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The red cliffs of the Scandola nature reserve, cloaked in green scrub, above a deep blue sea

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Corsica, from red granite to white cliffs

Ajaccio, the Calanques de Piana, Girolata, Calvi, Corte, Bavella & Bonifacio

Photo: Pierre Goiffon / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Corsica is France, but it feels like a country of its own, with its own language, polyphonic singing, chestnut flour and brocciu cheese, and a landscape that changes with every hour on the road. This journey circles the island anticlockwise: from Ajaccio and the red rocks of Piana, by boat to Girolata and the Scandola reserve, to the citadel of Calvi and the hill villages of the Balagne, then into the mountainous interior, Corte and the Restonica gorge, over the granite spires of Bavella and finally to Bonifacio, whose houses hang above white limestone cliffs.

This isn't the GR20, the famous multi-day mountain trek, but a road journey with walks, boats and swims, so it suits couples, active families and anyone who likes to move during the day and eat and sleep well at night. Roads are winding and slow, so most places have two nights, and stays, from a stone house in a mountain village to a hotel above a bay, would be chosen to suit your taste.

The route

The journey

  1. Ajaccio
  2. Piana & Porto
  3. Girolata & Scandola
  4. Calvi & the Balagne
  5. Corte & the Restonica valley
  6. Bavella
  7. Bonifacio
  8. Figari
  1. The Genoese tower on the Pointe de la Parata and the Sanguinaires islands at a pink sunset near Ajaccio

    01Days 1–2 · Ajaccio

    Sunset by the Blood Islands

    The first night is in Ajaccio, Corsica's capital and Napoleon's birthplace. In the afternoon, the market by the harbour, with local cured meats and brocciu to taste, Napoleon's family home and the Musée Fesch, with one of France's largest collections of Italian painting outside Paris. The evening is best spent at the Pointe de la Parata beyond the town: a short path leads to an old Genoese tower, with the Sanguinaires islands lined up in the sea beyond, turning red at sunset, which is where their name comes from. Dinner comes with a first glass of Corsican wine from the sciaccarellu grape. The next morning you pick up a car and head north along the coast.

  2. Red granite pinnacles with a heart-shaped opening in the Calanques de Piana at sunset

    02Days 2–4 · Piana, Porto & Girolata

    Red rocks and a village without a road

    About two hours on the winding coast road to Piana, where the road threads through the red granite calanques, rocks carved by the wind into towers, arches and faces. Sunset here is especially fine, and short paths among the rocks suit children too. Two nights in Piana or on the Gulf of Porto. The next day, a boat from Porto along the Scandola nature reserve, where red volcanic cliffs plunge into clear water and ospreys often circle above, to Girolata, a little village with a Genoese fort that no road reaches. Strong walkers have another option: about an hour and a half on foot down a trail from a mountain pass into the village, and back by boat. Landing in Scandola isn't allowed, as the reserve is protected, so it's seen from the water.

  3. Evening light over the harbour, houses and boats of Calvi, with mountains behind

    03Days 4–6 · Calvi & the Balagne

    A citadel and hill villages

    North for about two and a half hours on a narrow road that often winds right above the sea, so we drive slowly and stop often. Two nights in Calvi: a Genoese citadel on a headland, a harbour whose terraces light up in the evening, and a long sandy beach backed by pines, calm for swimming with children. The next day, the Balagne, Corsica's 'garden': hill villages of stone houses, olive groves and craft workshops. Pigna, home to musicians and makers of traditional instruments, Sant'Antonino on its hilltop, small churches where polyphonic singing sometimes rings out, and lunch on a terrace with a view of the sea. In the afternoon, time for the beach or a vineyard to taste the wine of Calvi.

  4. Corte's citadel, known as the eagle's nest, on its rock beneath dark clouds

    04Days 6–8 · Corte & the Restonica valley

    At the island's heart

    About an hour and a half to two hours inland to Corte, which in the mid-18th century was the capital of independent Corsica under Pasquale Paoli. The citadel on its rock, known as the eagle's nest, the Museum of Corsica and the university give the small town its life. Two nights here. On the second day, the Restonica valley: a narrow road climbs the gorge past pines and granite walls to high shepherds' huts. From there, a walk of about an hour to the Lac de Melo, a glacial lake among the peaks; parts of the last section have chains and ladders, so you need to be in good health and well shod. In summer, traffic in the valley is often regulated, and on some days a shuttle runs, so we check the arrangements in advance. Afterwards, a swim in the clear river pools.

  5. The granite spires of Bavella above pine forest, seen from the rocks near the Col de Bavella

    05Days 8–9 · Bavella

    Granite spires above the pines

    The longest day of the journey: about three hours south via the east coast and up to the Col de Bavella, at roughly 1,200 metres. Here pink granite spires, the Aiguilles de Bavella, rise above pines bent by the wind. A walk of a couple of hours is enough: a trail leads among the rocks to a view of the spires, and those wanting more can go on to a natural arch in the rock. For children and the adventurous, guided canyoning in the mountain streams. A night in Zonza or another mountain village, where evenings are cool and dinner is made from chestnuts, mountain cheeses and charcuterie. The GR20 also passes through Bavella, but this journey only touches it; walkers take about two weeks to complete it.

  6. The houses of Bonifacio's old town on the edge of white limestone cliffs above a turquoise sea

    06Days 9–11 · Bonifacio

    A town on the cliff edge

    About an hour and a half down to the island's southern tip and two final nights in Bonifacio. The old town stands on white limestone cliffs that the sea has undercut, so the houses seem to hang above the water. On foot, the old town's lanes, the King of Aragon's Staircase, cut steeply into the cliff down to the sea, and a clifftop path with a view of Sardinia across the strait. The next day, a boat along the cliffs and caves to the Lavezzi islands reserve, where granite boulders frame clear lagoons for snorkelling. Or the bays of Rondinara and Santa Giulia, with their turquoise water. A last dinner at the harbour, and the next morning it's about half an hour to Figari airport.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The Calanques de Piana

    Red granite towers and arches above the Gulf of Porto, best seen at sunset.

  2. 02

    By boat to Girolata

    Along the cliffs of the Scandola reserve to a village no road reaches.

  3. 03

    The Lac de Melo

    An hour's walk at the head of the Restonica valley to a glacial lake among the peaks.

  4. 04

    The cliffs of Bonifacio

    Houses above the sea, a staircase in the cliff and a boat to the Lavezzi islands.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • With children

    Fewer mountain roads and more beaches: Calvi's sands, the bay of Rondinara and canyoning at Bavella instead of longer walks; the Restonica day can be shortened to a swim in the river.

  • For couples

    Two nights in a stone house in a Balagne village, a private boat along Scandola and dinner on the cliffs of Bonifacio.

  • More walking

    Experienced walkers could add a day or two on Corsica's mountain trails, or a short section of the GR20 with a guide and luggage transfers.

  • With Sardinia

    From Bonifacio a ferry crosses the strait to Sardinia in about an hour, so the journey continues naturally on the Italian side.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is roughly May–June and September to early October: the sea is warm and there are fewer people on the roads and beaches. July and August are hot and busiest.
  • Corsica's mountain roads are narrow and winding, so we allow much more time than the map suggests; the coast road between Porto and Calvi is especially slow.
  • Boats to Girolata, Scandola and the Lavezzi islands run mainly in the warmer months and depend on sea and wind, so we build in spare time.
  • In summer, on days of high fire risk, some forest and mountain trails may be closed temporarily; we check the latest information before the trip and on the ground.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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