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.

www.le-gr20.com/gb/

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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/

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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

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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!

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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

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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.

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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)

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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.

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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

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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.

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