European Caribbean – Welcome to Corsica!
European Caribbean – Welcome to Corsica!
I actually didn’t know a lot about Corsica before. All I knew was that it is located in the Mediterranean Sea next to Italy and the much more known island of Sardinia and that it was good for camping and hiking, but also had nice beaches. When me and my family were thinking where to go in Summer, Corsica popped into my head and once I googled it, I was hooked. The color of the water was insane and not only on one, but on several beaches. Like the Caribbean but right in the middle of Europe. Too good to be true?
Well, some time passed and we still weren’t sure what to do when about 10 days before actually leaving, we luckily found two rooms in a small hotel in a tiny village in northern Corsica. Last available. We booked. Was that a good sign? Well, let me tell you IT WAS.
GENERAL TIPS
Rent a car
Corsica is bigger than you might think and if you want to get to some beaches other than the one in your village or visit a village in the mountains, a car is a must-have. Plus the island is NOT flat so if you don’t want to hike in order to get somewhere in the inland, you pretty much have to rent a car. There is almost no public transport unless a little train that drives from the North to the South of the island (which takes 6 hours total) but that train doesn’t come that often and also isn’t the fastest 😉
Take enough cash with you
I don’t know about the South of Corsica but in the Northwest area where we stayed there were almost no ATM’s besides Calvi and l’Ile Rousse. We had to drive to one outside of our village and when we arrived there, there was actually no cash left in the ATM. This alone would not be that big of a deal but in many restaurants you could just pay with cash so just make sure you do have cash on you otherwise it might be difficult to pay in some areas.
Off season
The high season in Corsica starts in the beginning of July. Luckily, we managed to be there just before, during the last week of June and honestly, it was really pleasant. There were clearly people on the island and we weren’t completely alone but we never felt like we were in a crowded place. We had plenty of space on the beach, got a table in restaurants without a reservation and we could book tours quite spontaneously. Maybe a part of this is also due to the relatively small village we stayed in but I clearly recommend that you go to Corsica during off season whenever you can.
How to get there
So to go to Corsica you can either fly to Calvi, Bastia (both in the North), Ajaccio (mid-west), Figari (South) and a few other airports, depending from where you fly and to which part of Corsica you go. Another option is to go there by car and take a ferry from different places in Italy (for example Savona or Livorno) or France (for example Nice or Toulon). João took an overnight ferry from Savona to get to Corsica and one in the early morning back to Livorno. The ferry takes around 6 hours (Livorno) or 10 hours (Savona) and he paid around 200 euros for the days he booked. On the website of corsica-ferries.co.uk you can find all the destinations and prices and it can vary a lot depending on the days. My family and me took a flight from Zürich which was super fast and just around one hour.
When you go by ferry, especially the overnight one, be aware of the fact that you cannot stay in your car or vehicle. For some that may be obvious, for us it wasn’t which is why João had to run to the van last minute to get a blanket and pillow to stay warm during the night. Or you can also book a cabin for the night.
WHERE WE STAYED
On our first day we had an early flight and arrived in Calvi, which is in the northwest of Corsica, around 9 am. At the airport we rented our car which we already pre-booked. Unfortunately, we had to wait almost one hour to get to the desk so I recommend checking out if you can directly rent a car in the hotel. After that, we drove to the small village we stayed in which is called Algajola. It is very lovely and calm there, an antique, mediterranean, authentic village with cute restaurants, a few tiny shops and a beautifully long beach. It even has a supermarket although it’s just a small one. It’s still super close to Calvi or l’Ile Rousse (like 10-15 min) which is great if you want to be in a bit a busier place. After we checked in the hotel, we went straight to the village which is like 2 minutes walking or even less because you are basically already there. There’s a nice viewpoint and some cute old streets and everything is easily accessible by foot. We took a pathway next to the sea to get to the beach. You can rent two sunbeds and a sun umbrella for around 20 euros a day or you can check in your hotel if they also rent. We could have them for free and take as many as we wanted plus beachmats which was really generous and practical.
Hotel
The hotel we stayed at is called Stella Mare. It’s a small hotel with just about 30 guests when it’s full and you have a really nice view over Algajola and you’re still at the beach in ten minutes. It has a familiar feel to it and the staff is really helpful and friendly. I can really recommend it 🙂 #notsponsored haha
Camping
When João was here (see last chapter) we stayed at a Camping in Algajola which was located behind Algajola beach, just across the rails of the little train. It’s called Camping de la Plage. The prices were quite okay although they were really strict with visitors who have to pay as well. An advantage was that we could choose where we wanted to stay, there are no fix places. Unfortunately, the sanitary parts were not that nice (flooded…) and our overall image of the camping was a bit weird. There is also no gate or anything towards the beach and the train rails which gives the impression that pretty much anyone can just walk in. Nevertheless, we spent two safe nights there and everything worked out in the end.
BEACHES
Algajola
The beach in Algajola is really long so you surely find a spot there. The water is super clear, the pictures don’t lie, I promise. I totally recommend to bring your snorkeling gear with you to look around under water and explore. The only little minus was, that it was quite steep and after a few meters it was impossible to stand which made it more exhausting. The sand is a bit rough which didn’t really bother us. The cool thing in Algajola beach is that they have heaps of opportunities for water sports: snorkeling, stand up paddling, kayaking, even windsurfing and diving! We didn’t try it out ourselves but if we had more time we definitely would. Another day we spent the late afternoon in a part of the beach that was further from the village. It was really practical, we could park with the car right next to the beach.
