Corsica

Island of Beauty L'ile de Beaute, la Corse

A beautiful island. We spent wonderful days right by the sea and were able to hike in the mountains. The food was incredibly good and the wine was tasty.

We were in Ajaccio the capital of Corsica. It's a charming French port with the style and atmosphere you would expect with an Italian twist. Walking along the waterfront or in to the old town is a great way to spend a couple of hours. The citadel was a bit average but there are some nice beaches. There is a new cable car up and along the mountain which has only just opened (Oct 2025) and costs about 5 euros for a continuous loop with great views. There is also a petit train which takes you around town if you don't want to walk. Finally there is lots of Napoleon stuff since he was born here.

We took the ferry from Genoa to Corsica, which was an all day affair. The first thing I noticed on our 3 hour drive to Porto Vecchio is how aggressive the drivers are. There are some very scenic towns and beaches to visit. People are not over friendly, but they are receptive to tourists. Found a couple of good restaurants but overall disappointed. It’s expensive here so make sure you bring lots of cash. It was overall a nice place to visit.

Beauty Island is my favorite island! That's beautiful! People are really nice!

Some things tourists and travellers should know about Corsica before visiting: -There is an active mafia presence. One night we heard an altercation outside of our accomodation near Corte which involved several gunshots. The island has one of the highest murder rates in Europe. -Corsica is very much geared to French tourism. This is why the vast majority of direct flights are to French or Belgian airports. The only other tourists we met were German. Don't expect a warm welcome if you speak English and don't expect a high level of English from people working in hospitality. -The roads are very fast and challenging. Be prepared to let locals pass. Among young people road accidents are 4 times more common than on the mainland. -In many accommodations you must pay extra for linens and towels and do your own cleaning or risk a hefty cleaning fine. -This similarly applies to car rentals where you must vacuum the car before returning it. They will also force you to pay their direct insurance and deposit even if you have payed your insurance through an agent or comparison site. -You will never be able to check out any time after 10am and check-in is often limited to weirdly restricted hours such as 4.30-7.30pm. -Everywhere has uncomfortable square pillows, not rectangular. No idea why. Also you will often not be provided with shampoo etc. -Many of the sights require exposed hiking and/or tricky parking. As much of the coastal land is privately owned, expect unusual access points. Bonifacio in particular can be hard to park on a busy day. -Bonifacio, Calvi and Porto Vecchio and the beaches on the East Coast are the highlights of the island. Also the Col du Bavella hikes are worth doing. Note that a flood as done damage to the road leading to the famous lake hikes in Restonica Valley so they are now unmanageably long. -Expect a dose of old school rustic and rural France with a lot of smoking and very little open-mindedness or international influence. If you like speciality coffee etc you will be very disappointed - expect endless bitter espressos. The roastery in Ajaccio was the best we found but still not great. I hope this is useful!

Best spot to relax. Food. Quietness.

The most beautiful Island 🔆