Corsica holidays

Things to do

Explore your destination

Here’s a little taster of what’s on offer in Corsica. And if you’re still scratching your head for ideas, have a quick chat with your Holiday Advisor for some more suggestions.

Corte
Right in the middle of the island, Corte’s an elegant town that had a short spell as capital in the 18th century. Nowadays, it’s a university town with plenty of culture thrown in for good measure. This includes the ancient citadel, the Genoese National Palace and the Corsican Museum.

Bonafacio
Bonafacio’s dramatic cliff-side setting gives it some of the best views in the Med. What’s more, there’s the fortified Old Town – a lovely mix of ancient houses, steep alleyways, churches and medieval battlements, all topped off with the impressive 9th-century citadel.

Aleria
You know we told you Corsica’s very diverse? Well there’s more proof on the east coast, where you’ll find the remains of the Roman city of Aleria. Originally founded by the Greeks in the 6th century BC, you’re free to explore the amazing ruined temples and old bath houses.

Filitosa
There’s lots of prehistoric stuff on Corsica. And one of the best examples is at Filitosa, in the south. Here, you’ll find a fantastic collection of ancient megaliths and menhirs, set among acres of olive trees. It was only discovered in 1946, but includes sculptures going back some 4,000 years.

Ajaccio
It’s not crammed with fascinating things, but as it’s the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, we reckon it’s worth a visit to soak up the authentic Corsican vibe. Plus, you can mosey through the large street market and citadel, before nosing round the house where Bonaparte was born.

Highlights

Aiguilles de Bavella
Aiguilles de Bavella’s alias should give you a few clues on what to expect – the Bavella Needles are a couple of huge, sharp rock points soaring over 1,600 metres into the sky. Backed by Monte Incudine, the two peaks range in colour from ochre to golden, depending on the sun’s position.

Bonfacio Citadel
Bonafacio’s cliff-top citadel – often called ‘Haute Ville’ – is set 70 metres above the harbour and offers amazing views over the Bonfacio Sound and all the way across to Sardinia. Behind the walls, there’s a mazy knot of alleyways with a really Medieval vibe.

Les Calanques de Piana
Towering 300 metres into the sky, above the sea below, the massive cliffs and spiky outcrops of Les Calanques de Piana are a fantastic landscape of red granite that have been moulded into all sorts of weird-and-wonderful shapes by the wind and water.

Place St Nicolas
You’ll find Place St Nicolas in Bastia. It’s a 19th-century square, lined with the usual trees and cafés, but at the southern end there’s a very strange statue of Napoleon Bonaparte depicted as a really buff Roman emperor. Small-man syndrome? Judge for yourselves.

Walking
Corsica’s also a top spot if you want to swap your flip flops for walking boots. From the wild Cap Corse Peninsula to the valleys, lakes and mountains of the interior, the island’s got enough in the way of scenery to keep you happily rambling for weeks.

National Parks and other pretty things
If you’re a nature lover, you’re going to love the beautiful surroundings of the Zonza National Park and the Alta Rocca region in the south. Look out for the huge array of wild flowers, too, including the aromatic maquis, the pink or white rockrose, the widespread tassel hyacinth and the pretty Illyrian sea lily.

Watersports
Most of the bigger resorts have lots of watersports to try. There are usual suspects, like jet-skiing and parasailing, while the constant breeze in the Straits of Bonafacio means the conditions are really good for windsurfing.

Food and drink

Take classic French cooking. Season it with a good helping of Italian. Mix together. And voilà, you’ve got your Corsican cuisine. Generally speaking, local dishes are made up of lovely meat, poultry and game, as well as fresh, seasonal products and lots of herbs and spices. As for what to look out for, keep ‘em peeled for ‘tianu’ – a rich game stew cooked really slowly – ‘cingale’ – that’s wild boar marinated in red wine and brandy, and infused with herbs and fennel – and ‘agnellu’ – barbecued lamb with fried peppers.

Evening Flavour

We should probably make one thing clear from the off, if you’re after a hefty nightlife, Corsica won’t be the spot for you. But that’s not to say there’s nothing on offer. It’s just not Ibiza. Instead, it’s more of a French Riviera-style chic, particularly around the capital, Ajaccio, and bigger resorts like Porto Vecchio. Here, you’ve got a decent selection of restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as a casino in the former. To be honest, though, a lot of the after-dark scenes are pretty low key on the whole. Most people tend to go for a nice dinner with a bottle of plonk, followed by a leisurely walk – partner in one hand, belt-bustingly large ice-cream in the other.

Shopping

If you’re someone who likes to occasionally give the credit card a good thrashing, you’re going to want to make a trip into Ajaccio, where you’ll find a range of big stores, as well as small, family-run places. Elsewhere, a lot of the other big resorts also have decent shopping, where you can pick up souvenirs including handmade baskets, pottery, jewellery, perfumes and local things like honey, olive oil, biscuits and cheese. You should also do your best to check out one of Corsica’s colourful street markets. Most of the main towns have them, but the best one’s at Ajaccio, held every day on Place César-Caminchi, with stalls selling everything from cut flowers to fig jam.

Dates for the Diary

There are loads of traditional festivals celebrated in the towns and villages around Corsica, including Bastille Day on 14th July and the Assumption on 15th August, both of which involve letting off tonnes of fireworks, among other activities. The island’s biggest international event, though, is the Calvi Jazz Festival, which takes place in June every year. The festival is made up of more than 60 concerts over a one week period, featuring artists from all round the world.

For the Family

• Flying from the UK to Corsica takes less than two hours, so your little ones won’t have the chance to get too restless on the flight over.
  
• Gently-shelving beaches, along with calm, clear waters make Corsica the perfect beach destination for kids.
  
• Head into the mountains and you’re likely to see wild cows, sheep goats and even wild boar. Kids will love it.
  
• If you’ve got teens in tow, there’s the interesting history in towns like Corte and Bonafacio, while Calvi is a trendy spot known as a destination of choice for celebs.