Napoleon once said he could recognize his native island just by the fragrance of the maquis. But Corsica doesn’t only smell wonderful: the “Island of Beauty”, as the French call it, lives up to its name. It has towering mountains, lush forests, timeless villages, stylish resorts and pristine beaches.
The 10 best things to do in Corsica.
1. Ajaccio
With wild granite mountains and lapis lazuli-blue sea as a backdrop, Ajaccio is one of the most beautiful capitals of the Mediterranean. Travelers from Edward Lear to Guy de Maupassant love its location, and the imperial city remains a must-stop for tourists — not least because it Related to Napoleon who was born and raised here. The former Bonaparte mansion sits in the heart of a narrow, weathered street, and you can sip pasta in a roadside café, while locals can passeghiata (walk) in the afternoon, or enjoy fresh seafood straight from the boat.
2. Golfe de Valinco
Valinco, the southernmost of the four great bays on the west coast of Corsica, offers a fascinating spectacle from the high ridge that surrounds it. Its bright blue waters split into the heart of the Alta Roca region, with orange-roofed settlements snuggling up on hillsides covered in holm oak forests and impenetrable maquis. People come here to laze on the string of sandy beaches, although some stupendous views are to be had from the ancient granite perched villages inland, which were the refuge of local inhabitants during the repeated pirate raids in the 15th and 16th centuries.
3. Le Sartenais
Coastal wilderness is rare in the Mediterranean these days, especially where there are towering beaches. Southwest Corsica, however, remains surprisingly unblocked. Driven by the collapse of pirates and the wine industry, the Marche cast their inhabitants to the spirits of their prehistoric ancestors about a century ago, and their tombs and standing stones are still scattered across the country. The roads can only get you so far in this area: you need sturdy shoes and plenty of bottled water to get the full experience.
4. Bonifacio
Bonifacio is Corsica's number one tourist attraction, and despite its hustle and bustle in high season, it deserves that distinction. Medieval Genoa Hauteville (Upper Town) spans the top of a long narrow promontory, surrounded on three sides by sheer chalk cliffs, overlooking Sardinia across the strait and the secluded harbour of the port mentioned by Homer in The Odyssey. Aside from wandering around the ancient alleyways of the Citadelle, the other unmissable activity here is taking a boat trip for a view of the fabled white cliffs from water level.
5. Bastia
Bastia, the commercial capital of Corsica, has more of a big-city feel than Ajaccio. Since the days of Genoa, its core has been a picturesque neighborhood full of crumbling old tenements, with buttresses and cobblestone streets radiating from the port. The twin towers of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church are the landmarks of the city. Beyond the old port, a high-rise suburban amphitheater faces the sea. The constant back and forth of the ferries reminds you that Italy is on the other side of the water, and its influence on Bastia culture is ever-present.
6. Cap Corse
The long, finger-shaped cape north of Bastia was virtually inaccessible except by sea until the sea road that encircled Cape Corsica was built in the 19th century. Cap Corse still largely feels like its own island. Wine was the raison d'être of the Genoese, but after the phylloxera epidemic in the early 20th century, production collapsed. However, the famous orange-blossom-scented muscat is still produced by a handful of growers, whose terraces cling to steep, fire-blackened slopes.
7. St-Florent and the Nebbio
The Col de Teghime (Teghime Pass) separates Bastia from the Golfe de St-Florent and marks the passage from the flat, intensively cultivated east coast to Nebbio (Corsica) as it is known The mountainous terrain of the "Mist Lands" has changed dramatically. The transition is complete when you reach the compact resort of St-Florent with its stunning hilltop backdrop. Continuing west, you'll venture into the Agriat Desert, a sea of maquis and cacti surrounded by empty beaches.
8. Calvi
Calvi has been a luxurious seaside resort since the 1920s, when aristocratic refugees from the Côte d'Azur came to clubs such as the legendary Chez Tao to engage in illegal activities. Rising directly from the waves, Calvi's castle is easily the most majestic of Genoa's former strongholds, dominating the bay. However, the icing on the cake is the mountains. On a clear day, the snowy Corsica Divide seems so close you can almost touch it.
9. Corte and its Hinterland
With its 18th and 19th century architecture and spectacular mountain backdrop, Corte Island presents a very different side to the Mediterranean fashion that prevails on the coast. The seat of the Independent Parliament of Pascal Pauli, a melting pot of Corsican nationalism. A strong sense of island cultural identity still pervades the streets here, especially during term time when Corsican-speaking students fill the café terraces. There are some stunning landscapes nearby that are easily accessible - you can get out of the center in under an hour and into total wilderness.
10. Golfe de Porto
The combination of red porphyry and lapis lazuli blue sea makes Corsica Harbor its iconic landscape. Nowhere else in the Mediterranean has such a stunning juxtaposition, which is all the more surprising due to its alpine backdrop. From May to September, thousands of tourists flock to admire the Calanche cliffs or take a boat trip to the Scandola Nature Reserve. However, even at the height of summer it is possible to avoid the crowds by taking to the network of paved mule trails through the gulf’s forested hinterland, or heading for the area’s lesser-known coves.
