Things to do in Corsica
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Aiguilles de Bavella
The Col de Bavella (Bavella Pass) is overlooked by the imposing silhouette of one of the most striking and beautiful landscape features in the south of Corsica: the sharp points of Aiguilles de Bavella, also called the Bavella Needles. If you're lucky you may spot a few of the mouflons (wild mountain sheep) that sashay around the area.
The peaks, which rise to a height of more than 1600m (5250ft) and which are also known as the Cornes d'Asinao (Asinao Horns), are jagged points whose colour ranges from ochre to golden depending on the position of the sun in the sky. Behind these stone 'needles' looms the profile of Monte Incudine (2134m/7000ft), which the GR20 links to the…
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Restaurant du Cours
You'll be hard-pressed to find a cheaper place for a sit-down meal in the centre of Sartène. Long on character and short on frills, this welcoming eatery set in a pokey vaulted room whips up pizzas, salads, meat dishes, lasagne and seven varieties of tagliatelle.
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A Scudella
This snug place on Corte's liveliest square owes its reputation to a carefully composed menu, based solidly on good-quality local produce. The decor in the dining room won't win any prizes, but the outdoor seating is pleasant enough.
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Palais Fesch – Musée des Beaux-Arts
One of the island's must-sees, this superb museum reopened in 2010 after extensive renovation works. Established by Napoléon's uncle, it has France's largest collection of Italian paintings outside the Louvre. Mostly the works of minor or anonymous 14th- to 19th-century artists, there are also canvases by Titian, Fra Bartolomeo, Veronese, Botticelli and Bellini. Look out for La Vierge à l'Enfant Soutenu par un Ange (Mother and Child Supported by an Angel), one of Botticelli's masterpieces. Portrait de l'Homme au Gant (Portrait of the Gloved Man) by Titian matches another in the Louvre. The museum also houses temporary exhibitions. Within the Chapelle Impériale (Imperia…
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Grotte du Sdragonato
Don't leave Bonifacio without taking a boat trip around its extraordinary coastline, where you'll get the best perspective of the town's precarious position on top of the magnificent chalky cliffs. Two itineraries are offered. The first includes the goulet, the calanques (deep rocky inlets; calanche in Corsican), with their clear aquamarine waters, and the magical Grotte du Sdragonato with its gloriously multicoloured sea bed.
A 50-minute tour focuses on the Îles Lavezzi and boats are operated shuttle fashion, so you can linger on the islands. But, if you do, take your own food and drink since you won't find any there. On the way back, the boats pass close to Île Cavallo,…
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Jardin Romieu
From the south side of the Vieux Port, steps lead up to the Jardin Romieu, a pleasant expanse of green that clings to the hillside for dear life. The even steeper steps and tunnel of the rampe St-Charles bring you through the defensive walls of the citadel to place du Donjon, at its heart.
Overlooking this cobbled square is the Palais des Gouverneurs (Governors' Palace), long closed to the public and earmarked - as it has been for many years - as the venue for the Musée d'Ethnographie Corse, so long in gestation. This citadel fortress, built in 1530, was the seat of the Genoese governor of Corsica for over two centuries. The Terra Nova quarter, many of its buildings recen…
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Auberge U Sirenu
Punters are drawn to the family-run U Sirenu for its choice grilled meats - go for the sanglier et ses pâtes (wild boar and pasta), best accompanied by a bottle of Saparale. If you're counting the coins, opt for the pasta. The platter of charcuterie deserves a special mention: it's served on a wooden plate in the shape of the island. The dining room is certainly not sassy, but the terrace is much more enjoyable. Post-repas, you can bask lizardlike by the pool.
It's on the road to Bonifacio, about 10km from Sartène.
