Corsica's beaches

Corsica's beaches

La Corsica is an island, which means beaches". What's more, the Corsica offers a wide range of beaches some more beautiful than others. It's up to you to choose the most beautiful place in Corsica for your holidays.

Saleccia beach

To access it from Saint-Florent (north of the Corsica) head for the AgriatesA few kilometres further on, you'll see a small dirt road on your right. It's about ten kilometres long, but don't be fooled and don't expect to get there in ten minutes or so - it's better to allow a good hour and a car that's not too low: the road is very damaged! Ideally, you should do it on a motorbike. That said, it's well worth the effort.

After this long ordeal and this crossing of the desert (from Agriates...), your eyes will open up to a vision of the most pleasant kind - quite simply, you won't want to leave! (And don't say it's because of the road! Corsica!).

Rondinara beach

The situation is identical to beach from Santa Giulia in the south of Corsicajust a creek away, but the beach is in a semi-circle - amazing! Not to be missed under any circumstances...

Its 2 ends almost touch, making it an excellent anchorage for boats, which crowd in throughout the summer. holidays.

Porto beach

Before the boom in tourism, Porto in the west of CorsicaOta, a farming village, was just Ota's navy. Today, this large village thrives on tourism. At the bottom of the village Corsica you can see the terraced fields.

At the end of the 19th century, citron plantations were numerous and Porto was the port for shipping products.

The Bay of Santa Giulia

Known the world over, the Santa Giulia Bayin the Porto-Vecchio (south of Corsica) welcomes thousands of visitors every year for the beach sandy beaches and water turquoise lagoon... but make no mistake, this is not the place to go in summer, but rather before and after the rainy season. holidaysAnd then you'll realise just how close you are to Paradise...

Imagine instead: the same landscape but the beach deserted!

Nonza beach

In the Cape Corsica west-facing slope. It's a strange and unusual landscape for the Corsicaa beach huge sand grey as long as it is wide!

It's a vast expanse at the bend in the winding road of the Cap at the foot of the tower and the village of Nonza... atypical!

Tizzano beach

A little corner of paradise Corsicaand nature, Tizzano is a small fishing port Corsica which has managed to preserve its authentic, unspoilt character.

The sign at the entrance to the village used to read " TizzanoA paradise for fishing and scuba diving...". What more can we say?

Portigliolo beach

Located at the mouth of the RizzaneseIt is a popular spot for surfers in both summer and winter.

At the end of this beach a small road that climbs to the top of the hill, offering superb views all the way to the village Corsica de Belvédère (its name is said to derive from this particular geographical location).

Luri Beach

Luri is made up of several hamlets and is one of the most densely populated rural communities on the island of Corsica. You pass through the main hamlet, A Piazza, but there's nothing to stop you reaching the other hamlets or taking the footpaths that have been laid out to discover the particularly well-preserved maquis in this valley of the Corsica. The road leads to the Col de Sainte Lucie at an altitude of 381m, named after the church at the summit. If you take your time, it's possible to take a short walk to the summit during your stay. holidays in Corsica.

A small path in front of the church offers a beautiful panoramic view: the sea Tyrrhenian Sea on the eastern side, with views of Santa Severa, and on the other side, the sea as far as the eye can see towards the western face of the Cape. With a little more time and a good level of fitness, it is possible to reach the so-called Seneca Tower, behind the church: legend has it that Seneca, the Roman preceptor, was exiled to the island of Cape Town. Corsica by the emperor for seducing his niece, he stayed in this part of the island for 8 years. This is a remnant of a medieval tower.

The Agriates Desert

The only region in France to have this official designation of desertHowever, this is not a desert of sand... the landscape looks very hostile to life or agriculture and stretches over 30 km long and 15 km wide. There is only one hamlet on this road, Casta.

The first sign that the density is low is the presence of army barracks on the left, more specifically a parachute training camp. The term Agriates "comes from "Ager" which gave agriculture, this attests to the presence of agriculture in this region of the Corsica. On the right, below the road, you can see plains that are still farmed.

