Holiday lettings in Corsica

Where to stay on Corsica is a considered choice. Whether you want the amenities and services of a town or the peace of a laid-back beach resort is entirely your choice. Calvi is one of the biggest towns and a tourist hotspot. There is a multitude of apartments and villas on offer here. Ajaccio is the Corsican capital, located on the west coast of the island. It is sheltered by the wooded northern shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio and has a pretty harbour. It is home to many beaches and rugged coves. An excellent place in which to acclimatise to the Corsican atmosphere. Porto-Vecchio is another breathtaking city on Corsica’s southern coast. It is home to idyllic beaches and has the backdrop of the mountains. The historic Old Town and beautiful marina attract some of Corsica’s most well-heeled tourists.

With some of the finest beaches in the world, exploring Corsica's multitude of sandy coves and crystal blue waters is a must for any visitor to the island. On some of the more popular beaches, watersports are available. The majority offer snorkelling and windsurfing and scuba diving is even available. It cost approximately €45-60 to undertake a drive with a qualified instructor. Once the sun begins to fade, there are a host of beachside bars and restaurants to choose from. Because of its rich topography, Corsica is also a popular tourist destination amongst walkers. The GR20 is one of the best known and most difficult of all the Grande Randonnee trails, It takes approximately 17 days to conquer and is best undertaken when the the temperature on the island has cooled in the late spring or early autumn.

Corsican food is a heady mix of French and Italian influences. The island is famous for its dedication to the chestnut, used liberally in many meals and deserts, and the excellent charcuterie. The majority of the domesticated pigs on the island are released to forage for much of the year. This probably explains why the charcuterie is held in such high regard. Some typical Corsican charcuterie dishes include lonzu, coppa ham, figatellu and saucisson. Canistrelli are typically Corsican pasties sold all over the island. Corsica also produces its own olive oil and many Corsican villages have small shops that sell this delicacy. Corsican nightlife is largely fueled by good wine and locally-brewed beers. Of the local beers, ‘Columbia’ and ‘Pietra’ are the two worth trying that most reflect the Corsican palette. In addition to Corsican dishes, there is a great variety of Italian restaurants on the island that also serve wonderful food.

In total, there are four airports on Corsica - Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari. Apart from Bastia airport, with an hourly bus service to town, the other three have no public transport system to the nearest city. With flights to the island rather expensive, it is often a better option to book a flight to Nice then board a connecting ferry across to Corsica. The easiest and simplest solution from France, is board the Nice to Calvi, I’lle-Rousee, Ajaccio and Bastia service. Here you can enjoy the Corsican coastline and arrive downtown. In addition, there are regular ferries that serve Marseille and Toulon. From Italy, you can reach corsica from Genoa, Livorno, Savona, Naples or Sardinia. Once on the island, there are railway links to Ajaccio and Bastia. Although new railways are under development, the scenery and ambience of these old lines are well worth experiencing.