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Bergerie d'Acciola
A mandatory stop for cheese lovers (and we know what we're talking about), this produce shop set in a lovely granite house on the Bonifacio road doubles as a restaurant in summer. We'll never forget the terrine de fromage aux herbes (cheese terrine with aromatic herbs) and the crêpe à la farine de châtaigne (chestnut-flour pancake). Don't leave without buying a pungent casgiu casanu ('Fromage Fermier' in French; farm cheese) at the shop. Local wines are available too. It's 8km from Sartène.
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Les Calanques de Piana
Flaming a fiery red in the sunlight, the giant granite cliffs and outcrops of Les Calanques de Piana (E Calanche in Corsican) are a spectacular landscape of red granite cliffs and spiky outcrops, carved into bizarre shapes by the forces of wind and water.
The multicoloured spires tower 300m above the deep-blue waters of the sea below and are beautifully contrasted by the green foliage of pine and chestnut forests. Though dazzling from the road, you have to take to one of the clifftop walking trails to truly appreciate the views.
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Oratoire de la Confrérie St-Antoine
Wander over to the place d'Armes and take a little street to the left to come to the Oratoire de la Confrérie St-Antoine , a charitable institution that has been active in Corsica since the 14th century. Behind the façade, which features a primitive slate lintel depicting the abbot St Antoine, are walls painted with 15th- and 16th-century frescoes (some, alas, severely timeworn).
On the north wall, an ivory Christ attributed to the Florentine sculptor Jacopo d'Antonio Tati, known as Le Sansevino.
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Le Grand Café Napoléon
This one-of-a-kind Ajaccio institution scores a perfect 10 on our 'charm-meter' for its mind-blowing decor and refined cuisine. Push beyond the streetside terrace (itself rich in atmosphere) to the august belle époque former ballroom, with its tall mirrors, high ceilings, black-and-white terrazzo floors and soaring cream arches. Despite the classical surroundings, the menu is surprisingly modern, featuring elegantly presented fish and meat dishes. The weekday lunchtime menu du marché represents excellent value.
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Municipal Library
In the left wing of the Musée Fesch and entered via rue du Cardinal Fesch, Ajaccio's Municipal Library , built in 1868, merits a browse. The two lions guarding the entrance (yet another donation by Cardinal Fesch) are modelled on the beasts that stand watch over the tomb of Pope Clement XIII at St Peter's in Rome. Inside, within the 30m-long reading room, uniform leather-bound volumes stretching to the ceiling, wooden ladders and an 18m-long central table speak of serious-minded research.
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Cantina Doria
A Bonifacio institution, this cavernous little joint has a tantalising menu showcasing all the classics of Corsican cuisine, served in snug surrounds complete with wooden benches, copper pots, rustic tools and dented signs. Tuck into perennial favourites such as lasagnes au fromage Corse (lasagne with Corsican cheese) and soupe Corse, aubergines à la bonifacienne (aubergines stuffed with breadcrumbs and cheese), and you'll leave patting your tummy contentedly.
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Auberge Santa Barbara
Send your tastebuds into a tailspin at this iconic restaurant serving authentic dishes with a creative twist. Award-winning chef Giséle Lovichi is a true alchemist, with such delectable concoctions as pigeon with myrtle sauce or veal stew with tagliatelle. Another draw is the bucolic setting, with elegant tables set around a well-manicured flower garden. A respectable wine list completes the perfect picture. It's about 1.3km from the centre on the road to Propriano; follow the signs.
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Mémorial du Passé Bonifacien
From the marina, the atmospheric Montée St-Roch leads to the citadel via Porte de Gênes (Genoa Gate; pedestrian access only). This gate was the only way of getting into the citadel until the Porte de France was built in 1854. To the north is the Bastion de l'Étendard, a remnant of the fortifications built in the aftermath of the siege in 1553. It is home to the Mémorial du Passé Bonifacien , where various episodes in the town's history have been re-created.
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U Museu
Just below the entrance to the citadel, U Museu may look like your typical tourist trap but that's deceptive. Dine on its gazebo-covered terrace and choose from its wide range of Corsican specialities (the menu Corse is excellent value), including civet de sanglier aux myrtes sauvages (wild boar with myrtle) and tripettes à la Cortenaise (tripe with shallots in a red-wine sauce). It doesn't take reservations and closes on Sunday in low season.
