Corsica, a French Island of Mountains & Ports

We are exploring new territory as we travel through CORSICA, the fourth largest and most mountainous island in the Mediterranean (or maybe anywhere!).   We decided to undertake this exploration by train and, after a single day in a rented car, are certain that rail is the way to go!

We first stayed in Ajaccio (population about 100,000), the capital city located on Corsica’s western coast. It is a lively city with a daily outdoor market and great sea views.  It was here that we rented a car to drive farther south to Sartène and Bonifacio. Unfortunately, rain kept us from seeing much of Sartène, but we enjoyed lunch overlooking a beautiful harbor in Bonifacio.

The drive, however, was harrowing…over narrow mountain roads with switchbacks every few hundred meters.  It turns out that we could have taken an easier route (and did so on the way back, thanks to GoogleMaps) if we hadn’t followed the guidance of the car’s GPS!

After 4 days in Ajaccio, we rode the train to Corte, high in the mountains in the center of the island.

En route, we passed snow-covered mountains

and dramatic river valleys.

Corte, itself, was a bit of a disappointment…a long walk into town from our apartment in cold and wind most days. But we did find one very nice restaurant, sample some Corsican wines, and took a nice hike along the Restonica River on one nice sunny day.

From the mountains to the coast, our next rail trip was to Calvi, on the northwest coast of Corsica.  Here we found a beach resort town that was just waking up from the winter.

Most places were open, if not in full swing.  The beach was not crowded, and the water was too cold to do more than stick a toe in… But we enjoyed the coastline views from here to L’Ile Rousse, 40 minutes down the coast by train.

The plane trees, which line most roads in France and are severely trimmed each Fall, are starting to bud out…above this busy city square and Petanque courts. (Some people call this sport Boules…it’s like lawn bowling on a dirt court with metal balls…)

Our final stop in Corsica was Bastia (pop. 60,000), the island’s second largest city located on the northeast coast just below the Cap Corse (the part of the island that looks like a finger pointing to the continent).
This was a very different city and coastline than Calvi!  There is very little flat terrain…many ‘streets’ are staircases…and the city seems to take pride in its weathered appearance…or maybe it has stubbornly determined not to spruce up for tourists,,,

Bastia is also a very large ferry port for the western Mediterranean.

Every place in Corsica has a ‘Citadel,’ but Bastia is the first place where we’ve actually walked all the way up and entered the walls. There is a neighborhood behind the fortifications of old, and the museum inside was a good way to spend a rainy afternoon.

We are on to Eastern Europe – Croatia, Bulgaria and Hungary.  Keep reading…