Corsica

Likes & Dislikes

Likes

Corsica - bay view

1. An island with a diverse, often rough natural landscape, unspoiled bays and a unique culture
2. Picturesque small villages, interestingly shaped coastlines
3. No high-rise buildings, hotels
4. Good snorkeling sites
5. Laid-back island with healthy, clean air
6. Good food, tasty Pietra beer (mix of malt and chestnut flour)
7. Cycling around the island on mostly empty uphill and downhill (even better) roads outside the summer high season
8. The red granite rocks of Calanche at sunset
9. Admiring the amazing view of the forests, rivers and the sea on the serpentine roads of the Col de Bavella (from the passenger seat)
10. Boat trip to the Lavezzi islands and snorkeling
11. Bocognano, an adorable mountain village with an authentic local bakery where we had the best cakes of our entire trip to Corsica
12. Lima, probably the most authentic village of the island, far from everything, time had stood still

b.m. photo

Dislikes

1. Not enjoying the serpentine roads of the Col de Bavella from the driver’s seat
2. Prices are high (because of the extra transport costs), more expensive than Italy and mainland France
3. Local public transport is scanty and unreliable, and there are practically no long-distance buses, so we had to rent a car
4. Locals are not really friendly, many look quite morose
5. Unbearable crowd in July and August, especially on the beaches of the Bonifacio area
6. Visitors are often just slightly but irritatingly ripped off
7. Some dangerous roads with very sharp curves
8. Few people speak English
9. Some cases of stolen valuables on camping sites (luckily it’s not so commonplace)
10. The weather can be treacherous, with frequent strong winds
11. Complicated to discover the island without a rental car or motorbike
12. Porto Vecchio is no big deal – we went through its “old town” in barely half an hour

Opinions

Corsica - port - r.e. photo

Corsica - Bonifacio - o.f. photo

Corsica - Corte - Citadelle - Martin's photo

Corsica - the wonderful seawater at the Plage di Lotu - 20 minutes boat trip from Saint Florent - b.m. photo

Destination Corsica. As the distance between you and the island shortens, and the jagged outlines and red spots are gradually revealed as mountains and towns, it becomes clear that you would need weeks, if not months, to really discover this detached territory of France. Here you’ll find everything that’s missing from life in Central Europe –pebble beaches, rugged but modest-sized mountains, wave-battered cliffs, and stiff breezes that would carry a sailing ship out into the ocean. On top of that, you’ll also experience a kind of Latin culture and history which can rarely be grasped so easily as on this island with its stormy and storied past. In the morning you awake in another world.

From the terrace it’s just a few steps to the beach, and beyond it the sea. Just enough space for a jogger, then a woman galloping past on horseback. It rained during the night, and the clouds are still heavy, while the steel-graylight lends the landscape a strange improbability. The pretty waitress brings your continental breakfast on a tray: a pot of fresh coffee, a mini-baguette, a sweet-smelling croissant, butter, and both chestnut and blackcurrant jam.”

Pigna - f.b. photo

Practicals

Transport

Corsica - Saint Florent, a common port village - all boat excursions to the environs start from here - b.m. photo

Corsica - one way or two - l.s.

Food

Corsica - local snacks - m.d. photo

Corsica - restaurant message: Here, no fries, no pizza, no people on a diet, no people in a hurry, or a bad mood. No fundamentalists, no Taliban. - g.t.

Shopping

Corsica - Corte - an old shop selling local food products - j.s. photo

Fun

Corsica - Restaurant humor: Everything is fresh here (except for the waiter, anchovies, oily tuna, and artichokes) - No microwave oven (except for the nursing bottle) - No freezer (except for ice creams) The waiter is tall, a little naughty, but attentive. As for the owner, well, that's the waiter.

Public safety

“Corsica is generally a very safe place for tourists. In towns and villages there’s essentially no danger in walking the streets at night. If a visitor is polite and respectful, and doesn’t unnecessarily provoke the locals, then there’s nothing to worry about. It’s true that organized crime does exist on Corsica, but this doesn’t meaningfully impact the safety of tourists – or, for that matter, of the locals.

The concept of safety includes safety from crime, of course, but also safety from the elements: summer storms can be a danger for hikers in the mountains, and gurgling steams quickly transform into raging torrents. If there are dangers of this sort, signs are generally posted to warn hikers. Mountain roads are often only wide enough for one car, so it’s best to stick scrupulously to the speed limits, and not attempt to copy the driving style of the locals.

It’s important to bear in mind that as visitors, we do not possess the advantages of their local knowledge and long-acquired habits.
Corsica is one of those places where animals are given substantial freedom to roam as they please. Driving on rural roads, you’ll frequently see cows, sheep, goats, and wild boar. This isn’t a bad thing in itself, but if you’re driving at dusk or in darkness, and one of them suddenly steps into your path, it can be a dangerous situation. Half-wild pigs don’t look dangerous, but don’t go too close to them, because they might mistake one of your body parts for food. This mistake may prove less forgivable on our part. (aji, 2018)

Corsica - Danger -Wild cows - Stay away - g.b. photo

Others

Corsica - ghost - s.t. photo

Corsica - Occhiatana - i.c. photo

Background

Destination in brief

Size: 8,722 km² (3,368 mi²)

Population (in 2020): 350,000 - Corsicans are French or “French and Corsican” or simply Corsicans - depending on who you ask. A majority of Corsicans would say that they are both Corsican and French, although a majority of those would say they feel “more Corsican than French” rather than the other way around. Many Corsicans feel a kind of kinship with Italians.

Gallic roosters behind bars? - k-t.g. photo

Capital city: Ajaccio

Languages: Corsican and French - Corsican is a Tuscan dialect,:Corsican and Italian are mutually intelligible even when spoken.

Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic - religion is practised more actively than in mainland France, still church attendance is fairly low with only about 9% attending regularly.

Average monthly salary (in 2020): 1970 Euro

Geography

Corsica - rocks -n.s. photo

Corsica - Typical Corsican landscape with abandoned, collapsed stone house with mountains in the background - The one with some snow, is the Monte Cino - b.m. photo