Years ago, my boss suggested that staying in Paris longer than the assignment required might be career-limiting. Of course I found this quite disappointing as I had a strong desire to explore Corsica and felt a holiday was well deserved. The French, for good reason, call Corsica “the island of beautye” or Isle of Beauty. The island is breathtaking at every turn with sandy beaches, limestone cliffs, granite mountain peaks and lush agricultural areas. Corsica offers something for everyone, from “beach lizard” to the “adventure runner” and all the people in between.
There are two ferry companies that offer crossings to the island, SNCM and Corsica Ferries. We booked with Corsica Ferries from Nice to Bastia. Our trip fell between two religious holidays, The Assumption of Mary and Locked, which required booking accommodation in advance and, in our case, dictated a clockwise circuit of the island. Bastia is a port city, located in the extreme north of the island. It is worth visiting the historic old port, the citadel and the current Plaza de San Nicolás. Bastia is a working city, which does not radiate natural or architectural beauty.
However, Bastia is the “gateway” city to Cap Corse, the wild and still relatively sparsely populated area at the tip of the island. There is a coastal road at Cap Corse, which allows the traveler to see most of the rugged coastline. There are towns perched on the hills above the coast; some of these villages are worth driving to for some splendid views. In our case, it took us all day to drive 100 km, in a place that combines the beauty of Cape Breton (Nova Scotia) and Big Sur (California) on tiny roads with no shoulders and crazy drivers. The tourist office in Bastia is located on Place Saint Nicholas, they are friendly and have some colorful brochures available for visitors. However, they offer limited information on Cap Corse. The Cap Corse information office is located just on the edge of Bastia in Port de Toga. This tiny, poorly marked office is part of The Community of Municipalities of Cap Corse. They were helpful despite the seemingly inefficient system.
After two nights in Bastia, the next overnight stop was Corte, located in the mountains. The permanent population of Corte is barely 7,000, the numbers increase during the tourist season, from April to November. Corte was once the capital of the island for a brief period from 1755 to 1769. Unfortunately it is not particularly beautiful either, although it is worth walking up to the citadel and taking some photos from the viewpoint. The charm is found outside of Corte, in the hills and gorges that surround the town that forms the Natural Park of Corsica. There are numerous hiking options from this starting point. We weren’t lucky enough to land in favorable hiking weather, however please understand that there is something available for all levels, from the G20 for strong and fit people, to shorter hikes like the restonic gorge.
On the coast of Corte is Porto Vecchio, famous for its marina and nearby beach areas. Porto Vecchio was built on a hill above swampy swamps, a defensive tactic against pirates and malaria, which breeds in the swamps. The salt trade developed after World War II, eventually turning the salt marshes to productive and economic use. Today, Port Vecchio is actually two parts of the old upper town on the hill, and the modern port below. The city and the surroundings seemed a disappointment to us. The old town is small and full of restaurants and tourist shops. The port is nothing special.
So where is the beauty? I was sure he was beginning to wonder!
Just south of Porto Vecchio, everything begins to clear up. There are small bays and natural harbors; the water is aquamarine in color and is usually easily accessible by car or on foot. The town of Bonifaccio, located on the southern tip of the island, is a true gem. The old town is built within walls, on top of limestone cliffs about 60 meters high. The setting of the city, the sheltered marina and the impressive cliffs (cliffs) make Bonifaccio a real pleasure. Bonifaccio has a small market on Tuesday mornings in the summer. The tourist office is located in the center; helpful staff, and they’ve made a decent audio guide available for a self-guided walking tour.
The coast from Bonifaccio to Ajaccio is beautiful, that is until you reach the capital and its traffic. At first glance, Ajaccio is not a pretty city. The capital is large by island standards with a population of just over 63,000. The city is badly planned as the traffic is terribly congested. The true beauty of Ajaccio is found once you settle into your hotel and head out for a walk. The promenade is pretty with an attractive promenade area. In my opinion, the real treasure is in the few well-preserved or renovated Genoese buildings in the old town and in the Foreigner’s Quarter. In the “Imperial City” of Ajaccio, the Fesch Palace (named after Napoleon’s uncle) is an impressive building both inside and out. This building houses an important art collection. They don’t offer audio guides though, so the endless stream of heavy religious art was lost on this traveler.
At this point in the trip I was convinced that we had saved the best for last, and we were not disappointed. The coastal path from Ajaccio to Calvi is absolutely stunning. However, be prepared for a long and slow drive as the road is small, full of curves and plenty of photo opportunities. You can’t miss them streams (cliffs and rock formations) by Piana and the Gulf of Girolata.
Our last two nights were spent in the seaside town of Calvi. This attractive town has embraced tourism and still managed to maintain its charm. The old town and citadel are situated on top of a cliff, overlooking the marina, surrounding the old and the new are small pedestrian streets lined with restaurants and shops. The tourist office is in the marina, although it is useful, be sure to check opening hours. In our case, we couldn’t get the audio guide for the walking tour because they were closing in the afternoon! It is worth the walk or drive to the high viewpoint of Notre Dame de la Serra. We spent a glorious afternoon riding the trails of the peninsula through La Revellata, just wonderful. Whether through careful planning or just luck, the result is that Calvi is an exceptionally pleasant place to spend a few days.
After 10 days this couple returned to Bastia in time for our ship back to France. We had gone all the way around the island, putting over 1,200 kilometers on the odometer, and are already planning our return trip to “Island of Beauty”my”!!