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Corsica

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Overview

Jutting from the foaming Mediterranean like an impregnable fortress, Corsica resembles a miniature continent, with astounding geographical diversity. Within half an hour's drive, the landscape ranges from glittering bays, vibrant coastal cities and fabulous beaches to sawtooth mountain ridges, verdant valleys, dense forests and time-forgotten hilltop villages. Holidays in Corsica offer tremendously varying opportunities: from hiking and canyoning to snorkelling and sunbathing, enjoying a leisurely boat trip, delving into the island’s multifaceted history and sampling local delicacies.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Corte Citadel Historical Capital of Corsica

    Citadel

    Bonifacio

    The great joy of visiting Bonifacio lies in strolling the tangled medieval lanes of the citadel. The paved steps of montée du Rastello and montée St-Roch…

  • View of the Citadel of Calvi on Corsica, France.

    Citadel

    Calvi

    Crowning a rocky headland, Calvi’s massive citadel was fortified by Corsica’s Genoese rulers from the 12th century onwards, and has fended off everyone…

  • Bastia Citadel street.

    Terra Nova

    Bastia

    Looming above the harbour, Bastia’s stern-walled citadel was built between the 15th and 17th centuries for the city’s Genoese masters. Known as the Terra…

  • Old port and church of St. John the Baptist in Bastia, Corsica, France.

    Vieux Port

    Bastia

    Bastia’s Vieux Port is ringed by precariously tall, pastel-coloured tenements and buzzy brasseries, and overlooked by the twin-towered Église St-Jean…

  • Terra Vecchia

    Terra Vecchia

    Bastia

    Criss-crossed by narrow lanes, Terra Vecchia is Bastia’s heart and soul. Shady place de l’Hôtel de Ville hosts a lively morning market on Saturday and…

  • The Galerie, a great room for the guests, in the Maison Bonaparte in Ajaccio, ancestral home of the Bonaparte family and the birthplace of Napoleon.

    Maison Bonaparte

    Ajaccio

    Unremarkable from the outside, the old-town house where Napoléon was born and spent his first nine years was ransacked by Corsican nationalists in 1793,…

  • The main gate into Palais Fesch with the central museum of fine arts in Ajaccio on Corsica.

    Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Ajaccio

    Established by Napoléon’s uncle, cardinal Joseph Fesch (1763–1839), Ajaccio’s superb art museum holds the largest French collection of Italian…

  • View of the Citadel at Point Belvedere, Corte, Corsica, France.

    Belvédère

    Corte

    Perched on a south-facing promontory immediately below the citadel, and reached via a signposted staircase just outside the ramparts, this free-access…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Things to Do

Corsica enthralls with ancient towns, jaw-dropping landscapes, beautiful beaches and epic hikes. Here's our guide to the best things to do when you get there.

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