Linda -

Thought I'd start a new thread so maybe others will see this and jump in...

Well, can't say I have tons of info on Corsica, having just been there one time for a week. But as indicated, we are definately going to rectify that situation !

Last year we went to Sicily, hoping it would be a bit like Corsica. We should have just gone back to Corsica (but that's another story)...

During our week, we did a loop from Ajaccio south to Bonifacio, then up the east coast to Porto Vecchio, and then over the mountains back to Ajaccio. We just scratched the surface during the week (though admittedly, a few days were just wedding related). And obviously, we just saw the southern bit of the island.

I'm sure two weeks wouldn't be too much at all. Maybe a week based down south and a week further north ?

Weatherwise, don't think there is much difference from one side to the other. We were there in late June and the weather was magnificent. In general, it's basically not much different than Provence, but a bit warmer.

-Kevin

Corsica is a beautiful island with warm and welcoming locals some amazing beaches and a fabulous interior.

We have spent a month on the island split over 2 stays of 2 weeks each,based around Porto Vecchio but with overnight stays in delightful Calvi.
We were there in September and had fabulous weather the first time and good weather the second.
Like Kevin and Sicily we were very disappointed with Sardinia by comparison as we found it "heartless" and not just because of the overwhelming amount of abandoned dogs either!

(Corsica has some too but not in the same numbers as it's neighbour.)

Happy to help, can you link me to your original thread?
Wendy

I can't help pitching in for Corsica, although my single visit dates back a while... it's one of these places that sticks with you for a long time.

What's striking about the island (also a mountain) is how it has managed to keep its untouched wild side, as well as many of its traditions. Something like 40% of the island is protected.

What I remember are its scented brush (le maquis, same as what we have in the Var/western Cote d'Azur - some of the Var shares a common geology with Corsica), its traditional sausages and hams, its chestnut honey, its incredible hikes.

There's plenty to do to do: beach combing, snorkeling, visiting Ajaccio (Napoleon's birthplace), visiting the extreme southern tip of the island and Bonifacio, the plunging granite cliffs, the islands of Lavezzi.

If you enjoy hiking and nature, two weeks would not be too much to really discover the island.

My own dream is to trek the length of the GR20 footpath at the heart of the island (almost 200 km of mountainous terrain - considered one of the most beautiful hikes in Europe... but very demanding!).

Best,
Florence

I am so glad you guys brought up Corsica, considered the most beautiful part of France by many of my friends whose taste I trust.
However, any time a new vacation destination is proposed, my first question is always: how does one eat there?
I can't shake the life-long prejudiced belief that a culture that does not eat well is not a worthwhile one.
I have never heard of a Corsican cuisine Purr Say. Here's something I have always wanted to know about Corsica but am afraid to ask: how does one eat there?

quote:

Originally posted by wendyash:
Happy to help, can you link me to your original thread?
Wendy

The Corsica discussion started in this thread. Thanks, Kevin, for giving it a thread of its own!!

Corsican cuisine is rather obscure with chestnuts in everything unless your careful but,of course,it has plentiful supplies of fresh fish and some very good fish restaurants.
It's own vinyard in the south of the island now produces some good wines too.

Thanks for the link Chris!
Linda, The link to the accomm you are suggesting is quite close to Porto Vecchio which we know well. It's a splendid town with a busy working port and "las salinas", salt flats.

It's also close to some of the best turquoise blue waters and white sand beaches on Corsica as well as the only fast road on the island.(Pinarellu beach being one of the beaches.)

Corsica is the perfect destination for Slow Travel as it is impossible to get anywhere fast so I would recommend 2 weeks quite honestly. One in the north and one in the south or one in the south and one in the mountains.

Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.
Wendy

I also highly recommend Corsica. We spent a week in Calvi long ago. We rented an apartment outside about a mile out of town and a short walk up from the beach. It was great. We did the northern part of the island which is beautiful. I enjoyed visiting the small villages in the hills of the Balagne region. We also did a couple of day hikes. One near by onto the GR20 and the other outside of Corti which is in the middle of the island. We also drove down along the coast through the UNESCO designed area - Scandola Reserve. Gorgeous vistas and coastline.

