Corsica is a French island but has only been in French hands for the last two hundred years. In the Mediterranean sea off the South Cote d'Azur of France and the east coast of Spain, Corsica is a popular holiday destination and easy to enjoy.
Things to see and do:
- Olives - Because of the fine weather, southern location and fertile soil, Corsica is rich in olive groves which means you can pick up great olives and good quality oil reasonably cheaply.
- Festivals - The island celebrates its native culture with a number of festivals throughout the year, for example A Tumbera in February which celebrates the Corsican mountain pig, and Journee de Brocciu in April which celebrates a native cheese.
- Ajaccio - The Birthplace of Napoleon and the biggest town on the island has plenty of places to stay, eat, play and shop.
- Corte is a university town in the centre of the island which was once declared an independent state in the eighteenth century.
Getting there:
To get to Corsica you'll need to fly to Nice and then either get a connecting internal flight or catch the ferry. Flights are the quickest way to get to the island and if you book online you'll find they come quite cheaply.
Location and weather:
Corsica is actually closer to Italy than France, lying just over fifty miles off the former’s west coast. Genoa lies due north, Monaco and Nice to the northwest, and Sardinia to the south. The climate is typically Mediterranean: summer temperatures reach the thirties and there’s very little rain; winters are cooler and wetter but the temperature rarely strays into single figures.
Top tip:
Visit Filitosa in the south west of the island to see statues erected by Corsica’s prehistoric inhabitants. |
