2012 Corsica Holidays

Corsica - my favourite island..

Sorry I've not updated the blog for so long. I've had a major change in my personal circumstances which unfortunately left me with no time whatsoever to spend posting on the blog.

All is well though, I've landed a superb new job (working in the ski industry) and relocated to London from the Cotswolds - a brief culture shock but I'm enjoying every minute of it! Given the new role and the fact my time is now so precious, I will strategically update the blog whenever possible.

The main holiday season in Corsica has now finished for another year. If you're considering visiting the island next year, I'd recommend looking at accommodation for May/June 2012 and would suggest you book your Easyjet flights early, before they start hiking up prices.

Gorges d'Asco - June 2011

Remember that I'm happy to answer any questions you might have about anything Corsican, whether it's about getting there, staying there or where you should visit. Simply email me at corsicainfo@ymail.com.

A bientôt!

Corsica - did you know?

10 interesting facts about Corsica

• In 1769, Napolean Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio, Corsica

Napolean Bonaparte, born in Corsica

• Corsica's coastline stretches for some 1000km, a third of this is beaches

The Bonifacio coastline, Corse-du-Sud

• Corsica is officially a French region and is split between Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud

Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud

• Monte Cinto, the highest mountain on the island is 2710m tall, twice the height of Ben Nevis!

Monte Cinto, Haute-Corse, Corsica

• French is the first language, however Corsican (Corsu) also exists and is taught in schools

Corsican language is widely spoken on the island

• Food specialities include: Brocciu (cheese), Figatellu (pork), Fiaddone (cheese cake) and Miel (honey)

Figatellu, a Corsica speciality of dried pork sausage

• Corte, the former capital of Corsica (when it was independent), has the only inland citadel on the island

Corte, home to the University of Corsica and independent movement

• In July & August, temperatures often hit mid-30's with 12 hours of sunshine on average each day

Sunbathing on a beach in Corsica, 300km of beaches

• Cuisine tends to be influenced by France & Italy but also features traditional Corsican dishes

A Corsican restaurant in l'Ile Rousse, Haute-Corse

• Watersports readily available include: jet-skiing, water-skiing, wind-surfing, kite-surfing, sea kayaking

Windsurfing and waterports in Corsica

Hope you found these facts of interest, feel free to RT or Like on Facebook!

Bonnes vacances !

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Auberge A Magina, Oletta

First class cuisine and the view...

The village of Oletta, in north-eastern Corsica (Haute-Corse), is a 10 minute drive from St Florent, 30 minutes from Bastia and just a stone's throw from the magnificent Cap Corse. This traditional Corsican village retains much of its authentic charm thanks to old stone buildings and a relaxed pace of life.

Village of Oletta (Haute-Corse), enjoys commanding views over the Gulf of Saint-Florent

Oletta has a gem of a restaurant in the Auberge A Magina, at the north-western corner of the village. From the outside, on the small village road which passes the restaurant, you might be mistaken for thinking this is just a run-of-the-mill Corsican eatery, however set foot inside and you're warmly welcomed by a friendly and efficient team and treated to the most breathtaking, panoramic views across the valley as far as the sea in the Gulf of St Florent. By far one of the most amazing and unforgettable restaurant settings I've ever experienced, the sunsets are remarkable, "Mamma Mia bellissima!"

View from the terrace at sunset - Auberge A Magina in Oletta, Haute-Corse

The menu predominantly features Corsican dishes; unpretentious and home-cooked using largely local produce and presented with flashes of flair. I personally consider it to be reasonably priced; set menus are available as well as the 'carte' and I'd bank on spending around 25€-40€ per head, not including drinks. An extensive wine list featuring some excellent wines produced in nearby Patrimonio completes the picture.

Fish starter with white Corsican wine

The restaurant doesn't have a website, but Google does bring up this review site (in French) and another one. Tripadvisor doesn't have any entries which I find surprising.

To summarise, if you're staying in or around Oletta, St Florent, Bastia or the Cap Corse and fancy somewhere special to eat out, definitely consider a visit to Auberge A Magina.

Bon Appetit!

Auberge A Magina
Le Village
20232 Oletta
Tel: 0033 (0)4 95 39 39 01

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Corsica - more updates coming

Working on new content

In case anyone is following my blog, hopefully a few of you are (if not by all means sign up to receive email alerts of new posts), I'll shortly be adding a lot of new content and giving an indication of what I'd ideally like to achieve by building this site, with the assistance of a number of influential French and Corsican tourist industry professionals.

Calvi's citadel perching beneath a backdrop of mountains

This week 'en Corse'

I read a few big stories this week about life on the island, one of them reporting on a small earthquake in the sea off the Corsican coast and the other was celebrity gossip about Kate Moss spending her honeymoon on a superyacht near Corsica.

