Corsica

Corsica is a laid-back French island with a breezy vibe that’s part European weekend and part barefoot hedonism. One of the 18 regions of France it is, however, a miniature continent in itself. Divided into effectively four regions, the north from Calvi across to Bastia, Corte and the interior on the eastern side (not known so much for villa rentals but beautiful to explore), the west coast with Ajaccio and stunning beaches, and then the South with its rugged coastline, sandy coves and the breathtaking, fortified town of Bonifacio. This is Corsica’s oldest town and is perched precariously on top of a cliff. Super-trendy Porto Vecchio, where the super yachts and super rich can be found, is only 40 minutes away up the coast.

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Very mountainous with few roads linking the different regions, one definitely needs a car, but you really have to accept that what looks a short distance on the map can in fact take you hours of pretty but tortuous driving!  But that is fine – because Corsica is the place to go for sea and sun, small deserted creeks or vast gulfs and over 1,000 miles of coastline.  Pearly beaches border some of the most translucent waters in the world with excellent snorkelling, loads of water sports if you want them and lots of empty beaches if you don’t.   Hire a boat and take yourself off for a leisurely lunch (delicious Corsican fare: freshly caught tuna, pasta, charcuterie and lots of local red wine) at a beach restaurant only accessible from the sea – one of many treats to enjoy on holiday on this beautiful island.

Corsica does not conform to the perceived notion that people have of a Mediterranean island. Nowhere else is as green; from the forests of Laricio pines and mountain lakes, emerald in colour, right through to the aromatic maquis scrubland, the refreshing highland pastures and the vineyards of its wine-growing regions.

The island also has a rich cultural and religious heritage with Franciscan country churches, Genoese frescoes and stunning apses. Of course, it is also the birthplace of the most famous of all Frenchmen, Napoléon Bonaparte!

It is not the easiest place to get to which is one of the reasons why tourism, until quite recently, has been mostly from the mainland. There are four airports on the island – Ajaccio and Figari in the south and west and Bastia and Calvi in the north – and it is well worth checking out which is the nearest to your villa before booking flights.

Now is the time to go to the Ile de Beauté; a paradise that, from the plane, looks barely touched by the 21st century. Lush, wild and totally uncorrupted by motorways or any of the sorts of urban clog that disfigures other Mediterranean islands.