Your holidays in Corsica
With its fine sandy beaches, its high-altitude forests and its villages perched on the mountainside, the Island of Beauty is one of French people's favourite destinations.
Get on-board one of our ferries to Corsica to discover the incredible landscapes and local culture. With La Méridionale, your holidays begin on-board.
Découvrez la Corse
If so many of us wish to holiday in Corsica, it's probably because the region fulfils the expectations of nature lovers, culture-vultures and fans of good food alike.
There are activities galore in Southern Corsica, suitable for visitors of all ages.
The variety of landscapes and the Mediterranean climate breathe life into flora that you won't find anywhere else. Immortelle and myrtle diffuse their fragrance across the maquis whilst laricio pine forests disseminate their scent across the mountains. Along the coast, plants can be found along the sand dunes and craggy rocks, and even more under the sea.
And, like for vegetation, the Island of Beauty's fauna includes a host of endemic species.
Take time out during your stay in Corsica to observe local birds like the Corsican nuthatch and the bearded vulture.
The seabed's also filled with treasures as groupers, corals and rays populate the beaches of Southern Corsica.
Corsica, which became French in 1768, was under Italian influence for a long time. Back in the days of Antiquity, it was also occupied by the Greeks, the Vandals and the Saracens. This has given the island its unique identity, expressed through Corsican culture,
language, architecture and polyphonic chants.
Another illustration of Corsican culture: its gastronomy. During your holidays in Corsica, you'll be able to indulge in Corsican cold cuts, cheeses, wines and desserts. Not forgetting, of course, specialities made with chestnuts and others with honey.
Must-dos in Corsica
You'll never get bored during your stay in Corsica, whatever your interests may be. Whether you head off alone, with friends or with your children, there's always something to do in Corsica.
FESTIVALS IN CORSICA
It's impossible to mention all the festivals in the region as there are so many celebrating culture, history and local produce and wares. Check for festival and event dates when you're organizing your holidays in Corsica!
The most eventful city for festivals is definitely Ajaccio: Napoleonic Week in June, Christmas celebrations during Natale in Aiacciu, British & Irish film festival in December and comic book festival in November, etc.
The imperial city showcases its history and welcomes contemporary creations.
As summertime comes around, the beaches in Calvi become an open-air concert venue overlooking the Mediterranean for Calvi on the Rocks. Rock bands and electronic music stars hit the stages inviting locals and visitors alike to dance. Music lovers get together too at the beginning of June at the Musicales de Bastia to listen to singers from all over Corsica
and from around the world.
Based on the dates of your stay in Corsica, you can also attend the equestrian festival Cavall’in Fest in Corte,
the chestnut festival in Bocognano or the Autumn Festival of the Rural World in Patrimonio
BEACHES IN CORSICA
Southern Corsica boasts some of the most beautiful beaches of the Corsican coastline.
The Gulf of Valinco is the perfect spot for a refreshing getaway or an off-season stroll. If you fancy discovering the beaches around Propriano during your stay in Southern Corsica, take time to explore the creeks around Capu Laurosu Beach and to swim at Lido Beach and Mancinu Beach.
Ajaccio's beaches such as Capo di Feno and Ariadne are several kilometres long. You can just relax or have a go at a few water sports. Canoeing, surfing, SUP, etc. take advantage of your holidays to try out new thrills!
Fancy spending some of your holiday in Porto Vecchio? Santa Giulia and Palombaggia beaches, south of the town, are like paradise with their virtually crystal-clear water and their white sand.
20 Kilometres south of Porto Vecchio beaches, you'll find Rondinara Beach nestling in a cove shaped like a seashell. A delight for the eyes and for swimmers as the sea is always calm here!
And, while you're here, discover the Island of Beauty's treasures via the sea, from inaccessible creeks to secret beaches, by visiting SamBoat online to compare and book your boat trip at the best price in just a few clicks.
HIKING AND TREKKING IN CORSICA
Walking is an excellent way to discover Corsica's scenescapes during your holidays.
The most well-known hiking and trekking trail in Corsica is the GR20. But, you need to be experienced to cover it. For daily hikes in Southern Corsica, a host of trails exist for everyone, from families with young children to total beginners.
Restonica Valley, with its gorges, right at the heart of Corsica Regional Nature Park, invites you to enjoy some wonderful walks. Head off on the winding track that leads to the Bergeries de Grotelle.
Then make you way at your own pace to Lake Melo and Lake Capitello.
Do you prefer walking along the coastline? If you wander along the Sentier des Sentier des Douaniers (customs officers' path), you'll get an amazing vista over the Sanguinaires Islands. If you take the Bruzzi trail, you can admire the Bruzzi Islands and Arbitru Cove.
Must-visits in Corsica
In addition to beaches and nature reserves, Corsica is renowned for its natural and historic sites.
CORSICAN TOWNS AND VILLAGES
Corsica unveils itself through its towns and villages. You can meet inhabitants, taste local specialities and get lost in the labyrinth of back streets that bear witness to the island's ancestral history.
Porto-Vecchio, nicknamed salt city, is a typical example of Southern Corsica towns. While you're here, enjoy exploring the old town, head up to the Genoese citadel and admire the boats arriving in the port.
At the tip of Southern Corsica, Bonifacio reigns high over the Mediterranean and seems like it's at the edge of the world. King Aragon's stairway with its 189 steps takes you from the old town down to sea level and, once you climb to the top of Saint-Roch, you'll have a vista over the citadel, the port and the cliffs. In fine weather, you can even see Sardinia.
When you go from Porto-Vecchio to Bonifacio, make a stop-off in Zonza. The village and the surrounding hamlets will enchant lovers of the sea and fans of the mountains.
Sant’Antonino, Corte, Centuri, to name but three… It's impossible to list all the villages to explore during your holidays in Corsica. Discover them at random as you travel along, as you please.
MUST-VISIT SITES
When you're visiting Ajaccio, save time to visit the Sanguinaires Islands. This archipelago boasting four isles takes on a purple hue when the sun sets.
The site, Natura 2000-classified, is home to seagulls, shearwaters and endemic plant species.
Next, head for the mountains and the Aiguilles de Bavella (Needles of Bavella). Right in the middle of the forest, the rocks take on shapes and colours that you won't find anywhere else.
It's also a highly-popular spot for hiking in Corsica.
Further north, along the coastline, the red rock cliffs and crystal-clear water of Piana calanques offer a striking contrast. Whether you choose to visit on foot, by boat or by road,
you'll contemplate panoramas that will remain engraved in your memory forever.
Last but not least, many natural sites are also open-air museums. Corsica has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The statues and menhirs at Filitosa and the megalithic monuments at Cauria conjure up this ancient past.
The Island of Beauty's protected natural sites and picturesque villages can be visited all year round. Whether you choose to spend your holiday in Southern Corsica during the summer or off-season,
you'll never run out of ideas of things to do in Corsica.
