Scrubland, a key element of the Corsican landscape
"Macchia e Mare" (scrubland and sea): this association is so present that it serves as a sign for many Corsican establishments and businesses. The maquis and the sea, the big blue and the mysterious Corsica, the one where the child of the country feels at home, protected from everything. The Corsican scrubland resembles the Provençal scrubland, the one that can be found for example in the Maures or on Port-Cros, with some characteristics that give it a wilder and more impenetrable aspect. Two shrubs are particularly widespread: the arbutus and the cistus "of Montpellier". We also find thorny calycotomes, holm oaks, myrtles and pistachio trees. The Corsican maquis is so dense and grows so fast that only the shepherds and the regulars of the path know its secrets around the village. In each village, a few specialists can take you, day and night, through the rockrose and arbutus trees. For the walker, outside the marked paths, there is no chance of salvation. And yet, what beauty, what perfumes, what nature!
A diverse forest
Like the relief and the marine landscapes, the Corsican forest is very diversified, it can become a Norman beech forest, a Vosges forest or an Auvergne chestnut grove in a jiffy. To the west of Corte, in the valley of Niolu, there is the forest of Valdoniello. There grow beautiful laricio pines, some of which are among the most imposing on the island. From Evisa, from the junction with the road descending from the pass of Sevi, you can walk in the forest of Aïtone, grandiose with its 2,400 hectares dominated again by laricio pines and its breathtaking views over the valley of the same name. South of Corte, on the road to Ajaccio, facing the Monte d'Oro, is the forest of Vizzavona, composed of pines, but also of chestnut trees, alders and - as guest stars - firs, a rarity for Corsica! To go through it without effort, you can take the train from the station of Vizzavona. In the south-east of the island, between Porto-Vecchio and the Alta Rocca, you can also escape from the coast to discover the forest of Ospedale, refreshing with its waterfall called Piscia di Gallu. Finally, the region of Castagniccia offers the visitor the opportunity to discover, as its name indicates, a dense "chestnut grove" with its trees several times centenary with immense trunks and adorned with marvelous colors in the autumn.
From the scrub to the ocean, emblematic but sometimes endangered animals
Among the island's animals, the most legendary is undoubtedly the wild boar, known here as u cignale, which is often seen on the roadsides. Its cousin, the Corsican pig, also enjoys a certain notoriety, its meat being an integral part of the local gastronomy. Donkeys, foxes, cursinu dogs (shepherds' dogs) and hedgehogs are other familiar mammals you're likely to come across.
Like most islands, Corsica has a high level of endemism, with many of its own species, both marine and terrestrial. Among the mammals, many have unfortunately disappeared or are threatened. For example, the Corsican deer, also found in Sardinia, disappeared in the 1960s, before being reintroduced to the island in the 1980s. The Corsican mouflon, belonging more generally to the Mediterranean mouflon family, is another animal emblematic of the Corsican mountain landscape and a symbol of freedom for the locals. Leaping from rock to rock on the slopes of the Rizzanese or Monte Cinto with an agility that defies the laws of balance, it used to be found mainly around the Asco valley and the Col de Bavella. But the population is now down to around 500 individuals, and the Corsican mouflon is now a protected species.
On the sea side, Corsica is home to the bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus, which was considered common at the beginning of the century, but became particularly rare from the 1950s onwards. One of the main aims of the Life LINDA organization is to protect bottlenose dolphin populations in Corsica, by guaranteeing harmonious cohabitation between economic activities and the species. The Corsican seabed is home to many other species of mollusc, crustacean, coral and echinoderm, some of which are highly protected and whose fishing is regulated or even prohibited.
Natural parks to fight against the disappearance of species
To fight against the disappearance of these threatened species, Corsica has set up several protected natural areas. In addition to the advantages of such areas in terms of biodiversity, they are havens of peace for discovering nature by taking a respectful walk. To give just a few examples, the Scandola reserve, located between Calvi and Porto, is the first nature reserve in France to cover both the maritime and terrestrial domains, and has been classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Since 1975, more than one thousand hectares of land and one hundred kilometers of coastline are protected. It is home to many gulls, cormorants and sea eagles. The transparent waters, with inaccessible islets and caves, are home to a rich marine life. Its territory includes the municipalities of Osani, Ota, Partinello, Piana and Serriera. The other important reserves of the island are the Bouches de Bonifacio, the pond of Biguglia, the Sanguinaires islands in Ajaccio and the Ile aux Moines between Sartène and Figari.
Animal parks, educational farms and gardens to learn about the local fauna and flora
There are also several animal parks such as the turtle protection center in Cupulatta, the Capra Parc educational farm in Santa Lucia di Moriani or the natural park of Olva and the educational farm of Padula. As far as gardens are concerned, the Galéa park and the Saleccia park are the two must-sees. The latter, located on Ile Rousse, presents the flora of the Corsican maquis and the Mediterranean on 7 hectares of landscaped land (collections of olive trees, rosemary trees, oleanders, euphorbias, etc.). Panels accompany the progressive discovery of the place and allow the visitor to discover the botanical, historical, human and environmental aspects. Based on the respect and knowledge of the past, the patient rebirth of this seaside site is a hymn to the fierce beauty of this island and constitutes an act of faith in the future of Corsica.
