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Corsica is a walker's paradise: the island is criss-crossed with paths leading from coast to coast and into otherwise inaccessible mountain areas. Walking options offer something for all levels of ambition and ability. But if you feel like getting wet, the Corsican waters are jewel-clear and great for diving.
Just back from the ferry terminal lies Place St-Nicolas. The beating heart of city life, this 19th-century square is lined with trees and cafes, and at the southern end, a bizarre statue of Napoleon Bonaparte depicted as a muscle-bound Roman emperor stands guard, ringed by a phalanx of palm trees.
Blvd Général de Gaulle
The Col de Bavella (Bavella Pass) is overlooked by the imposing silhouette of one of the most striking and beautiful landscape features in the south of Corsica: the sharp points of Aiguilles de Bavella, also called the Bavella Needles. If you're lucky you may spot a few of the mouflons (wild mountain sheep) that sashay around the area.
The peaks, which rise to a height of more than 1600m (5250ft) and which are also known as the Cornes d'Asinao (Asinao Horns), are jagged points whose colour ranges from ochre to golden depending on the position of the sun in the sky. Behind these stone 'needles' looms the profile of Monte Incudine (2134m/7000ft), which the GR20 links to the Col de Bavella. From the pass you can see the statue of Notre Dame des Neiges (Our Lady of the Snows). The Bavella massif is a wonderful place for climbing, canyoning and walking. There is a high-mountain spur of the GR20 that splits off beyond Notre Dame des Neiges and allows you to approach the peaks.
southern Corsica
Flaming a fiery red in the sunlight, the giant granite cliffs and outcrops of Les Calanques de Piana (E Calanche in Corsican) are a spectacular landscape of red granite cliffs and spiky outcrops, carved into bizarre shapes by the forces of wind and water.
The multicoloured spires tower 300m above the deep-blue waters of the sea below and are beautifully contrasted by the green foliage of pine and chestnut forests. Though dazzling from the road, you have to take to one of the clifftop walking trails to truly appreciate the views.
walking take the marked trail off the D81 about 1.5km north of Piana
The citadel (often referred to as Haute Ville, upper town) is the main town centre. Set on the cliff-top promontory 70m above the harbour, the northern side overlooks Bonifacio Sound, while the southern ramparts give you dreamy views of Sardinia. On all sides, white limestone cliffs drop vertically and dramatically into the sea.
Within the clifftop citadel is a charming maze of alleyways with a distinct mediaeval feel.
Bonifacio
Filitosa's megaliths and menhirs have been surveyed since their accidental discovery in 1946 by the land's owner, Charles-Antoine Césari. Set amongst 1000-year-old olive trees, some of these extraordinary monuments date as far back as the early Neolithic era; others date from as (relatively) recently as Roman times. A museum at the site displays major finds.
Impressive granite menhir statues of the megalithic era stand 2-3m (7-10ft) high and are carved to represent human faces or entire human figures armed with weapons. There are also torri, circular structures erected in place of some menhirs by the Torréens, a seafaring people who invaded Corsica in about 110 BC. Once you've seen the sights you can quench your thirst in the bar or top up your trinket collection at the souvenir shop.
tel info 04 95 74 00 91
Rooted in central Corsica, Corte is a potent symbol of Corsican independence. It was the 18th-century capital of Pascal Paoli's short-lived Corsican state and remains the cultural and spiritual heart of the island. A youthful university town, it's the liveliest and least touristy of the region.
The town is dominated by a partly derelict citadel, the only such fortress in the interior of the island, which towers above the town from a rocky promontory. Also of note is the Genoese-built National Palace, the Musée de la Corse and, of course, the Univerità di Corsica Pasquale Paoli.
Corte is an excellent base for walking. Some of the choicest trails begin about 16km (10mi) south-west of Corte at Bergeries de Grotelle; trails from here lead to a number of glacial lakes. Around Corte the Valée de la Restonica is a highlight: a series of natural gorges and basins offer beautiful swimming spots and there is great hiking. Buses run to a range of destinations, and there are plenty of trains going to Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi, Île Rousse and Vizzavona.
The Niolo region, around Calacuccia, northwest of Corte, is the all but perfect playpen for outdoor sports enthusiasts. Guides, some of them skilled in mountaineering, can help both beginners and proficient climbers up the peaks of Cuccia and Calasima.
You can also explore the canyons of the Ruda and the Frascaghju, or kayak in the Golo. Organised hikes to the top of Monte Cinto, Corsica's highest peak, are offered several times a week. You can also take an organised walk to the Lac de Nino peat bogs.
The Assocation Sportive et Culturelle du Niolu and the Compagnie Régionale des Guides et Accompagnateurs en Montagne de Corse offer more information and can be found just outside Calacuccia on the Scala di Santa Regina side.
Not too far from Filitosa, Sartène is a reminder of what Corsica used to be like, perpetuating traditions that go back to the Middle Ages. It was the seat of many a famous inter-family and even inter-township vendetta; novelist Mérimée called it 'the most Corsican of all Corsican towns'.
If you're interested in piety (or masochism) visit on the eve of Good Friday so witness a macabre tradition from the Middle Ages, the Procession du Catenacciu. An anonymous, barefoot penitent carries a huge 32kg (70lb) oak cross through the town, dragging a heavy 14kg (30lb) chain at his feet.
The penitent is selected by the parish priest from applicants seeking to expiate a grave sin, and there is much curiosity about the identity of the person in chains. The town is an easy 1.5-hour bus ride from Ajaccio.
There is a breathtaking number of public holidays and special events celebrated in Corsica. July, August and September are particularly busy months for this partying population. In typical French style, a surfeit of events are food and produce related, others are religious, and many have a music focus.
Among the highlights of February is Renno's A Tumbera: Foire du Porc Coureur, a festival that celebrates a Corsican variety of mountain pig. Held during Holy Week in March or April, La Passion is a major Corsican-language event retracing the Passion of Christ. Also at this time is the Processions de la Semaine Sainte; the most famous processions are those in Bonifacio and Sartène. April is the month for food. Easter weekend in Piedicroce features A Merendella in Castagniccia, a fair for local farm products, while Journée du Brocciu, held in Piana at the end of April, celebrates Corsica's world-famous cheese.
On 2 June the fishing boats are blessed for St-Érasme in Ajaccio, Bastia and Calvi. July features the island's leading annual wine event, Foire de Vi de Luri, on Cap Corse; and in Bastia there's the Relève des Gouverneurs, a costume pageant retracing the arrival of the Genoese governors. Also in July, you can catch one of Europe's largest guitar festivals, the Nuits de la Guitare à Patrimonio, in this small village about 10km (6.2mi) west of Bastia. Fêtes Napoléoniennes d'Ajaccio culminates on 15 August, the birthday of the city's leading native son. September sees the Recontres de Chants Polyphoniques de Calvi in the fantastic setting of the citadel. In December the oldest and most important fair in Corsica, Foire à la Chataigne, held in Bocognano, honours the humble chestnut.
Public Holidays: 1 January - New Year's Day March or April - Easter Sunday and Monday 1 May - Labour Day 8 May - Victoire 1945 (VE) Day 40th day after Easter - Ascension 8th Sunday & Monday after Easter - Pentecost/Whit Sunday & Monday 14 July - Bastille Day 15 August - Assumption Day (Napoleon's birthday) 1 November - All Saints' Day 11 November - Armistice Day 25 December - Christmas
