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 Jeff Steiner's Americans in France.Resource for people that would like to live or travel in France. |
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AttractionsCorsica
Located in the Mediterranean Sea, closer to Italy than France you will find Corsica. The island the French call the Île de Beauté – Island of Beauty, deserves every bit this nickname. Technically part of France yet independent at heart, Corsica today is arguably France’s most beautiful holiday destination.
To outsiders Corsica is probably best known as the birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte (in Ajaccio) and perhaps, if you believe local legend Christopher Columbus. But to anyone who has visited Corsica, it forever leaves a memory imprint, thanks to its natural beauty.
Corsica is a unique setting - beaches next to mountains, mountains next to the sea, lots of sun and the warm Mediterranean Sea to swim in. This mix of sun, warm sea, beaches and mountains can’t be found anywhere else in France. You can also find stunning Limestone cliffs in Bonifacio.
Corsica can also offer an active vacation. There is the GR20, a hiking trail that runs for 112 miles from the north of the island near Calvi to the south near Conca. In addition Corsica offers scuba diving with Calvi having a downed WWII B-17 bomber not far from its harbor.
The crossroads of Corsica is Corte, the once capital of the island. Corte is a small town but worth a visit.
Thanks to a small, but active independent movement Corsica isn’t overly built with endless hotels and resorts. The reason is that every now and then a home owned by non-Corsicans will be vandalized. This is rare but does happen. As a tourist you have nothing to worry about. Tourism is the life blood of Corsica and independentists would be even less popular if they did something against tourists. Other activism includes the painting over of street signs, so only the Corsican is legible. When driving in Corsica it’s best to know the Corsican name of where you want to go!
Travel Tips:
- As stated above Italy is closer to Corsica than France. This means that taking a ferry from Italy to Corsica is cheaper than leaving from France. One of the cheaper ferry runs is Genoa in Northern Italy to Bastia.
- Corsica has four airports – Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari (near Bonifacio). Each has low cost flights from mainland France and Europe.
- Rent a long stay apartment or home where you will have your own kitchen for cooking. Meaning you won’t have to eat out every night.
- Corsica is small but so are the roads. It’s not made for biking, best way to get around is by car. There is a train system between Ajaccio in the south and Bastia and Calvi in the north. But trains don’t run all that often, typical is one train in the morning another in the afternoon/evening.
Related Videos:
Pigs in Corsica
Mountains in Corsica
Le Petit Train de Corte
Napoleon's Home
Fish Market in Ajaccio
Beaches in Corsica
Port of Ajaccio
Napoleonic Soldiers
Filitosa Prehistoric Site
On and off a Ferry
Ajaccio to Iles Sanguinaires
Rue Fesch Ajaccio
Narrow Winding Road in Corsica
Ajaccio Market
Related Article:
Newsletter September 2010
Related Links:
A Circuit of Corsica
12th Air Force Groups on Corsica - 1944
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