch the sun go down.
Half way down Aregno Plage, short walk from Algajola Village (dark on the way back at night but OK)
I few hours hike up the stunning Gorges de Tavignano from Corte will bring you to this remote refuge at 1166m altitude, where there are dorms or shady camping spots by the river.
The refuge has basic catering facilities, and most importantly, a stock of cold Corsica Cola or Pietra beer after a hot morning's hike. A very peaceful site with little to disturb you except the occasional clanging of a cowbell or the yapping of the refuge's resident puppies.
It's a perfect spot to chill out for the day, lazing on riverside rocks and taking a dip in the mountain stream, before continuing towards the Lac de Nino and onto the GR20, or back towards Corte down a parallel valley.
Gorgeous.
Trains stop at the railway station in Corte. Pick up the trail behind the citadel, at the bottom of rue col-Feracci. Follow the orange paint flashes marking the long distance Mare a Mare Nord footpath.
The Fango River runs west out of Corsica's awesome granite mountains, and by late summer doesn't quite reach the sea. A series of "piscines naturelles" are formed as the river creeks in the dry months. Some are deep enough for diving off the sides of the little gorge carved in less tranquil seasons. By the medieval Ponte Vecchiu bridge, the pools are longest and deepest. Here the river is almost at sea level and the water is no colder than the sea, but without the heavy saltiness of the Med. The mountain setting, but with water that doesn't freeze your bones, makes this a classic swim.
Near Galeria, Filosorma, Corsica.
tinyurl.com/o3wale
Wild river swimming - excellent fast flowing river in beautiful valley, with deep pools and stony beaches at the side.
www.corsica.co.uk/Docs/About-Corsica/Central-Corsica/Things-To-See-And-Do.aspx
Nearest village is a steep 2 hour walk away - Olmi Cappella, but you can drive down a windy road to the Tartagine valley floor.
There is comparatively little written about the east of the Island in the guide books which is a shame as Aleria is a bit of a find for foodies: L'Etang de Diana is France's foremost spot for the farming of oysters and mussels (they say) and the region is carpeted with vineyards. Our favourite restaurant was Le Maracana on the town's main street. Don't be put off by the roadside setting and plastic chairs... A 13 euro menu featured hearty local vegetable soup, succulent pork fillet served with figs and brocciu cheese and mint-stuffed omelette plus a choice of fresh desserts and a carafe of house wine. Simple, yet stunning.
Route de la Mer, 20270 Aleria
Tel: 04 95 56 24 84
This very friendly family hotel has superb views across the valley of the town of Sartene, snow-capped peaks beyond, as well as the bay at Propriano eight kilometres up the road. Comes with swimmming pool and tennis court. Fifteen minute walk from town. Very affordable.
A hotel which has a lovely ambience and is extremely good value for money. We have been to Calvi on and off for about 10 years and stayed there whenever there were vacancies. You breakfast on a patio with views of the magnificent nearby mountains, citadelle and harbour (only slightly impeded now by a DIY emporium across the road). As far as we know, the same management and staff team is still there as was when we first went - not effusive with welcome but very efficient, typical of France in our experience - (although Corsicans like to think of themselves as a race apart, to us they seem as French as Parisiens!).
Route de Pietramaggiore
Calvi 20260
About 1 km, (easy walk), from where the ferry boats dock, a bit nearer the town centre.
This was where the film The Longest Day was shot. It's the best beach on the island, a gently curving kilometre of white sand and turquoise sea backed by the wild Désert des Agriates.
It's inaccessible by road; take a boat from St Florent to the Plage de Loto, then it's an hour's walk from there, but worth the effort.
In the Golfe de Porto near the amazing Calanches rock formations - wide, open, golden sandy beach, with beautiful views over the mountains. Like most beaches in Corsica, you'll have it almost entirely to yourself if you go out of peak season.
A stunning white sandy beach with clear water in the Désert des Agriates, 15km from St Florent at the bottom of the Cap Corse peninsula.
It's only accessible by foot, 4WD or boat from St Florent. You can walk it in about four hours but make sure you take food and drink as you're a long way from the nearest shop!
You can walk onto Plage du Loto as well, which is equally as spectacular.
If you're in Calvi or Ile Rousse on the west coast you can't miss the rickety old train running between the two towns.
You don't see trains like this very often anymore. Noisy as hell, sweltering hot in the summer but the views are stunning as you rattle along the coast with all doors and windows open.
It's basically a Beach Transporter. Helping you get out of the two towns to find lesser populated beaches along the coast.
8 euros for the return trip. Cheaper if you hop off at a beach. Pay at the station or on the train. Calvi to Ile Rousse takes about 45 minutes.
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