| Corsica | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms and flag   | |
| State | France |
|---|---|
| Capital | Ajaccio |
| Surface | 8,680 km² |
| Inhabitants | 302.000 (2008) |
| Institutional website | |
Corsica is a Mediterranean island belonging to the France.
To know
When to go
| Climate | gen | Feb | mar | apr | mag | down | Jul | needle | set | Oct | nov | dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum (° C) | 13,7 | 13,9 | 15,5 | 17,9 | 21,7 | 25,3 | 28,4 | 29 | 26 | 22,5 | 18 | 14,7 |
| Minimum (° C) | 4,2 | 4,1 | 5,6 | 7,9 | 11,6 | 14,8 | 17,3 | 17,6 | 15,1 | 12,3 | 8,4 | 5,5 |
| Water temp. (° C) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
Corsica has a Mediterranean-type climate (with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers) on the coasts. Summer and spring are the best seasons to visit it.
Territories and tourist destinations
It is divided into two departments:
- Upper Corsica (Haute-Corse) - It includes the Cap Corse peninsula, pointed like a finger in the direction of the Liguria and defined "an island within an island".
- Southern Corsica (Corse-du-Sud) —
Urban centers
- Ajaccio (Aiacciu) - Capital of the region. It is the main city of the island, and the main port of entry in the southern part. Birthplace of Napoleon
- Bastia (Bastia) - It has a charming old port and citadel. It is also the gateway to Cap Corse, the rugged northern peninsula, which includes small communities such as Canari and Nonza
- Bonifacio (Bunifaziu) - at the southern end of the island, and in a spectacular position on the cliffs, is the ferry port to and from Sardinia. It is also the gateway to Cap Pertusato, the southern tip of Corsica.
- Calvi - on the north-west coast, it is an important tourist center and port with ferries to the France continental. There is an old city with a citadel.
- Cargese (Carghjese) - a village near Ajaccio with a physics institute.
- Court (Short) - the largest settlement in the hinterland.
- Nonza
- Old Port (Portivechju) - a pleasant tourist resort on the southeast coast.
- Propriano
- San Fiorenzo (Saint-Florent) - a small town on the north-west coast between Bastia and Calvi, full of clubs and with a decent marina
Other destinations
Beaches
- Ostriconi beach - small bay protected by the inlet of Peraiola, large dirt parking, then there is a path that leads to the beach 1.5 km long
- Piantarella beach - a perfect bay for windsurfing and kayaking.
- La Tonnara beach - from here in 15 minutes you can reach the delightful Spiaggia de Stagnolu. Near the beach there are several restaurants that cook fresh fish.
- Algajola beach - well known by kitesurf enthusiasts.
- Bodri beach - in close proximity to Red Island after the camping of the same name, there is a beautiful beach with assistance and a bar, paid parking, 2.5 €
- Ghjunchitu beach - in close proximity to Red Island nice beach with services and bars
- Palombaggia beach - Caribbean beach 3 km long, but often crowded. Nearby Plage de la Folacca and Plage d’Asciaghju. Or following a path in 20 minutes you can reach Plage de Cateraggio
- Roccapina beach - reachable via a dirt path on the beach it is possible to see the rock in the shape of a crouching lion
- Rondinara beach - Enclosed between 2 headlands.
- Saleccia beach - one of the most beautiful on the island. It can only be reached by sea or by taking a one-hour walk. It is located within the protected area of the Desert des Agriates
- San Cipriano beach - crystalline water and equipped with many services.
- Santa Giulia beach - it is an enchanting beach of white sand and very blue water surrounded by a luxuriant nature south of Porto Vecchio. Often very crowded.
- Tra Licettu beach - reachable only by a 6 km long dirt road.
How to get
By plane
There are four airports on the island:
- 1 Napoleon Bonaparte Airport (IATA: AJA) (Ajaccio ).
- 2 Bastia-Poretta airport (IATA: BIA) (Bastia).
- 3 Calvi Sainte-Catherine airport (IATA: CLY) (Calvi).
- 4 Sud Corse Airport (IATA: FSC) (Figari near Bonifacio is Old Port).
To reach the big cities from the airport the best way is to rent a car, although from Bastia airport there is an hourly bus service to reach the city for € 8 (April 2017), in the evening races are rarer. The last bus leaves at 10.45pm.
During the season it is possible to book flights to Corsica with Air France, Air Corsica is Easy Jet. Easyjet flies to Corsica from the UK.
The most comfortable and least expensive solution is definitely the ferry, which depart from Italy, Spain, France and from Sardinia (Santa Teresa Gallura) .You can book ferries to Corsica with Corsica Ferries, Moby is Corsica Line or through price comparison portals such as Ferries for Corsica.
How to get around
What see
What to do
- Diving. The beauty of Corsica is internationally renowned for its exceptional seabed, the best of which are located near the marine reserves. There are numerous diving centers that offer diving in the splendid and uncontaminated underwater areas to discover a magnificently surprising vegetation. The depths of the Cerbicales islands are the most popular with scuba divers for their diving, the natural site, protected by the Lavezzi islands, is part of the Finochiarola and Scandola archipelago which are true paradises.
- Trekking. The island is rich in mountainous areas and therefore lends itself well to hiking. Among the best known trekking routes we find that of Capo Corso, the Transhumance Trail, the Sentier de Grande Randonnée 20 (or GR20) and the Path of the Customs officers.
At the table
The fish is among the staple foods of Corsican cuisine, especially on the coast: if you are in Corsica you will have to taste the bouillarbasse, the local fish soup. However, among the most famous dishes of the island's tradition there are several meat-based dishes. Among these, we remember the charcuterie, an appetizer consisting of cured meats such as cured ham and liver sausage flavored with wine, wild boar cooked in a casserole (called Civet de sanglie) and the lamb with olives.
Finally, the real Corsican institution is brocciu, the typical cheese made in many variations. It is used in sweet and savory dishes: fried as an appetizer (migliacci), as a filling for sardines (brocciu sardines) or together with lemon to create the fiadone, the sweet of the island.