2012 Corsica Holidays

I plan to have this site finished by the end of the summer, therefore if you're planning a holiday in Corsica in 2012 (or even September/October 2011) I hope that you'll find all the information you need here.

The famous church in Patrimonio, Haute Corse

Keep watching this space and thanks for taking the time to read this far! You can email me any feedback or comments if you have any suggestions, advice or experiences you'd like to share.

If you find this Corsica website helpful, please retweet (RT) on Twitter or recommend this page on Facebook using the icon below. It will gradually help spread the word and offer others the opportunity to discover this amazing island too.

I'm also using this as an experiment to see whether social media can help to develop my idea into a business, so why not join in and be part of the experience with me? If it works, I will make sure every credit is given to those who helped.

Grazzi à tutti !

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Natural Phenomenon off the Corsican Coast

Waterspout off Corsican coast

I thought this article was rather interesting, from the Irish weather online website, which caught my attention yesterday. A local photographer captured the formation of a waterspout in the sea just off the north east coast of the island - pretty spectacular!

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Lastminute Corsica bookings - a few tips

Looking to book a late deal to Corsica?

Having worked in the travel industry for a tour operator for 9 years, selling holidays in Corsica, you might be surprised to know that you as the customer actually hold most of the cards when it comes to booking a holiday at the last minute.

Lozari beach in Haute-Corse, a gorgeous horseshoe bay

Corsica Tour Operators

The majority of UK tour operators have fully committed contracts with their villa or apartment owners. This means that from May to early October, the owner is paid a set amount and it's  down to the tour operator to sell as many weeks as they possibly can - any weeks they can't sell they simply cannot recover and they lose money, although of course they make allowances for this by increasing prices and stinging you on other weeks, cunning eh! Remember this Golden Rule - NEVER EVER BOOK EARLY!

The Asco Valley near Ponte-Leccia, where you will find rock pools to bathe in

Late deals & special offers

Now, I hear you ask, how does this benefit you, as a couple or a family looking to book a last minute holiday to the island? Well, here's what I suggest you do before booking - ring around the likes of Simpson Travel, Corsican Places, Corsican Affair and Coastline Villas to find out availability and what their best price is. It's almost certain that their villas will be signed on an exclusive basis and they will be desperate to sell them at any price to make some money. Then simply pop on your negotiating hat and absolutely hammer them down on price, I can pretty much guarantee they will do anything to get your business, particularly if it is very close to the departure date.

Arriving by ferry from Nice into Calvi, Haute-Corse

Knock down prices

I've seen companies offering 50% last minute discounts recently, so with a bit of gentle persuasion you'll be able to get even more money off or get a free car (upgrade maybe) and a great deal on your holiday; just stick to your guns and remember to knock them down on price as far as possible - bonne chance!

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Jazz in Calvi, Corsica

Calvi Jazz Festival - 21-26 June 2011

While we sit here in the UK, moaning about the typically seasonal (sic) weather and wondering if summer will ever arrive, the trendy port of Calvi is basking in daytime temperatures of around 30 degrees while the sound of funky jazz beats fill the air.



This highly popular, annual event, features some of the biggest names from the world of Jazz, and concerts are often played in the open air. Full details can be found on the Calvi Jazz Festival website, including details on how to buy tickets and the exact location of each concert.

Playing tonight are Panam Panic, I'm liking their style in this YouTube video.

Headlining on the last night of the festival is Orlando Poleo, whose South American, Venezualan and Cuban influences are clearly evident throughout his work, such as in this video.

Jazz - nice!

Spectacular Corsica Photography

Professional Photography

Corsica, known in French rather appropriately as 'l'Ile de Beauté', is a photographer's paradise.

Plage de Saleccia, Haute-Corse

The island boasts a quite extraordinary contrast of beauty, from heavenly stretches of fine white sand and crystal clear seas at the Plage de Saleccia (right) to rugged, soaring mountain peaks, natural valleys, forests and rock pools in the heart of the island, such as at the Col de Bavella an hour's drive from Porto-Vecchio (below).

Col de Bavella, Corse-du-Sud

Some years ago, while working in Corsica, I had the pleasure of meeting Jérôme Jouve, a Corsican professional photographer. We needed some photos of our new villas and as his work is absolutely first-class, I had no hesitations! The results of his work were superb and we went on to work together for a number of years.


Jérôme has a wonderful portfolio of photos and, in addition to displaying them in various galleries and writing two books, the first of which Couleurs Corse won a prestigious award, has recently opened up a dedicated boutique in St Florent with his talented partner Stacy.

Limestone cliffs of Bonifacio © Jérôme Jouve

Their new shop, IMAG[E]INE, features a wide selection of Jérôme's work with the possibility to purchase copies of his collection, either in the shop or online.

