Introduction
An island to suit both the rugged bulls and the lounge lizards. Balzac described Corsica as 'a French island basking in the Italian sun', but the island has a singular character that is entirely its own. This beautiful, wild playground is the ultimate combination destination - physical exertion in the elements by day, French wine and cuisine by evening.
Proud, wild, defiantly independent and just a touch old-fashioned, Corsica is in many ways a separate nation to the rest of France. In fact, the island has been French for only 200 of its 4000-year history, and the island's unique culture, music and language have survived intact despite a couple of centuries of French rule.
Geography:
Almost nose-to-nose in the Mediterranean Sea with its Italian cousin Sardinia, Corsica sits at about knee height across the water from Italy's boot. Extending the physiological metaphor, the island looks a little like a hand, with a finger (Cap Corse) pointing sternly up towards its former master, Genoa. Corsica - or Corse, as it's known in French - is around a fifth the size of Switzerland and represents just 1.6% of all French territory. A land of incredible landscapes and amazing geological history, Corsica has 43 glacier lakes and mountains that rise up thousands of metres.
Destination Facts
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 8722
Population: 260000
Languages: French is the official language and spoken by everyone; regionally however you will come across Flemish, Alsacian, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Proven ç al and Corsican as well.
Currency: euro (€)
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Area codes: The whole island is covered by 04 95, which you have to dial regardless of where you're calling from.
Getting there and away
There are a few reasons why Corsica has remained relatively unspoilt, and one of them is that it's not the easiest place to get to. It's not on any of the major air routes, so you need to get to continental Europe and then make your way across to the island. Most air travellers will pass through a French connecting airport; Nice is the closest. The main operators to the island are Air France (www.airfrance.com) and Compagnie Corse Mediteran é e (www.ccm-airlines.com). Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari are all serviced with modern airports. Watch out, airport taxes can be quite expensive because you pay for both departure and arrival. Road and rail are also options - if you can get yourself to continental Europe's coast, you can complete your journey by ferry. Approaching Corsica by sea is a great experience, and also underscores the island's remote position from the continent. From France, the Nice-Calvi/ Î le Rousse route is the fastest and cheapest - just three hours on the NGV (high-speed ferry); car ferries take around nine hours, often travelling overnight. Ferries also leave the mainland from Marseille and Toulon, and dock in Bastia and Ajaccio. Leaving from Italy is cheapest, with the Livorno-Bastia trip by NGV a lightning-fast two hours or four by slow boat. From Piombino by slow boat it takes three and a half hours, while Genoa-Bastia takes six and a half. You can also leave from Savona and dock in Bastia or Calvi. Heading south, it's a hop, skip and jump by boat from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa de Gallura in Sardinia. If you want to experience some yesteryear romance on the high seas, reserve an overnight berth in an older ferry. Be sure to book ahead for all ferries in high season, and remember that ferries can be cancelled at very short notice due to bad weather.
Getting around
Getting around Corsica can be almost as tricky as getting to it. Despite the four airports on the island, you can't fly internally, so be prepared to get out on the roads. Buses serve all the major towns on the island and many of the little ones in between. Unfortunately, regular departures aren't their strong suit. If you're limited to public transport be prepared to shape your itinerary around (frustratingly) infrequent buses and the routes they ply. Train travel is also somewhat circumscribed, with journeys limited to the main Bastia-Ajaccio via Corte line and the Ponte Leccia- Î le Rousse-Algajola-Calvi spur. Still, the Corsican rail network was built in the heroic age of railroad building, and the scenery as well as the engineering brilliance of 38 tunnels, 34 viaducts and 12 bridges (one of them an Eiffel masterpiece) make rolling the rails a unique experience. Driving yourself around offers the most flexibility; however, the narrow roads, blind hairpin bends, sheer drops, impatient locals, parking problems and traffic jams in towns not built for cars all make for less than pleasant motoring. Cycling is a popular way to get around and you can hire mountain bikes throughout the island. Most towns are small enough to simply walk around, although the larger Ajaccio and Bastia make it easier with local bus services. Elsewhere you may find yourself reliant on taxis.
Weather
The Mediterranean climate, characterised by summer droughts and sun, gives Corsica an average annual temperature of 12 ° C (53 ° F). Between June and September, average temperatures often exceed 25 ° C (80 ° F), in July and August temperatures can sizzle above 35 ° C (90 ° F). Spring and autumn are both fine, with average temperatures of around 15 ° C (27 ° F) and maximum temperatures of around 20 ° C (70 ° F).
Places of Interest
Balzac described Corsica as 'a French island basking in the Italian sun', but the island has a singular character that is entirely its own. This beautiful, wild playground is the ultimate combination destination - physical exertion in the elements by day, French wine and cuisine by evening.
Proud, wild, defiantly independent and just a touch old-fashioned, Corsica is in many ways a separate nation to the rest of France. In fact, the island has been French for only 200 of its 4000-year history, and the island's unique culture, music and language have survived intact despite a couple of centuries of French rule.
