A Little Trip to Corsica

First day: Bastia Saint-Florent

Thursday July 31, 2008 Bastia: we arrive in Bastia at 2:30 PM and after about an hour of procedures and traffic jam I manage to take the road to Saint-Florent. After about 25 kilometers and 40 minutes of narrow road, dotted with ongoing construction, without guardrails and with few notable views, I arrive in Saint-Florent. A small tourist center complete with everything, very well kept with a beautiful port and a small citadel (there were evening concerts by Corsican artists) and a beautiful view.It also has a beautiful bay and a fairly nice beach with white, very fine sand, which becomes hard in the sea. There are many accommodations. I slept at a camping Aqua Dolce, so-so. In the evening I took a walk around the center and the port, full of yachts. Anyway, a few hours are enough to discover it all.

I should have gone to the beaches of LODO and SALECCIA by motorboat, but the schedules and the exorbitant price (15 euros) made me change my mind.

Second Day: Ostriconi, Lozari, Ile-rouse, Corbara, Calvi

Friday August 1: at 9:00 AM from Saint-Florent I head towards Ile-Rousse, passing through the Agriate desert. From the road you can't fully appreciate the beauty of this place. It's about 40 km of narrow road and obviously all curves. 10 km before Ile-Rousse, you come out onto the D18 and after 4 km there is the beach of OSTRICONI. You can sleep at the campsite of the same name. Beautiful beach, with a wetland area, and with some nudists. At the far right there are beautiful rocks with marvelous inlets. There is a path of about 20 minutes that leads to other enchanted beaches.I stay until 1:00 PM. I head to Ile-Rousse, but I stop after 4 km at the beach of LOZARI, also very beautiful: white sand but not fine: dunes, beach and sea at the top, less so the panorama.

At 3:00 PM I go towards Ile-Rousse which has a beautiful beach and a beautiful center..but I can't find a place to park, so I go further, up to CORBARA with its two beaches: Bodri and Giuncheddu also beautiful but not exceptional: you pay for parking. Nice the little train that passes almost on the beach. Here too there is a campsite on the beach: BODRI. I realize I've gotten a good sunburn: I shelter under some rocks. At 6:00 PM I head towards CALVI, passing through Algajola and Marina San Ambrogio, the latter is a large Residence, very beautiful and with many beautiful villas and greenery with a nice little port and a beautiful beach In practice it's private property. I wanted to go to Punta Caldano, but I couldn't find the little road. Since I was sunburned, I went to the cool in the mountains to seek refreshment.

Before Lumio there is a scenic little road of about 10 km that goes around the mountain. Worth seeing. Passing through LUMIO, a very beautiful little village, with a nice view of the gulf of Calvi, you arrive at Calvi. I shelter under the very well-kept pine grove, with attractions and climbing games and slides for adults and children.Here too there is a nice town beach, therefore very crowded and the usual little train that passes on the beach. After a good rest in the cool I found the camping Bella Vista. Very nice, clean and located in a beautiful area, near the citadel/Port. In the evening I took a nice walk around the port which became an open-air restaurant, the citadel with just as many restaurants (expensive, too expensive for my pockets). I attended a little jazz concert, I walked around the shops and stalls. CALVI is the typical ideal citadel to live in. 10 and praise.

Third day: Calvi, Porto, Girolata, CALANCHE, Piano, Arona.

Saturday August 2 at 9:00 AM: departure for GALERIA. I wanted to make a stop at the promontory RAVELLATA, but with the car it's not possible. I took the usual photos and left again, passing through the usual winding roads. Beautiful landscapes. The Nighiarettu is not much, can be skipped.Passing through San Quilico (2 houses) and Argentella (4 houses) with its black beach that I didn't see, I arrive at Galeria, also with a black beach. Here there is the famous river FANGO, from the photos seen on Google earth it's very beautiful, but in August it also goes on vacation: dry as Fassino. I take a walk around the town, talk to a couple of elderly people who with a mix of Italian, Corsu and French point me to CALCA, where you can take photos and leave for mountain hikes.

