Casinca, Corsica, quiet hill region with quaint traditional villages

Visit Casinca

Casinca is a small region just north of Castagniccia and continuing east to the coast (south of Bastia), in north-central Corsica - hence eastern Casinca is largely flat while western Casinca is in the mountains.

Exploring Casinca

The region includes seven communes: Castellare di Casinca, Loreto di Casinca, Penta di Casinca, Porri, Sorbo Ocagnano, Venzolasca and Vescovato.

Each of the communes has its own personality and characteristics and some time spent exploring them is very enjoyable.

An interesting region to explore and a little off the 'beaten track' in Corsica, most of the Casinca hill villages are in dramatic settings spread out along rocky promontories.

Highlights include:

- the village of Penta di Casinca is officially classified as a 'picturesque site in Corsica' (the only complete village with the classification in Corsica)

- Porri has impressive views and the 'Grotte de la Resistance'

- at Venzolasca, sprerad along the crest of a hill, you can also see the ruins of what was once an important 16th-17th century monastery

- the Church of Saint Pancrace at Castellare di Casinca is very ancient (perhaps built as early as the 9th century), with a very simple exterior design in stone and a fascinating interior with three decorated 'alcoves'. The medieval village also has a 13th century tower.

Many of the villages have small monuments and points of interest - typically a church with a belltower that dominates the villages - but the main pleasure is in simply strolling the quiet streets of the villages absorbing the atmosphere and enjoying the scenery of this relatively undicovered region of Corsica.

Note: photos above show Loreto di Casinca and Vescovato

You can find more local travel ideas in the North Corsica guide,