Corsica travel guide

Corsica: an introduction

Corsica is almost the perfect holiday destination, basking in the mediterranean sunshine off the south of France. Perfect Corsica beaches, magnificent mountain scenery, fine towns and villages that simply belong in the surrounding landscape, and of course the climate. The hundreds of beaches and 1,000 kilometre of coastline form the basis of many holidays on the island, with swimming, snorkelling, wind-surfing, scuba diving and sunbathing being the most popular activities.

The Corsican towns are very attractive (and very popular with visitors), as are walks in the mountains, and other outdoor activities based around both the mountains and the coast. Walks are available for all levels of ability, from a pleasant stroll to some of the most difficult mountain walks in Europe.

Corsica enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with summers being hot and dry, and remaining mild even in winter, at least at coastal level. The mountains are of course a little cooler all year round. See Corsica weather and climate for details of the best time to visit.

The Natural Regional Park of Corse (Corsica) has been set-up to protect part of the rare and unusual habitats found on the island. The park includes some of the highest mountain peaks on the island, and much beauty. The Scandola Nature reserve is also stunning, but only accessible by boat.

Two popular ways to visit are (1) if you have several weeks to explore at your leisure by car you could follow the Corsica Coast road that circumnavigates the island, or (2) see our guide to Hiking in Corsica if you prefer to explore the hard way - on foot!

With this guide we introduce many of the highlights of this beautiful island, and hope to help make your visit as varied and enjoyable as possible. We have also gathered together a few of our favourite photographs: see our Corsica Photo Gallery : Photos of Corsica (1) and Photos of Corsica (2)

Visit the towns of Corsica

• Ajaccio - western Corsica
• Aleria - eastern coast
• Bastia - north-east Corsica (and access to Cap Corse)
• Bonifacio - southern Corsica
• Calvi - Balagne region (see also Balagne)
• Cargese - Balagne region
• Corte - central Corsica
• L'Ile-Rousse - Balagne region
• Porto - western coast
• Porto-Vecchio - southern Corsica
• Propriano - southern Corsica
• Saint-Florent - north-east Corsica
• Sartene - southern Corsica

Visit the regions of Corsica

Corsica is too large to do justice to in just one trip to the island. The roads are not always fast, and you will be tempted to stay longer in each place you visit. Below is a brief summary of the main highlights of each of the regions of Corsica, with links to many of the places and sights to be found

• Ajaccio - includes the southern inland regions
• Balagne - the west and north-west regions of Corsica
• Bastia and Cap Corse - the northern peninsula
• Bonifacio - southern Corsica
• Corte - the mountainous centre of Corsica
• Eastern Corsica - the eastern coast and villages

More Mediterranean islands

Enjoyed visiting Corsica but looking for somewhere new? Apart from Italy, that lies to the east of Corsica and is very accessible, How about the Mediterranean islands of Sicily (part of Italy and directly south of Corsica), or Sardinia (island to the west of southern Italy). Both have more beaches, mountains and great scenery