At 1:00 PM I head towards PORTO and after 10,000 curves I arrive at a clearing where you can see the entire bay of GIROLATA, which cannot be reached by land. FANTASTIC. Now you can go down towards the valley where there is another viewpoint at CURZO: it's a little bar with a path that goes to a beach (30 minutes) and the panoramic one (5 minutes). Before Porto there is another pebble beach with very cold water: nice place. Arrived at Porto I catch my breath a bit. I take a walk around the little shops, photos of the Genoese tower, the port, the river and a refreshing dip on the pebble beach. Very nice place overall.drank a PIETRA beer: 4 euros. @#à!&!*!! At 5:00 PM I leave for Piana: after 20 minutes there are the CALANCHE: a walk of about 20 minutes on foot among the rock formations: NOT to be missed, although very dangerous.Some people bring their children there with flip-flops.

Crazy! I arrive in Piana and almost feel embarrassed: a little jewel. Beautiful. It's 7:20 PM and I decide to do another 8 km to the marina of Piana, Arzona where there is also the campsite. Along the way there are fantastic panoramas. I arrive at the beach and notice that it's truly beautiful. There are only two restaurants, 2-3 little houses, a bar-restaurant and the campsite and many boats. Wonderful place.

Fourth Day: Piana, Marchese, Cargese, Tiuccia, Ajaccio, Sanguinaires Islands

Sunday 03 at 9:00 AM I return to Piana: I stop to take more photos and drink a Nesquik coffee in a little bar, from where hikes on the mountain or the promontory depart. I stop in Piana, photos and a little video and off towards Marchese, where the beach is not much, immediately towards Cargese just a few km away: this place is very beautiful, it has a supermarket that creates a big mess of cars. Beautiful panoramas and by chance I see a little beach. I stop and after 10 min on foot I arrive at a nice place:Rocca Marina, beautiful beach, like the ones seen in Salento. I eat and at 1:00 PM off towards Tiuccia. I encounter other beautiful beaches: plain de Soleil and Sagone. You have to stop. Then there is also the beach of Esigna, also very beautiful. Finally I arrive at TIUCCIA, at the mouth of the river: Fantastic.

Beautiful sand, dunes, sea and freshwater pond all very beautiful, too bad about the road bridge. I'm only 20 km from Ajaccio. At 6:00 PM I leave for Ajaccio, I see 2 other small beaches and after a few minutes I head to the center of Ajaccio, going towards the Sanguinarie islands: 3 islets with a Genoese tower on the promontory. All very beautiful. If you want to climb be careful because if you fall there are no shrubs to hold you. At 9:00 PM I return towards Ajaccio, where I notice that 8 km from the center there is also a beautiful beach with nice sand and red rocks. I found a nice campsite. In the evening I went for a walk around the historic center and the port: I was lucky: I attended the fireworks, a Corsican music concert, a jazz one, many stalls and many restaurants (expensive of course) and in the port dozens of Mega, super luxurious yachts.

It was said that George Clooney's yacht was there: the TT Silver. Indeed it was there. but it seemed empty. There was also a super British yacht with lots of guards on the sides.

Fifth day: Ajaccio, Corte, Bastia

Monday 6:00 am Departure for Bastia (160 km) in two stages: 80 to CORTE and 75 to Bastia. From Bocognano to Corte there are only climbs and curves but in a wonderful landscape: woods, streams, cliffs, little villages and fantastic views. 8:00 am After two hours I arrive at Corte still asleep. Wonderful town. Absolutely worth seeing. 11:00 am I leave for Bastia and arrive there after 2 hours due to truck traffic. Before Bastia I stop at a very well-equipped beach, also to take a nice cold shower. 1:30 pm I head to the port. 2:30 pm we depart. Goodbye Corsica....but only for this year.

Wonderful island, to visit several times, to return to in every season to discover every corner of this beautiful island. Kalliste... "the most beautiful."

Tips: 1- restaurant prices are high. 2- Corsicans drive like crazy: watch out for "blind" curves. 3 - find a good guidebook to visit all the natural sites and historic villages. They are endless.