El Mediterranean coast It has many islands but only three are large and among them is Corsica, a natural paradise baptized by many as «The island of beauty». Forever united to Napoleon, the truth is that it offers landscapes, beaches, outdoor tourism opportunities, culinary delights and much more.
Would you like to travel to this mountainous island, with rugged cliffs, great beaches, lakes and nature reserves? If so, a week in Corsica It will satisfy you but, who knows, you might become a regular visitor from then on.
Corsica
As we said above it is one of the largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the third specifically behind Sicily and Sardinia. Have 183 kilometers long and 83 wide and is 2700 meters high at its highest point. It is only 180 kilometers from the famous French Riviera and is famous for its natural beauty and culture.
The island's climate is Mediterranean, with mild and rainy winters on the coasts and colder and with snow in the mountains and very dry and hot summers. It has been inhabited for many centuries, it does not lack menhirs and dolmens from megalithic civilizations, but its name has been eternally linked to that of Napoleon Bonaparte. And it is that the military and founding emperor of the French empire He was born here, in the city of Ajaccio.
Holidays in Corsica
To Corsica can be reached by plane or ferry. There are four international airports with around 20 airlines connecting it to many cities in Europe. There are also seven commercial ports with frequent services to Italy and France.
Once there it is very important to know how you are going to move. Rent a car It is, for sure, the best option to be able to access all the natural beauties of the island. You can also rent a van or motorhome but you should know that camps of this type are highly regulated and you cannot stop anywhere, only those authorized. Other options are buses, taxis and trains.
Yes, in Corsica there are trains and they are worth it because they cross beautiful landscapes, offering us unforgettable postcards, of places that we would never see if we were not on the train. On the bus side there are many companies and regular services between towns and villages running all year round. The information office at the central bus station in Ajaccio will give you useful information, then inside, you should go and ask the tourist offices.
Y what Corsica offers us? Well sites of cultural heritage, natural heritage sites, hiking, mountain climbing, various outdoor activities, nautical activities y gastronomic delights. Everything in a week? Well, we can "peck" a little and in seven days live little experiences. So let's think about what to do day by day.
If the plane leaves you in the city of Calvi and so on, in the Day 1 in Corsica, you can enjoy this very elegant city, with a medieval citadel, a beautiful port and many restaurants. It has beaches so once you get settled in the hotel or in the accommodation you have chosen you can relax a little by the sea. Calvi in one day is enough.
El Day 2 you can go to Corte, a mountainous commune that is the gateway to the Regional Natural Park of Corsica. You will see the best landscapes, iconic postcards of the island. It is in the center of the island, about 85 kilometers from Ajaccio, so you can also get there by train from this other city. Corte was the capital at one time and has an important XNUMXth century university.
El Day 3 in Corsica you can line up Ajaccio, the capital that is the Napoleon Bonaparte's city of birth. Here you can visit his birth house and the museum dedicated to his history, but there are also the beaches, including one of the most popular, Playa Cupabia. It is surrounded by mountains and it is a very sunny city.
Ajaccio has a beautiful citadel, one of the best preserved in the world, a historical case beautiful and a very colorful market. It is a dynamic city at the same time and in its surroundings you can hike, mountain bike, climb mountains or simply stroll along its nearby beaches and cliffs. Do not leave the Parata Peninsula, with the Sanguinario islands, a paradise, and the Fine Arts Museum that works in the Fesch Palace.
If you go in summer there are many concerts, the Napoleonic Days, the Chestnut Fair and Shopping Night every Friday in July and August, when the shops in the historic center open at night and there is street art, theater and more.
El Day 4 in Corsica the path will lead you to Bonifacio, a magnificent city, with a lot of history since it is one of the oldest on the island. It is on a small peninsula with cliffs, it has a old fortress and an old quarteror of cobbled streets that go up and down. It has a 100-meter fjord, with its natural harbor, and a walled citadel dating from the Genoese occupation.
You can boat trips to appreciate the cliffs appearing in Homer's Odyssey, visit the Lavezzi Islands, eat in one of the port's restaurants and cafes, visit the aquarium, drink the tourist train from the port to Casco Viejo At the top of the hill, photograph the views from there, go down and walk the city streets, explore the old churches and shops or tour the cemetery with its elaborate monuments.
Beaches? Yes, you can head north and get to the Bagia of Santa Manza, one of the many that surround the city. It is incredibly beautiful and has a very familiar beach where many water sports are practiced. Another beach is Rondinara, shaped like a horseshoe and turquoise waters. Simple but spectacular.
El Day 5 in Corsica the road continues to Porto Vecchio, on the east coast. The port is the heart of this destination and the best place to eat fish and seafood. Then you can explore the hidden shops in the inner streets, around the square, or spend some time digesting in the charming beaches of Santa Giulia or Palombaggia. If you are by car you can go to know the villages of Levie and Zonza, very close, in the mountains.
El Day 6 in Corsica you will walk on the north side and you will reach Bastia, a city founded by the Romans which today is the most important commercial port on the island. Its location is impressive, as the hills and Cape Corse are behind the city skyline. Here you must visit the citadel, the old port and the old town.
And finally we reached the last day of the tour, the Day 7 in Corsica It is the day of the beaches because the island has more and nothing less than a thousand kilometers of coastline. The Desert des Agrietes, Saleccia and Loto beaches they are the best.
As you can see in Corsica there is everything to do but if you are one of those who love to sunbathe and swim and not much else, I leave you, finally, the name of the best beaches in Corsica: San Cipriano, Baia di Stagnolu, Ile-Rousse, Algajola, Saint-Francois, Iles Sanguinaires, Santa Guilia, Palombaggia, Roccapina and Rondianra.
You can start this week-long tour in Ajaccio too, of course, but the idea is that you start where you start and don't stop visiting all these places. Enjoy the summer in corsica!