Regional guide to Corsica

Capital - Ajaccio
Population (2007) - 281,000

Corsica is the "the island of beauty", with its contrasting colors: blue like the vast sea, dark green like its laricio pines, ochre like its Genoese towers and red like its creeks.

Once described as "That mountain in the sea," the isle of Corsica, with over 600 miles of sandy beaches, and crested by 9,000 foot peaks, lies in the heart of the Western Mediterranean. Easily accessible by air and sea, Corsica is just 110 miles off the Southeastern coast of France and 50 miles from the shores of Italy.

Climate

The maritime influence and the relief of the land regulate the temperatures throughout the year, giving mild winters and hot, dry summers. The average maximum temperatures in Ajaccio, from April to October, are a little higher than those in Lisbon but remain more bearable than those in Split or Palma of Majorca.

Food & Drink

Local products:

Sweet chestnut flour
Olive oil
Honey
Aquiculture products

Cheeses:

Sheep and goat's milk cheeses
Brocciu (a delicate preparation based on goat or sheep's milk)

Savoury specialities:

Figatelli (pork butchery)
Coppa (pork butchery)
Tianu (pork or lamb meal)
Cooked meats

Sweet specialities:

Pastizzu (anis flavoured cake)
Fiadone (lemon and brocchiu cake)

Alcohol:

Cedratine (lemon liquor)
Wine

Beautiful cities & places of interest in Corsica

Ajaccio

Ajaccio is one of the biggest cities in Corsica and the native place of Napoleon Bonaparte. The city boasts a lot of markets in Ajaccio and a large offer of out-doors activities that can be practice all the year around. www.ajaccio-tourisme.com more

Bastia

Bastia is a baroque town of culture and a dynamic costal resort. Its name comes from the "Bastille" , the fortress that dominates the town. The church of Saint Jean Baptist, Corsica's largest church, will not fail to amaze you with their ornate Baroque interiors.

Bonifacio

Bonifacio is a city which is exposed to the open sea and to winds which rush in the narrows with an incredible violence. The town's charm and proximity to idyllic beaches makes it a popular tourist destination in the summer. Bonifacio is also a gateway to the small Isles Lavezzi), which are the southernmost part of France, and have been designated a marine preserve by the French government.

Calvi

The second most popular tourist's town of Corsica has a lot to offer: from Jazz concert, ramble and Polyphonic Recital to trip to the sea, painting exhibition and pony trek.

Corte

Enclosed in the heart of a region of mountains and lakes, the region Centru-di-Corsica is a geographic crossroads characterised by its high summits with their abrupt cliffs, its torrents, its deep valleys and its pine and beech forests. Corte is also the former capital of independent Corsica founded by Pasquale Paoli.

Ile-Rousse

Built on a bay bounded to the north west by the rocky islets of red porphyry which give it its name, and to the south by an immaculate white sand beach, l'Île-Rousse is presented to the tourist in all its beauty, extending westwards from the sea to the hill of the Sémaphore and the col de Fogata.

Porto-Vecchio

Porto-Vecchio is a fabulous place to spend its holidays in Corsica. It cumulates numerous points of interest: magnificent beaches, splendid wild mountains, a large offer of clubs and entertainments for all the family.