In fact, this region was mainly occupied by shepherds and farmers, but neither community settled here, which explains why today the population density is even lower than elsewhere in Europe. Corsica. The only dwellings you will see, apart from the hamlet of CastaThese dry-stone constructions are made up of a single room topped by a corbelled vault. Farmers corsican capesIn the summer, the farmers came by boat to cultivate their crops, and in the winter, the shepherds came with their animals from the Niolo. There were two types of transhumance.

The Ostriconi valley

This valley Corsica which only a small part of the route passes through, includes the villages of Lama andUrtaca which you pass as you join the N197. It is one of the agricultural regions that enjoyed great prosperity thanks to olive oil. It was known as the oil granary of Genoa.

But the rural exodus and above all the fire in the summer of 1971, a real disaster for the Corsica (several thousand olive trees burnt down), brought production to a halt. A few producers have started to replant in recent years with the current boom in olive oil.

If you take the main road, you will see the listed site of theOstriconi. This is the beach which marks the end of the customs path from the Agriates Desert. This site is listed to protect its dunes and its flora endemic.

Beach of Ile-Rousse

The first thing you see is a peninsula with red-tinted rock: the island of Pietra which, because of its colour, certainly gave its name to the city Corsica. It's true that the best time to discover theIle Rousse stay in the evening at sunset...

Its history is fairly recent, although the occupation of the seaside is very old. The town was founded by Pascal Paoli in 1758. He created a commercial port here to compete with that ofAlgajola located a little further away and built by the Genoese. He bought land from neighbouring villages and the city Corsica developed fairly rapidly. But the end of independence in 1768 brought the city's development to a sudden halt.

Later, with the birth of tourism This seaside town has undergone constant development right up to the present day, when it is one of the fastest-growing coastal towns. The town of Paoline is very pleasant for its beaches that border the town, particularly the one that runs alongside the main square and is separated by the railway line... quite picturesque. The shady Place Paoli and its narrow shopping streets are a delight for strollers.

Calvi Beach

Calvi The town can be visited on foot! It is advisable to park your car on the marina or in the car park at the foot of the citadel. Corsica.

* The lower part, the marine, is a tourist and commercial area that has retained a certain charm. Don't miss: the 18th-century church of Ste Majeure.

* The citadel is of some historical and architectural interest.

At the foot of the fortifications, a statue of Christopher Columbus, Genoese adventurer and Calvais of birth. Some defend the idea that he was born in the citadel. Corsica (see the ruins labelled "Christopher Columbus's house") but Calvi is not the only one to lay claim to its birthplace... After climbing the stairs, you come to the entrance gate of the citadel, surmounted by a marble plaque bearing the city's motto: "civita semper fidelis", offered by the Genoese to the Corsican after the calvais in the 16th century in the face of Franco-Turkish troops... a motto that was taken up by France at the end of the 18th century, when the calvais will defend themselves against the English.

After passing through the gate, turn left and then right as you climb the hill, to admire the view of the navy from Calvi. The tower where salt was once stored can also be seen below on the left. The climb continues towards the highest point of the citadel, the church. On the Place d'Armes, the former governors' palace, which has been rebuilt twice in the history of the town. Corsica Genoa, the governors moved from Bastia to Calvi. Before entering the church, on the left you can admire the view of the Revellata, then on your right, a staircase leads past the ruins of Christopher Columbus's house... Turn right again and you're back at the church.

Village of Algajola

Village ofAlgajola (Algaiola): At the end of the beach dominates the fort ofAlgajola. You have to leave the main road to visit this village Corsica which for a long time was the smallest but one of the richest commercial ports in the Corsica.

It was founded a very long time ago, but it was the Genoese who turned it into a stronghold. Only the fort has been restored (private property), and the ramparts are in ruins, but there are still a few narrow streets to wander through, the top of which dates back to the 17th century.

On the higher ground after the bend in the road, you can see the ruins of the village of Lozzi which was abandoned in the 16th century. Below is the pleasant site of the Sant Ambroggio marina, home to the Club Med at its far end.