Planning a visit to Corsica

I've only spent a few days on Corsica and didn't really get past the northern point, Cap Corse, north of Bastia. Beautiful, as probably the whole island is. My tip is that driving may be slower than you anticipate. I've driven a fair number of twisty roads but this is the only place where I recall feeling car-sick when I was actually the driver.

I'm interested in the topic. I exect to sail to Corsica, probably from Marseille, in May. It will be my first visit. I hope you get some good answers.

Haven't been there but you might enjoy a novel by Daniel Silva called The English Girl - it take place on Corsica and offers a lot of local color. The main character is an art historian and it's a fun read.

Corsica is rugged and mountainous so be prepared for strenuous driving. Your son may be interested/amused by the very definite Corsican accent, academic French strained through informal Italian.

Naturally, you'll be visiting Ajaccio, right?

Last September I visited Sardinia and took the ferry to Corsica for four wonderful days. Yes, the island is rugged and driving can be a chore. But it's worthwhile. Landing in Bonifacio, I immediately headed north up the east side of the island. Stopping at the marina in Porto Vecchio, I then discovered a great market day in town. From there, I headed to Cortes in the center of the island where you can visit the Musee de la Corse. From there, I drove to Bastia for a two night stay. Driving from the ferry port to Cortes and Bastia was an easy drive. The center and west side of Corsica is more mountainous and the drive is hilly with many sharp turns - slow going.

I stayed at the Best Western Bastia Center which was sort of on the outskirts but it was adequate and provided on site parking for a fee. The quayside around Place St Nicolas is loaded with restaurants and is a nice lively area. If you want moules and frites, try the Cafe Albert 1er facing the park and the waterfront. I had another great dinner at La Medina, a Moroccan restaurant , on the Avenue Emile Zari. Then take the day trip around Cap Corse for its remarkable scenery. If you dare, visit the most northern seaside town of Barcaggio. But be aware that it is accessible on route D253 which is a twisty, winding two way road that is just over one lane wide. FUN! And then drive to Moulin Mattei on the way to the west coast to go south. Along the way, you'll pass quite a few vineyards where you can taste some excellent Corsican wines. Midway down the coast I stopped at the tiny village of Marine d'Albo for pizza and beer at the Bar de la Marine. Then it was south on D80 to the D81 which took me through Patrimonio and Barbaggio and back to Bastia. Whew!

The next morning I set out for Porto going through Evisa and detouring through the quaint village to Ota (more narrow winding roads) on the way. I stayed at the Logis Hotel La Lonca which was well located and provided free parking. There's a great watchtower to visit in Porto but the real attraction is the fact it's a beautiful marine sanctuary with all types of water related activities as well as hiking and rock climbing. If you want a quick bite, try La Cigale opposite the two supermarkets on D81. Try the "Chaud Big" which is actually a pretty good burger. The center of town of Porto is a tourist Mecca, something I try to avoid. Lots of restaurants, hordes of visitors. For dinner, I dined at Le Moulin which serves delicious, authentic Corsican foods and wines.

Next day, it was back to spend the night at my starting point in Bonafacio. Traveling south on the D81 you'll be able to see the calanques near Piana (or see them by boat from Porto) on your way to Ajaccio, the capital city. Beautiful port area, Bonaparte's birthplace and on the day I was there a phenomenal market on the Place Foch. Had a delicious Pannini L'Infernu sitting outside at A Cassetta on Territoriale 20 at the intersection with Avenue Eugene Macchini bordering Place de Gaulle. Light lunch, great people watching. Unfortunately the Cathedral was closed for renovations when I was there.

Next stop Bonafacio. What a beautiful little town built around the port. I stayed at the funky Hotel Residence du Centre Nautique. I was in a two story suite with two beds and baths upstairs and a sitting room down. One thing to note it was not air conditioned. Parking in their private lot next door was included in the room rate. I enjoyed Bonafacio more than any other place I visited in Corsica. Take a boat ride to see the chalk white cliffs, calanques and the cave accessible only from the sea. Great old town for walking and gawking. Huge citadel guarding the harbor. The south side of the marina has a ton of restaurants with great fresh seafood. Quaint to the point you feel it might have been designed by Disney's Imagineers! ENJOY CORSICA!

Corsica is a wonderful island . We stayed in Calvi twice, then up in the mountains jusy outside Calvi . We then drove down to Propriano for a week with no dramas. Roads twisty but in much better condition than UK backroads . Bastia OK but streets covered in dog mess. I would give it a miss . Some lovely white sand pine backed beaches to be found and mountain walks with sparkling streams amid pine and chestnut just lovely. I would say in general the east coast is the least scenic but I'm sure someone will differ .