CORSE - TRIP REPORT

CORSE: PHOTOS AND TRIP REPORT

Here below some photos from Corse and an exciting trip report full of information. Check them out!
If you haven't seen it yet, there is a map of the travel itinerary (and more practictal info) here: www.wildtrips.net/corse.htm.

CORSE TRIP REPORT AND TRAVEL ITINERARY

In this page I describe a short trip in the north of the island, a nice summary of the wonders of Corsica.
For a holiday of a few days in August, in fact, the north has both the less crowded beaches and the rapidity (and convenience) of maritime connections with Livorno.
In this case, the ferry takes us from Tuscany to Ile Rousse. We arrive at 6:30 in the morning, after a windy sleep on the deck of the ship.
From Ile Rousse we drive to Calvi, where we stop to have breakfast and visit the historic citadel.

We leave at 9 am, just before the parking meters become active. Following the coast, we meet the Revellata peninsula, with its water of all shades of blue. We continue and between an exceptional view of the sea and another great view of the extraordinary cliffs we arrive at Galeria (we proceed slowly along the narrow roads, but surely we do not get bored nor we meet traffic!).

Here the river Fango flows into the sea creating a lagoon with a particular ecosystem that can be visited by canoe... a trip that does not particularly appeal us. Therefore, we prefer to walk on the long beach and play like children.

In the photos you will have noticed the typical overcrowding of August 16th...
Our goal is Porto, but before we reach it we see, from the panoramic road, some splendid little bays.

In the background there is the Scandola nature reserve, with its red promontory. We park and by a steep path in 20 minutes we reach the sea. That wonderful beach was waiting for us.

There are some people, perhaps coming from the Girolata through other paths. We trek back to the car and drive to Porto and then, along the incredible Calanques, to Piana (which was recommended to us by an Italian tourist we met along the street). In fact, the town perched on a hill, on the sea, is very picturesque.
The day has already been very long, we take the first hotel room (82 euros without breakfast), and go trekking along the scenic trail that offers some really remarkable views on the calanques.

The next morning we visit the long and sandy beach of Arona; then the weather gets clouded, ruining the colors of the landscapes. We give up the beautiful walk to the tower on the peninsula that extends after Piana and instead opt for a swim at the beach of Figajola.

Great place, even if a little crowded in August.
The we decide to leave for the interior of the island. So, between valleys, mountains, perched villages, goats and wild pigs, we move towards Corte, stopping right for a hot chocolate at Evisa and for a few short photographic walks here and there. Sometimes it rains, but we like this mountain landscape.
We arrive at Corte around 7 pm, we take the first hotel (not bad: central, with parking, 67 euros the double) and we go downtown to drink a Pietra beer in a quaint little square. Between bars and restaurants the beautiful historic center of Corte is really lively. Uphill alleys and stairways between old stone houses lead to the fascinating panoramic view of the city.

At the same panoramic point we return the next morning, to admire Corte and the surrounding mountains under a clear sky. Then we take the car and drive into the nearby Valle della Restonica. Here there are numerous tourists, but between a path and a mountain and a small river it is easy to enjoy nature in solitude. From the highest parking (6 euros) in an hour we arrive at the Lac du Melo following a steep, beautiful and popular path. The pond is amazing.

We have lunch and come back to the valley, where we stop to explore the river that forms an endless series of fantastic pools where you can swim in the summer - the water is cold, but so clear!

Leaving Corte, we drive northwards along scenic roads through the Agriates desert up to the port of Saint Florent, where we decide to stop at the campsite.
We are on the sea, at the base of the finger of Corse (the peninsula that juts out to the north), and exploring it all along the coast, on a beautiful day of sea and sun, is a great way to conclude our short, but very intense, trip in Corse.
The first notable point is Nonza, spectacularly perched on the sea above a huge black beach.

We arrive then to a small harbor where we rent a canoe with which we follow the cliffs.

We take the car back to a simple restaurant with a splendid view of the sea.

We drive to Centuri, where we stop to take another swim and admire the coast. We continue the tour, admire the islet of Giraglia from above (in front of Cape Corse, the northenmost point of the island). Here there are beautiful beaches like Barcaggio and Cala Genovese. We reach the east coast of Corse. Here too the sea is clear and inviting, so, south of Macinaggio, we explore a stretch of rocky coast on foot and take another swim. Then we arrive at the picturesque village of Erbalunga, with its old houses that rise from the sea.

The restaurants of Erbalunga are beautiful but expensive, so we continue to Bastia, with its historical center. We visit town and have dinner and we drive to the nearby ferry port, where we embark. We arrive in Livorno at 6 am, ready to live another day.

Finally, should I add some brief considerations about Corse? Yes. So, the places are spectacular; personally, the interior has fascinated me as much as the sea. The finger is beautiful, and perhaps it would be (slightly more) more beautiful if visited in the opposite direction as we did, so you always drive on the side of the sea, more panoramic. There are areas of Corse even more spectacular, but as for the north I would say that we did the best, apart from the Agriates coast. The beauty of this island is that you can visit it many times discovering always new landscapes and living new emotions. Also along the finger or in the Calanques area there are many other trails and bays to explore. In short, it is absolutely worth the trip and for those who love nature and activities in nature (trekking, canoeing, snorkeling, but also sailing, climbing and even ski mountaineering), Corse is truly the ideal island.
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