Ghjunchitu
Just a 10 minute drive from Algajola we found the beautiful Ghjunchitu beach. He is located right next to Bodri beach which is more known but I find it equally if not even more beautiful. Make sure to have a good GPS or keep your eyes wide open because there is a steep and curvy way down to the parking and it’s easy to overlook. You pay 2.50 € for a day and walk 5-10 min to the actual beach. There’s even a restaurant and a bar which is quite nice to go to for a little cool down. But they just have toilets on the parking and they are not really charming so keep in mind that there are not really other facilities on the beach, but that’s mostly the case on the beaches we visited. Ghjunchitu was probably my favourite beach due to the relatively easy access, the incredibly clear water and the fact that you can walk out super far in the water which is a great plus to Algajola beach.
Ostriconi
On our third day we went to Ostriconi beach. We were debating if we should go to Lozari beach or that one and the woman at the reception recommended this one, as it was calmer and more secluded (at the beginning of a nature area). It was roughly a 30 minute drive to the parking which was free. Unfortunately, opposite of what the woman at the hotel told us, it was quite a way down to the beach. At the beginning of the street it said 1.5 km which demotivated us quite a bit but nevertheless we took on the challenge. It was not as long as we thought (15 min) but the way went from a street to a trail that went down to a tiny bushwalk. We even crossed a little pond on a improvised bridge so it was well deserved when we arrived at the beach. We weren’t disappointed, the water was even clearer than the day before and super flat. Also there were not really a lot of people there (maybe because of the way to get there haha) which was great. There are no facilities there though so make sure to bring a sun umbrella and enough food/drinks if you plan to stay longer.
Bodri
Towards the end of the week we also decided to visit Bodri beach and we were positively surprised. Even though there is a camping a bit behind it was not busy at all- even less than Ghjunchitu. It is not a really big beach but it has enough space still. The water gets deep after a few metres but it’s super clear and wonderful to snorkel as well. There is even a little food stand on the way so you can always get a snack there. We really liked its vibe, it seemed so calm. Make sure to not follow the road to the camping – which we first did. The road to the parking is – depending on your direction – shortly before or after the camping sign (between the way to the Ghjunchitu parking and the camping) and not that easy to find, but I’m sure you’ll find it 😉 You pay 2.50 € for the day and then it’s just a 5 minute walk to the beach.
RESTAURANTS
Algajola
On our first evening, we had dinner in a lovely Italian/French restaurant called Le Chariot in the middle of Algajola under trees and lampions. The staff was friendly and the price quite cheap, for the tasty food quite a good deal. And from the lookout two minutes away you can see the beautiful sunsets 😉
On our second evening we went to A Botta, a restaurant recommended to us for its fish specialties hidden at the very end of the beach of Algajola. The place and food were good but the staff was not really friendly and helpful (when I asked for salad they said no, so I ordered some fries which turned out to be a super small portion plus – plot twist – the fish menus of my family came with, guess what, salad!…) If you go there I recommend to book in advance as the tables closer to the water were already booked out. And if you don’t want to walk for around 30 minutes, go by car 😉
To end the evening we had a sorbet/icecream in a Gelateria named La Forteresse in Algajola (they also have waffles and pretty much everything you probably dream of 😉 )
Our third dinner was also in Algajola itself in a lovely outdoor restaurant called U Castellu. It’s near the lookout. The food was lovely presented and very tasty. It’s not as cheap as the first day but worth the money as the staff is also very friendly.
Another spot in Algajola is U Marosu, a restaurant by the beach with an awesome view over the water. It was probably our most expensive meal (because that view tho) even if it wasn’t a particularly fancy place. But it was worth it, the food and service were really good.
L’Ile Rousse
For dinner on our fourth day we went to l’Ile Rousse where we found a lovely little restaurant called A Quadrera a bit hidden after skipping the big restaurants on the major place. The food was delicious and I probably had the tastiest meal during all my holidays there. Plus the service staff was super lovely and the vibes were really positive.
Calvi
After our trip to Galéria we drove back to Calvi for lunch where we ate something small in an Italian restaurant called Via Marine le Bistrot. It is quite modern and the staff really friendly. The focaccia and the tomato salad were amazing aaand they also have a terrace overlooking the harbour so what else could you want?
On our last evening after dropping off our car we took a taxi to Calvi to have dinner. Our taxi chauffeur recommended a place called A Piazzetta to us. We decided to go for it and hell yes it was worth it. Super charming place, Italian cuisine, very tasty (and big!) portions, we really enjoyed our time there and it was definitely one of our favourite places to eat, which was also confirmed by the amount of people there, it was packed!
PLACES THAT WE VISITED
Scandola Nature Reservation
On Wednesday we went on an excursion in Galéria, which is around a 45 min drive from Algajola through the mountains. We had booked a boat-tour departing from Galéria the day before and luckily they had exactly four places left. The tour lasted 2.5 hours and took us to the Scandola Nature Reservation which has breathtaking rocks and caves and is only accessible by boat. We were on a small boat with just 12 people and a French tour guide. It was so interesting and stunning, the water was unreal in some places and in the end we could go snorkeling in a little bay. That was definitely a highlight of our holidays. The tour cost us 40 euros per person but if you don’t book the swim it’s cheaper (although it was the best part in my opinion!). For further information click here if you’re interested.
There are also other tours from Calvi (further north) but they are mostly longer and on bigger boats or towards the evening where the light is not that special anymore. I personally can really recommend the tour we booked, it was the right time and length and quite personal. Galéria itself seemed not really special which is why we didn’t spend more time there.
Calvi
We were in Calvi twice. Once after our Galéria tour and another time on our last evening. Calvi has a citadel (we didn’t go there because it was really hot around lunchtime) and charming streets. The port has a lot of ships, boats and yachts, it seems a bit fancy. There is also a long beach with quite clear water but we didn’t go for a swim there.