Related City: Paris City, Bordeaux City, France Contry
An island to suit both the rugged bulls and the lounge lizards. Balzac described Corsica as 'a French island basking in the Italian sun', but the island has a singular character that is entirely its own. This beautiful, wild playground is the ultimate combination destination - physical exertion in the elements by day, French wine and cuisine by evening.
Proud, wild, defiantly independent and just a touch old-fashioned, Corsica is in many ways a separate nation to the rest of France. In fact, the island has been French for only 200 of its 4000-year history, and the island's unique culture, music and language have survived intact despite a couple of centuries of French rule.
Geography:
Almost nose-to-nose in the Mediterranean Sea with its Italian cousin Sardinia, Corsica sits at about knee height across the water from Italy's boot. Extending the physiological metaphor, the island looks a little like a hand, with a finger (Cap Corse) pointing sternly up towards its former master, Genoa. Corsica - or Corse, as it's known in French - is around a fifth the size of Switzerland and represents just 1.6% of all French territory. A land of incredible landscapes and amazing geological history, Corsica has 43 glacier lakes and mountains that rise up thousands of metres.
Time zone: GMT +1
Area: 8722
Population: 260000
Languages: French is the official language and spoken by everyone; regionally however you will come across Flemish, Alsacian, Breton, Basque, Catalan, Proven ç al and Corsican as well.
Currency: euro (€)
Daylight Saving: From last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October
Area codes: The whole island is covered by 04 95, which you have to dial regardless of where you're calling from.
Getting there and away
There are a few reasons why Corsica has remained relatively unspoilt, and one of them is that it's not the easiest place to get to. It's not on any of the major air routes, so you need to get to continental Europe and then make your way across to the island. Most air travellers will pass through a French connecting airport; Nice is the closest. The main operators to the island are Air France (www.airfrance.com) and Compagnie Corse Mediteran é e (www.ccm-airlines.com). Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari are all serviced with modern airports. Watch out, airport taxes can be quite expensive because you pay for both departure and arrival. Road and rail are also options - if you can get yourself to continental Europe's coast, you can complete your journey by ferry. Approaching Corsica by sea is a great experience, and also underscores the island's remote position from the continent. From France, the Nice-Calvi/ Î le Rousse route is the fastest and cheapest - just three hours on the NGV (high-speed ferry); car ferries take around nine hours, often travelling overnight. Ferries also leave the mainland from Marseille and Toulon, and dock in Bastia and Ajaccio. Leaving from Italy is cheapest, with the Livorno-Bastia trip by NGV a lightning-fast two hours or four by slow boat. From Piombino by slow boat it takes three and a half hours, while Genoa-Bastia takes six and a half. You can also leave from Savona and dock in Bastia or Calvi. Heading south, it's a hop, skip and jump by boat from Bonifacio to Santa Teresa de Gallura in Sardinia. If you want to experience some yesteryear romance on the high seas, reserve an overnight berth in an older ferry. Be sure to book ahead for all ferries in high season, and remember that ferries can be cancelled at very short notice due to bad weather.
Getting around Corsica can be almost as tricky as getting to it. Despite the four airports on the island, you can't fly internally, so be prepared to get out on the roads. Buses serve all the major towns on the island and many of the little ones in between. Unfortunately, regular departures aren't their strong suit. If you're limited to public transport be prepared to shape your itinerary around (frustratingly) infrequent buses and the routes they ply. Train travel is also somewhat circumscribed, with journeys limited to the main Bastia-Ajaccio via Corte line and the Ponte Leccia- Î le Rousse-Algajola-Calvi spur. Still, the Corsican rail network was built in the heroic age of railroad building, and the scenery as well as the engineering brilliance of 38 tunnels, 34 viaducts and 12 bridges (one of them an Eiffel masterpiece) make rolling the rails a unique experience. Driving yourself around offers the most flexibility; however, the narrow roads, blind hairpin bends, sheer drops, impatient locals, parking problems and traffic jams in towns not built for cars all make for less than pleasant motoring. Cycling is a popular way to get around and you can hire mountain bikes throughout the island. Most towns are small enough to simply walk around, although the larger Ajaccio and Bastia make it easier with local bus services. Elsewhere you may find yourself reliant on taxis.
The Mediterranean climate, characterised by summer droughts and sun, gives Corsica an average annual temperature of 12 ° C (53 ° F). Between June and September, average temperatures often exceed 25 ° C (80 ° F), in July and August temperatures can sizzle above 35 ° C (90 ° F). Spring and autumn are both fine, with average temperatures of around 15 ° C (27 ° F) and maximum temperatures of around 20 ° C (70 ° F).
Places of Interest
Balzac described Corsica as 'a French island basking in the Italian sun', but the island has a singular character that is entirely its own. This beautiful, wild playground is the ultimate combination destination - physical exertion in the elements by day, French wine and cuisine by evening.
Related City: Paris City, Bordeaux City, France Contry
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