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Not so much an island as a range of mountains in the Mediterranean – a spectacular jumble of alpine peaks and rugged rock which topples down through forests of pine, oak and sweet chestnut to an amiable coastline of glorious gulfs, fishing harbours and sickle beaches of soft sand.
This French island, closer to Italy than the Riviera, is endowed with staggering beauty. Ten minutes from any airport, the scenery begins – and not a corner has been ‘spoiled’.
Resorts that have evolved out of old ports offer the expected pleasures:
watersports, simple and sophisticated places to eat, a fizzy night
life for the young and sleepless. But it is never hard to find peace
and quiet.
There are pristine beaches, a rich underwater world, lovely wild tracts to walk as you inhale the intoxicating mix of sea air laced with the scent of herbs from the maquis, the undergrowth that fleeces the island’s flanks.
Up in the hills, the pace slackens. As you pass little Genoese bridges astride spattering rivers, climb onto lofty ridges or explore sleepy terracotta-tiled villages, you get closer to Corsica’s true character and to the Corsicans themselves.
The islanders have had to be as tenacious as the maquis to survive serial invasion since Phoenician times, to say nothing of wresting a living from the most inhospitable terrain. They have their own language and an independent spirit, which sometimes adds a frisson to French politics, but their welcome for British visitors is enthusiastic.
There is no ideal time to go to Corsica, but it is at its most enjoyable in May, June, September and October when the days are balmy and glorious, and the evenings are cool. Yet even in the height of summer when the resorts are busy, there is plenty of empty space close to the coast and in the island’s heart – where many of our most appealing properties and hotels are tucked away.
No-one ever goes to Corsica just once. As soon as you have discovered
this enigmatic, enchanting island, its heights, its depths and its
hidden treasures, you will itch to return.
Holidays in Corsica - No-one ever goes just once |