IMAG[E]INE
Rue Fornellu
20217 St Florent
Corsica
Tel: 0033 (0)6 24 47 56 67 or 0033 (0)6 19 69 33 46
Email: weestace@hotmail.com

Beautiful landscape of Corsica © Jérôme Jouve

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U Libecciu - un vrai plaisir!

Great restaurant in l'Ile Rousse, Corsica

If you happen to be passing through the beautiful northern seaside town of l'Ile Rousse (Isula Rossa in Corsican) in the Balagne region of the island, you should definitely make a beeline for the popular U Libecciu restaurant.

Set in a narrow, pedestrianised, cobbled street, there's always a warm buzz of satisfaction thanks to a mix of both local and tourist diners. Menus and the wine list are written in French on mini blackboards, service is attentive and professional and the dishes are of a notably high standard.

Prices range from around 18€-30€ for main courses and make sure you leave enough space for a dessert; they are all made in-house and rather exceptional! I had a chocolate pud containing 4 different elements and it was obscenely good (12€).

Booking is usually recommended, as it's normally very busy. Tripadvisor reviews are available too.

Restaurant U Libecciu
Rue Notre Dame
20220 l'Ile Rousse
Corse
Tel: 0033 (0)4 95 60 13 82
Email: info@ulibecciu.fr

l'Ile Rousse (Isula Rossa) in Balagne, Haute-Corse

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Logements en Corse

Hotels et Villas en Corse

Je propose des services professionels aux propriétaires de villas et aux hôtels de Corse. Mon objectif sera de créer une liste exclusive des meilleurs hôtels, résidences et villas sur l'île de Beauté, de Bonifacio à Calvi, du Cap Corse à Propriano.

Cherchez-vous des clients (hors saison)?

Il est certain que la haute saison en Corse (juillet et août) est souvent bien rempli. Je suis confiant de pouvoir vous trouver des clients hors saison quand le taux de remplissage peut souffrir.

Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus, merci de me contacter.

Holidays in Corsica

Nine years of expert travel knowledge

I worked in the travel industry from 2002 to 2010, specialising in selling villa and apartment holidays as well as hotel breaks throughout France and Corsica. I was solely responsible for sourcing and researching new properties to feature in the company portfolio, travelling to the island on average 4 or 5 times per year and always seeking to discover something out of the ordinary. I currently work in online marketing however I still retain many of the contacts I made on the island.

Where to stay in Corsica

Corsica has fairly distinct regions around which which the majority of tourist accommodation can be found. These are; Bastia and St Florent in the north east, Calvi in the north west, Ajaccio, Porto and Piana on the west coast and Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio in the south east.

How to get to Corsica

From the UK, there are charter flights operating into the island (into Figari, Bastia and Calvi) as well as services operated by Easyjet. Alternatively the island can be reached by ferry from mainland France or Italy, making it extremely accessible from the continent. I travelled over myself last week from the UK by car and booked a crossing with Corsica Ferries from Nice to Calvi. Car hire can be booked through all the major rental companies including Avis, Hertz and Europcar.

View essential Corsica travel information.

Book a holiday in Corsica

There are a couple of tour operators who you can book a holiday with to Corsica, however it is extremely easy to book flights, car hire, taxis, villa, hotel etc yourself and save an awful lot of money (probably up to 40%!). These companies tend to charge huge margins on your booking so why not cut them out altogether and spend the money you save on a slap up meal at one of St Florent's famous seafood restaurants instead!?

Incredible beauty of Corsican coastline © Jérôme Jouve

Benefit from my extensive knowledge

If you're considering a holiday in Corsica, I would be happy to provide independent advice on any aspect of your holiday. If you're looking to book a villa, apartment or hotel but are unsure where to stay then I can also help with building your itinerary - please contact me for further information. Naturally I would charge a fee for the time involved to research everything on your behalf but you will benefit from the reduced rates I can obtain from a number of suppliers.

Corsica - France

Corsica - la Corse - Korsika - Kallisté

My first ever blog; my first post; my first step on a journey to possibly change my future. Please bear with me as I get used to the blog features and tools, I'll do my best to keep it neat!

The aim of this blog is to share my knowledge, ideas, passion and love for the Mediterranean island of Corsica, France so that more people may be encouraged to visit this wonderful destination. I am entirely freelance and doing this off my own back and I welcome any comments, feedback, tips or advice if you wish to contribute.



I have travelled extensively all over the world, from Sri Lanka to Fiji, Hawaii to Gran Canaria but there's definitely something magical and entirely unique about this rugged, unspoilt and majestically beautiful island.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this leads. I'll no doubt need some help along the way as it's not going to be easy, but I will make every effort to enure its success.

Thanks for reading, Merci!