Corsica Things to Do

  View across to Bonifacio.
by pfsmalo
 
  • View across to Bonifacio.
      View across to Bonifacio.
    by pfsmalo
  • Along the cliff edge.
      Along the cliff edge.
    by pfsmalo
  • The cliff and semaphore at Pertusato.
      The cliff and semaphore at Pertusato.
    by pfsmalo
  • Bonifacio and the harbour.
      Bonifacio and the harbour.
    by pfsmalo
  • Fort de Matra.
      Fort de Matra.
    by pfsmalo
 
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Calvi (Corsica) in one day

by jeffou

Calvi is not that big that it will be problematic to see it in one day. The "must see" is most probably the "citadelle" (fort) perched up the rock and that overlooks the city. Inside the citadelle multiple walks are signposted to make sure you do not miss the good sights, it's pretty well organised. IF you like old buildings, narrow streets, this is it. My suggestion would be to park at the entrance of Calvi, in the second or third car park on your right (arriving from Bastia/north), near the beach. Then walk up along the beach and go through the harbour where you will find lots of nice cafes to stop and have lunch or coffee. Then just follow along the harbour side and you will reach the bottom of the citadelle. On the way back, you can go through the pedestrian street that runs just behind the harour and has lots of nice shops, and not just with crappy souvenirs!

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How to travel and top sights in Corsica

by jeffou

Hello Fran and PierreAs I am writing a little late, you might have already set your plans. Firstly, I am Corsican, I live on the island and I cannot recommend you enough to RENT A CAR or a motorbike as many days as you can. Seriously, it won't be a waste of money, especially as you are going during a non peak period and transport are even more scarce than during July-August. Honestly, you will see so much more of Corsica with your own transport. Driving around on the small roads and stopping for scenic spots or in nice villages, by itself, is a great thing to do. look around on travel forum and I can guarantee you that my suggestion is not a total personal view!As for which company to use, I would recommend you look on internet for the usual car rental brokers. My wife and I organised our wedding last year and had to organise car rental for wuite a few foreigners and this was by far the...

Chestnut trees

by kokoryko

In Corsica, a whole region, located between Corte and the Eastern Coast is named Castagniccia, meaning the chestnut tree country; the area is covered of wild and cultivated chestnut woods and orchards. In the area of Corte, and further west, the chestnut trees are more isolated, but they are very impressive with their big trunks (picture 2). The chestnut was until recently a staple food in Corsica’s countryside. Chestnuts were used as floor (pure or added to wheat flour) for bread and pastries, just cooked or grilled as whole fruits, used to make a sort of jam (crème de marrons), or candied for making glazed maroons, etc. . . The bad quality chestnuts were used for food for the pigs. In the past, when food was rare, there were still chestnuts. Since 1945, the chestnut sales have declined by 90%, and most trees we see in the countryside are old, but beautiful trees, and the chestnuts they...

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Antonius

by kokoryko

Elsewhere in this page, I wrote about St Antonius not Antonius of Padua, the great one; here he is! I was not really surprised to “meet” him here, and I liked a lot to see him, not in the classical representation of resisting against an irresistible temptation, but as a simple pig shepherd! It is known he loved all animals, and the “dirty” pig was one he loved the most. Of course, in Corsica, where pigs are “venerated” (in the way, they make a wonderful base for lots of delicacies. . . ), it could not done less than have a veneration for St Antonius. Here he is, with his pig!In Casamaccioli, there are two reasons to visit the church, the Santa and St Antonius!

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Nativity Church of Casamaccioli

by kokoryko

I was not there when the Santa du Niolu is taken out for the yearly procession at Casamaccioli, on 8th of September, every year, for the local fair. I only met her in the church (picture 1), with other saints displayed in niches or on pedestals.Casamaccioli is a nice little quiet village where a stop at the church, during a walk around the lake of Calacuccia is a good thing to do. The bell tower (picture 2) you can see when arriving in the village is separated from the main building, and there is a striking contrast between this austere tower and the baroque style of the church, with its bright yellow colour and the main door with the Lady of the Niolu on the tympanum (picture 3). The boys were not really interested in going in, but I took a few minutes to have a look, as it was open (usually the churches, now are closed, a pity) as there were workers doing renovation works. I told about...

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A nice cemetery

by kokoryko

When you walk between the villages, you can pass by nice romantic cemeteries which look like they are abandoned since centuries.One kilometre east of Casamaccioli, near the sealed road I stepped across one of these niceplaces; a small wall circling a field where the graves are just marked by tombstones and crosses (picture 1), still snow on the mountains, green grass, an isolated place. . . . a nice place for a rest (picture 2). . . ! Different types of crosses (picture 3), reflecting different periods, possibly, or different wealth, social status, or. . nothing special. . . It is just a nice quiet place, where your body can relax for a while and your thoughts can wander whilst looking at the crosses and the surroundings. . .

