Wild and Authentic Corsica

Capital of the Cote d’Azur, Nice is surrounded by an amphitheater of hills and mountains that protects it from the wind. You will probably want to explore the Promenade des Anglais, where you can sit on one of the famous blue chairs laid out opposite the baie des Anges. The Château hill is also a very pleasant place to walk. This is the entrance to the old city, with its bustling markets and regional products along the main street, the Cours Saleya.

In the hollow of one of the most beautiful gulfs of the Mediterranean to which it owes its name, Saint-Florent is an ancient Genoese city whose citadel dominates the bay with its circular architecture. A link between the mountains of Upper Corsica and the Agriates desert, the fishing village has become a renowned seaside resort. In front of this jewel nestled in the hollow of a wild and isolated region, sublime beaches of the fine sand border a sea of infinite turquoise shades. At the western tip of the gulf, the Tower of Mortella, built in the 16th century under the Republic of Genoa to prevent invaders, stands to watch. Like most of the towers that dot the Corsican coast, it is an emblematic and familiar symbol of the island.

The spectacular town of Bonifacio located on the very tip of southern Corsica, clings to a narrow promontory of white rock overhanging the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. You can admire its limestone cliffs hewn out by the wind, before setting off on a cultural tour of its cultural treasures. From the little paved streets in the ancient Haute Ville to the promenade on the open-air medieval chemin de ronde, this stunning town will take you on a journey back in time. Frequented or secluded, there are numerous beaches to choose from, all in keeping with the high standards of the “Île de Beauté”.

Sitting in the curve of a very popular gulfin the south-west of Corsica, Porto Vecchio is a small city where the air is salty and infused with woody notes. The upper town stands within the walls of a 16th century Genoese citadel, a symbol of the resistance to the barbarian invasions and to malaria.
From marshland to salt pans, the city, which has been rebuilt many times, became the “city of salt”. Under the Mediterranean sun, the idyllic beaches nearby reveal their finery: Palombaggia, a glistening bay lined with immaculate white sand, or lagoon-coloured Santa Giulia, surrounded by pine trees. The magnificent Ospedale mountain offers breathtaking views of the bay and a refreshing pause.

Located in the south-west of Corsica the wild rocky Roccapina headlands covered in pine forest are a conservation area. The headlands embrace two bays of turquoise blue water and powder-soft sandy beaches. You may not see many people but traces of the region’s Genovese past are visible, including a 17th-century tower. However, the main attraction is provided by Nature in the form of dramatic rocky peaks sculpted by the wind into the shape of animals and humans. On the top of a rocky outcrop one of the most famous formations strongly resembles a lion lying down, its head up surveying the coast.

In southern Corsica, the small port of Propriano amazes with its rich history and surprises with its incredible beauty. Here, the coastline edging the scrubland, with its distinctly Mediterranean scents, alternates between long sandy beaches and breathtaking coves. At the heart of this wild environment, the coastal town exudes its unique atmosphere. Established in the late 2nd century B.C., the town developed thanks to Etruscan, Greek, and later Carthaginian traders. From the port, the panorama of the Gulf of Valinco is mesmerizing, as the sea spray mingles with the beautiful southern light.

Made up of the pointe de la Parata and the Sanguinaires Islands theSanguinaires archipelago was named Grand Site de France in 2017. At this exceptional site made up of four rocky volcanic islands, Mezu Mare is the largest. A semaphore built on the site of a former Genoese tower and the ruins of a 14th-century lazaretto, a quarantine station at the time of the plague, is testimony to a rich heritage. The island is also home to many colonies of marine birds including the Yellow-legged gull or the European shag. In his Letters from my windmill, Alphonse Daudet, a regular here, described this site with feeling: “I had found a pleasant place there where I could muse in solitude.”

Birth town of Napoleon Bonaparte, Ajaccio occupies a privileged location on the Île de Beauté. Rich in history and culture, the old “imperial city” is imbibed with the memory of this son of the soil. His presence is tangible, from the citadel to the imperial chapel, without forgetting the statues of the emperor in several of the city’s squares. As you stroll through the shaded streets in the old town center, you’ll come across the central market on place Foch, where you can taste one or two local specialties, for instance, brocciu, lonzu, or the famous canistrelli.

Nestled on a rocky spur in the northwest of Corsica, the port of Calvi offers its whiteness between two sapphire-colored bays. Capital of the Balagne region, the Genoese city benefits from an exceptional natural setting between the abrupt relief of the central chain, fertile hills, and long sandy beaches. From the promontory of the Notre-Dame-de-la-Serra chapel, built in the 19th century on the ruins of a 15th-century sanctuary, you will not miss the sublime panorama of the seaside, the mountains, and the Calvi citadel. A little further west, you will have the opportunity to discover the peninsula of Revelatta, a wilder and more preserved part of Corsica.

Capital of the Cote d’Azur, Nice is surrounded by an amphitheater of hills and mountains that protects it from the wind. You will probably want to explore the Promenade des Anglais, where you can sit on one of the famous blue chairs laid out opposite the Baie des Anges. Château hill is also a very pleasant place to walk. This is the entrance to the old city, with its bustling markets and regional products along the main street, the Cours Saleya.