It is not for nothing that it is nicknamed the Island of Beauty! In the south of France, in the heart of the Mediterranean, Corsica enchants us. This mountainous island offers a rare natural heritage, a strong identity and an authentic culture, without forgetting a crystal clear sea. But in winter, if the temperatures remain mild, its summits are covered with a white coat and one can then practise skiing and make excursions in snowshoes in family stations, taste with delight the specialities of the island and benefit from many winter pleasures. Corsica as you have never seen it before!
The unmissable landscapes of Corsica
In winter, whether by the sea or in the mountains, we meditate in front of the sumptuous beauty of the landscapes. We take the time for an aperitif, a meal of Corsican delicacies which is prolonged of palaver in tastings. A miniature continent, Corsica offers a wide variety of landscapes and its exotic sunny flavours all year round. And with 330,000 inhabitants in winter, half as many as in summer, you get the impression that you have the island all to yourself! Wild and welcoming at the same time, preserved but open, dignified and voluptuous, soft and rough, Corsica is unique and generates as many strong emotions as surprises. Among the island's must-sees are the beaches of Porto-Vecchio, Cape Corsica and Calvi, Bastia and Bonifacio, the citadel of Corte, the museum of Aléria and its archaeological site. The magnificent Bavella massif, for its part, attracts hikers and climbers. You must visit the Palais Fesch, the Fine Arts Museum of Ajaccio, the nature reserve of the Lavezzi islands, without forgetting to go with your nose to the wind, to stop over in the villages, to meet the producers of jams, charcuterie or Corsican cheeses. Because it must be said that the local gastronomy is exceptional! One recognizes there, certainly, a Mediterranean identity: the long Genoese domination involved important similarities with the Italian cooking: use of pasta and olive oil in particular. But the Corsican cuisine is also the fruit of its insularity and its relief; the Mediterranean cuisine, based on sea products, mixes there with a robust mountain cuisine made in particular of cold cuts. The excellent local charcuterie is one of the Corsican flagships of the island's agricultural products, with lilting names and delicious flavours. This traditional charcuterie, made exclusively in winter, is the expression of an exceptional link to the land, bringing into play the know-how of a local breed of pig, "Nustrale", reared on the land and fed with acorns or chestnuts.
Finally, why not attend a workshop to discover essential oils or learn the Corsican language? Original and authentic!
South Corsica, nature in all its splendour
South Corsica is the queen region of the island of Beauty. It encompasses a magnificent diversity of landscapes, each more beautiful than the next. Kilometres of beaches and creeks, protected natural sites, Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio so different and complementary, mountainous massifs which make the happiness of the hikers and the amateurs of green sports. Especially in winter, when the snow covers the massifs and offers enchanting landscapes. With always a huge blue sky..
In the far south, the hinterland offers remarkable viewpoints which can be reached via beautiful sites where nature expresses itself to the full: the Uomo di Cagna and the plain of Figari, with its renowned vineyards, are particularly worth a visit. Further east, just a few minutes away, the Ospedale forest and the Bavella peaks dominate the Alta Rocca massifs with their steep rivers and authentic villages, in a sumptuous setting. The Alta Rocca is a superb green and mountainous region, formerly under the domination of the lords of the Rocca. And it is a choice spot for the motorist, the motorcyclist or the cyclist, but also for the walker who finds at his disposal a great number of marked out paths crossing in all the directions an important part of the regional Park... And the diversity of landscapes which compose this area offers a flora and a fauna of an exceptional richness. With 9,000 years of history, this natural paradise is one of the oldest populated places in Corsica. Numerous archaeological sites still bear witness to the presence of humans. Named "the land of the lords" in the Middle Ages, the region is marked by a tragic past of vendetta between Corsican families and resistance against the Genoese power.
Finally, going back north, the Ajaccio hinterland is revealed by taking the RT20 and then following the small departmental roads, to reach the villages clinging to the mountainside on either side of the river A Gravona. At the gates ofAjaccio, it touches the western part of the Monte d'Oro and Renosu massifs, with further on the beautiful forest massif of Vizzanova and its cascade des Anglais. If there are very beautiful spots of canyoning on the Gravona river near Bocognano, the village also reveals its charms in winter. Bocognano is a large mountain village formed by a series of hamlets on a mountain slope, offering a typical landscape of the region. To the east of the village is Mount Renoso, which frames the Gravona valley from its 2,352 metres. You can also see the widest eternal snow of all Corsica, at the glacier of Busso. Its natural heritage, the purity of its springs, the quality of its welcome make it a sought-after climatic and summer resort near Ajaccio. One of the hamlets of Bocognano, Poggiola, is proud to have been the cradle of Napoleon's grandmother, and to have welcomed, as a child, the future Emperor, who later built a palace, U Palazzu, in gratitude for the hospitality of Bocognano. U Palazzu is home to an eco-museum dedicated to the traditional way of life in the region and its special history with the Emperor.
Useful information
When to visit? If you go to the island when the fine spring days arrive, going there in winter is a guarantee of discovering it in a different way, off the beaten track, taking your time.
How to get there. By plane or by car or by train then by boat.
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Useful. To prepare at best its Corsican escapade.
AGENCE DE TOURISME DE LA CORSE - More information on the website
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