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Le Jardin de l'Échauguette
No matter how hectic the day, as soon as you step inside this oasis of calm, stress evaporates as fast as light drizzle on asphalt in summer. Soak up the cool karma on the shady terrace while savouring well-executed classics, such as légumes farcis au brocciu (vegetables stuffed with sheep or goat cheese). A toothsome crème brûlée à la banane (banana-flavoured cream pie with a caramelised topping) will finish you off sweetly. Yum.
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Le 20123
This one-of-a-kind place started life in the village of Pila Canale (postcode 20123 – get it?), and when the owner upped sticks to Ajaccio he decided to take the old village with him – water pump, washing line, life-sized dolls in traditional dress, central square et al. It all sounds a bit tacky, and it is (see the website) – but you won't find many more character-filled places in Corsica. Needless to say, the food is 100% authentic, too. There's just a single menu, presented orally.
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Église Ste-Marie Majeure
The unmissable Église Ste-Marie Majeure was built by the Pisans and was completed in the 14th century. Although it has been modified on numerous occasions and has gradually lost its original style, it retains its main feature, the loggia, under the arches of which the notables of the town used to gather. Opposite it is the old cistern, in which the town formerly collected rainwater from the many aqueducts running above the streets of the vieille ville.
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Musée National de la Maison Bonaparte
Napoléon spent his first nine years in this house. Ransacked by Corsican nationalists in 1793, requisitioned by English troops from 1794 to 1796, and eventually rebuilt by Napoléon's mother, the house became a place of pilgrimage for French revolutionaries, and visitors are still encouraged to observe suitably hushed tones. It hosts memorabilia of the emperor and his siblings, including a glass medallion containing a lock of his hair. It's closed Monday mornings.
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Kissing Pigs
Soothingly positioned by the harbour, this widely acclaimed restaurant and wine bar serves savoury fare in a seductively cosy interior, complete with wooden fixtures and swinging sausages. It’s famed for its cheese and charcuterie platters. For the indecisive, the moitié-moitié (half and half), which is a combination of the two, is the perfect answer. The wine list is another hit, with a good selection of Corsican tipples, available by the glass.
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Musée a Bandera
Tucked away on a little side street, this quirky little museum explores Corsican history up to WWII. Among the highlights are a diorama of the 1769 battle of Ponte Novo that confirmed French conquest of the island, a model of the port of Ajaccio as it was in the same period, and a proclamation by Gilbert Elliot, viceroy of the shortlived Anglo-Corsican kingdom (1794–96). There are also a few worthy panels describing the role of women in Corsican society.
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Museu di a Corsica
The Museu di a Corsica is a definite must-see for anyone interested in Corsica’s culture. It houses an outstanding exhibition on Corsican traditi ons, crafts, agriculture and anthropology. The building has two main galleries, with a third space allocated to temporary exhibitions. The museum is housed inside the former barracks and administrative buildings, which previously served as a WWII prison and a French Foreign Legion base.
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Cap Corse Mattei
Cap Corse Mattei is a Bastia institution. The interior of this gloriously retro shop with its Art Deco façade has hardly changed since the day Louis-Napoléon Mattei first open for business in 1872. During over a century of service it has continued to sell not only its celebrated brand-name Cap Corse apéritif, but various spin-off products that make ideal souvenirs and local specialities such as fig jam, olive oil and fruit liqueurs.
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L'Oliveraie
Offering particularly friendly, attentive service, this restaurant, on the outskirts of town, serves creative family cooking (Madame up front, her son in the kitchen). Try for example squid stuffed with brocciu or the house creation, poulet aux cèpes et pommes (chicken with cepe mushrooms and apple). For dessert, the homemade crunchy chestnut tart contrasts wonderfully with the scoop of ice cream that's served with it.
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