Americana -

Corsican cuisine is quite good, though definately on the rustic side. Not too dissimaler from Provence, I guess with maybe a hint of Italy throw in. Usually anything pig oriented is a good bet. Pigs there are often kept semi-sauvage in the hills and dine all day on acorns and chestnuts. MY cousin usually brings back figatelli, which is quite amazing when cooked over an open fire. They've also brought back a few "brebis de corse" which are amazing and amazingly strong - nothing at all like the "brebis de corse" you might find at the local fromagerie. It's usually eaten with fig jam and ait's a bad idea to touch it with your hands as you may not get the smell off for a while.

Also, I'm a big fan of brocciu (like a brousse, but much better). Serve it at breakfast sometimes with a compote de poire or pomme. Really nice.

And as Wendy says, lots of fish.


Wendy - sorry to hear your comments about Sardenia. We'd been thinking about heading there, but are hesitant after being so disappointed with Sicily. Perhaps we'll just stick with Corsica when that island fever hits !!

-Kevin

I agree that Corsica is great! I was there two years ago, and I'm going back in June. Last time we went from Ajaccio to Bonifacio (southern end of the island) and then up the east coast to Porto Vecchio, etc. We didn't have time in one week to go to the Northern section of Corsica, but we will go there in June.

Southern Corsica has the most beautiful turquoise colored water I have ever seen! I recommend taking the boat ride in Bonifacio so you can truly enjoy the turquoise water and the beautiful cliffs around the city.

Corsica seems to be largely "unknown" to American tourists, which I liked! There is a slow-paced lifestyle in Corsica which I enjoyed. I have heard that Corsica is very crowded in July and August with tourists from other countries (Italy, Germany, etc), so they are probably not the best months to go there.

Kathleen

Thanks Kevin for starting this page! Corsicaa is sounding better all the time.

Just checking out the logistics of getting there and it seems to be by ferry from Nice rather than flying in from say, London or Paris.

I guess another option would be trying to find a fly/drive package, if they exist, from either London or Paris.

Does anyone have any suggestions for the best way to get there?

Thanks
Linda.

I've taken the ferry from Nice to Calvi. It takes about 2 1/2 hours. We rented a car at Calvi for the week. We dropped it off can flew back to Paris and on to Amsterdam.

Regarding the food, it was great. We ate a lot of grilled fish at the cafes along the harbor in Calvi. Typical Med fish such as loup and dorado. Often roasted whole with fennel. When we cooked in our apartment, we picked up locally made raviolis with sheep cheese. Honey is a specialty. The wine was simliar to Provence but I felt the quality was not as good. There is also a great local beer.

Linda,

When we go to Corsica we use V F B, a specialist company for holidays in France.
It is a very rare thing for us to do but they are so good and well priced that I have no hesitation in recommending them. When trying to put together our own holiday we found VFB more cost effective, particularly when it came to car hire as it is expensive in Corsica.
If you open the link "Cala di Sogno" is where we stayed close to Porto Vecchio and in Calvi the 2* Hotel Belvedere, as it was a "holiday in a holiday".
Just an idea to give you more information about the possibilities of travelling to Corsica.
If you are still undecided then I recommend you read Dorothy Carrington's "This Granite Isle".

Happy planning.
Wendy

We are all set!! Booked and ready to go...now just counting down the days.

We are now staying in Tizzano, which is a ways off the beaten path, but we are hoping that this will cause us to "slow" travel a bit more this trip.

The apartment we originally were looking at in Porto Vecchio proved to be just to difficult to book!!! They didn't use e-mail and wanted phone calls, but only spoke French, so even after getting someone fluent to call for us (3 phone calls!!) they still did not fax the contracts or payment information etc. We finally had to give up.

We used an agency called directCorsica http://www.directcorsica.com/, who were excellent and very easy to work with...booking was absolutely no problem.

Tizzano is a small seaside seasonal village west of Sartene. We'll be staying for 2 weeks so hope to be able to plan a few good day trips and leave time to just sit back and enjoy the beach with a glass of wine and a good book.

Any suggestions for "Corsican cuisine"?? I have seen.... brousse....mentioned on a few websites, but not sure what it is...perhaps a West African dish of some sort??? Sounds like it might be similar to a greek salad??