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The Mouflon is shy

by kokoryko

The Cinto area belongs to the Parc National de Haute Corse, and as you are in a National Park, you can expect to see some wildlife; we were lucky, besides the birds, to spot a mouflon (equivalent to the American Mountain sheep), who took his time crossing the trail (picture 2); despite its hunting has been banned in 1953, this animal is rather shy, and you are quite lucky to meet one of these animals, as it has a population of about 500 animals in Corsica.Some biologists think that the mouflon is not endemic to Corsica, but it is a species which originates from early domestic sheep, introduced in Palaeolithic in Corsica and then escaped and returned to wild state; the domestication was at its early ages!Well, this one took his time, as we stayed quiet, but it preferred to go away, and soon disappeared in a small valley (picture 3)

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Scenes of rural life!

by kokoryko

There are lots of pigs in the Corsican mountains, there is cattle, there are also sheep and goats running freely on the rocks (picture 4) or the slopes of the mountains. Corsican cheeses are famous and I think that the quality of milk is related to the way of breeding these animals, that means leaving them as free as possible. The sheep you see on the three first pictures are of the Corsican Breed, a breed with long not curly wool, very well adapted to rough terrain conditions; there are about 100.000 in Corsica, but only 15.000 are “officially recorded” in herd books! This breed is one of the few still presenting high variations in colours and stature. They are bred for milk and meat, wool is a secondary product. Those animals are interesting to watch and observe, as they are well adapted to difficult terrain conditions, and are almost as easy on rocks as goats.And, Ah! Back to pigs! In...

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More about pigs

by kokoryko

The pigs of Corsica deserve (at least) a second tip, for many reasons, in my opinion!First, they look quite cute, almost wild (picture 1), and that makes them more than just future food. I must say, I liked to look at these animals, a bit shy (you never know if the butcher is coming!) (picture 2), running freely between the shrubs, sometimes looking curiously, sometimes walking on rocky ridges (picture 3) , or having, like all pigs their bath in a mud pit (picture 4). . . . . Strangely, in Corsica, St Antonius of Padua is a very venerated saint, you find shrines dedicated to him in villages, on sides of trails, roadsides. . . . and this, with all the pigs around made me think of St Antonius, the Great, the older one, father of all monks, who resisted to a famous temptation, lived like a hermit and is very often represented with swine; the reason for which swine are a symbol in paintings...

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You will be amazed by the pigs

by kokoryko

Corsican are very proud of their ham, sausages, coppa and other delicatessen, and besides the know how to elaborate them, the “raw material” of top quality is a fundamental ingredient which gives them their unsurpassable delicate taste. Yes, the swine which roam wild in the hills and countryside around the villages have a different taste from their cousins bred in industrial farms!What you see on picture 1 is not the result of some industrial process, but a long work done with skills and knowledge, for the pleasure of the palate of the locals and visitors!Here, on the road sides, you can meet black pigs (picture 2), but also hidden in the shrubs, when you walk on some path (picture 3), having here different colours, elsewhere, you meet the young generation crossing the street not far from a village (picture 4). Popular wisdom (and great novelists, like George Orwell) talk about the...

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Fun things to do in Corsica

Top 3 Hotels in Corsica

Sofitel Thalassa Porticcio  Ajaccio

 1 Review and 82 Opinions  Fantastic views from every direction, lovely staff, pure relaxation in a beautiful setting 

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U Capu Biancu Hotels And Prefe Bonifacio  Bonifacio

 70 Opinions

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Hotel l'Alivi  Bastia

 30 Opinions

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86 Hotels in Corsica
 
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Reviews and photos of Corsica attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Corsica sightseeing.

Experience Corsica
Things to Do: Cities in Corsica
  1. Ajaccio Things to Do
  2. Bastia Things to Do
  3. Bonifacio Things to Do
  4. Corte Things to Do
  5. Saint-Florent Things to Do

More Cities in Corsica

 

Questions and Answers

jpianosi profile photo

Q:  Hi everyone, My wife and I will be in Calvi Corsica this May, but we only have one day (walking) to see the sights. What are... 

IndianPacific profile photo

A: Calvi is a wonderful little town, you'll manage to see it entirely in one day. Of course you walk up to the hill in the middle of the town where there is a church, but... 

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