Thanks Wendy, The Granite Isle sounds like an excellent book..I think I'll look into ordering it.

Linda

quote:

have never heard of a Corsican cuisine

Corsican cuisine is wonderful. The charcuterie is especially well-known. One unforgettable meal was a rustic soup served at night at a small-town mountain truck stop by a lady well past a certain age, who I'm sure had made the soup. She added warmth by slowly feeding a huge log into the fireplace as the fire burned.

If you'd like a preview, Americana, try the Main d'Or on rue Faubourg St. Antoine in Paris - evenings only, the 11th arrondissement naturally. Corsica is there, on your plate!

Dave

Sorry to but in on your discussion but we are staying in Menton and thought about taking a day trip over to Corsica for the day - where would we land , and any suggestions for a day trip - perhaps we can hire scooters for the day? does anyone know if that is an option? Any ideas would be welcome..

It is going to be a bit difficult to do a day trip to Corsica. The shortest crossing is 2.5 hours on the ferry. Most of the crossings are longer. Here's a page with the ferry options. I have taken the fast ferry from Nice to Calvi which would probably be the one you would take. You might be able to get motos but I'd look at getting a car. Also, you do have to reserve the ferries. You can't just go when you want. We took an 8-ish ferry and got in around 10:30am. I don't know the return times because we flew directly back to Paris.

Calvi is interesting. There is a fort and the main part of town along the wharf is nice. If you decide to go out and explore, I'd recommend the Balaene area in the mountains behind Calvi and L'Ile Rousse. Other options might be the drive to Piano. There is also a great beach just outside of Calvi to the north. (< 1 mile).

Keep in mind that the driving is very slow. So you may not get far. The roads are narrow, windy and usually don't have guard rails.

If we had just one week to spend on Corsica, would you all recommend the northern or southern part? This would be in October, so beaches and swimming aren't important. What would be the best single location for a week's rental? Thanks for the help - we're just beginning to think about spending a week there this coming fall.

I stayed in Ajaccio and travelled to the Southern section of the island. Be sure to go to Bonifacio and take the boat ride around the city and cliffs! I haven't been to the Northern section of Corsica yet. I'll do that in June, so I'll report back! Maybe someone else can comment on the north. However, whatever you select, I'm sure you will enjoy this beautiful island and the slow pace of life there.

Kathleen

Hello Ann,
I would opt for Calvi as Marta suggests. It's a delightful town with an interesting citadel.

Here is a linkto the tourist office.
It's also a very good jumping off point for a fabulous boat trip around the Calanques, beautiful emerald waters and small islands but also just about everywhere else on Corsica too, weatehr permitting of course.
The marina is very chic with some good restaurants.
There are several nice apartments to rent one in particular I remember in the old town above an antique shop so if I can find the link I'll let you know.

You might well find that is a good deal easier to rent your accomm with one of the small tour operators as it is not the done thing to advertise your property to the general public. (Holiday accom has been bombed in the past but not untill all the inhabitants had been given good warning and the property cleared!)
(I see there are few brave souls who now do this on the usual websites.)

Here are a couple of agencies and here. to get you started.
Wendy

Linda -

Sounds great. Lovely area. Liked Kathleen, we basically toured the southern half of the island from Ajaccio all the way around to Porto Vecchio and then back around to Ajaccio.

Just saw photos of my cousin's new villa - it looks just fantastic and I have a sneeking suspicion we'll be spending a lot more time on the Isle de Beauté in the future.

-Kevin

p.s.: Brousse is a fresh sheep's cheese. In Corsica it's called brouccio (sp?) - It's fantastic with honey or fruit or compote de pear or apple (always a big hit at breakfast around here). It can range from creamyish - liek here in Provence - to more along the lines of a cottage cheese or ricotta, now that I think of it. Excellent for stuffing into zucchini flowers.

I think I also found brousse used in locally-made ravioli available in the Calvi supermarche. The locally made maquis honey is also wonderful. The maquis is the name for the herbeous shrub covering the Corse hillsides. It is like the California chaparral. Here's a sample of honey, jam and other Corsican products.

I think you won't go wrong where ever you decide to visit in Corse.