I visited Corsica so you didn't have to

Hello, my dearest readers! I have been absent from this platform for a while now and I hope you all know how much I have missed this! Even so, I am back and ready to write and share as many things as I can about my latest trip with you. The past few months have been nothing but crazy. I finished my third year of Law school (out of four years) and I am closer than ever to finally getting my college diploma and to proudly call myself a lawyer (if I pass the Bar exam next year in September of course). I had the opportunity of my lifetime to take part in one of the most exciting academic experiences for me as a student. I represented my university (University of Bucharest) in the Willem Vis international commercial arbitration moot which is the most prestigious private international law competition in the world and takes place every year in Vienna & Hong Kong. The Vienna edition is generally more popular and this year 379 universities from 89 countries participated there. Overall, it was a seven-month long process and it included bonding with a team of seven students, writing two memoranda and a pleading phase which ended up with me pleading on the applicable law of the contract at hand in all four elimination rounds (I am still so grateful that my university chose me to plead in Vienna and I miss everyone that I got to meet so badly). To sum up, I got to travel a little bit but only to Belgrade and Vienna during the pleading phase and those trips were more work and less tourism related.

You can imagine that now I am finally on a well deserved vacation and I am willing to tell you step by step why Corsica might not be the top destination you would like to visit as a foreigner (even though it is so unexplored and unexploited). But, first, a little bit of general info about Corsica is required before sharing my personal experience with it.

Corsica is one of the 18 regions of France and it has an 1000 km long coastline. Its tallest mountain is 2700 m and the island is separated from Sardinia by the Strait of Bonifacio. The total population of the island is approx. 340.000 inhabitants and their own language is called Corsican (Corsu) which is similar to the medieval Tuscan language.

Corsica is considered to be one of the poorest and least developed regions in France and the stereotype about Corsican people is that they are quite narrow-minded and exclusivist. Historically speaking, Corsica was ruled by the Republic of Genoa from 1284 to 1755 when it proclaimed its independence as a republic under the rule of Pasquale Paoli. They had kind of an important and bloody revolution going on there (this is the reason why I decided to visit Genoa during this trip and I’m about to write about it a little bit later as I really enjoyed the outcome). Also, let’s not forget that one of the greatest statesmen in the history of Europe was born here, in the city of Ajaccio. However, locals do not seem to make a big deal out of it as Corsicans consider Napoleon Bonaparte a traitor for neglecting his birthplace during his rule. AAAHH I have so many things to say but I’m trying to take it step by step.

(View from Iles Sanguinaires)

Talking from my own experience now, Corsica is not one of those easily accessible and friendly destinations and I know that it isn't surprising as far as France is concerned. However, this island is even more unbearable for non-French speakers than any other region of this country. If you speak French well or you are willing to ignore these aspects, then Corsica might have your heart. Even though, I must warn you that you are going to end up in quite a few awkward situations because absolutely no one speaks English and you will wish you hadn't been in Corsica in the first place. As long as you enjoy this type of moments in your life, then you are safe.

There are two main ways to get here. You can take a flight from your starting point or from Nice or Marseille which are the closest big cities to Corsica (there are two main airports on the island – one in Bastia and another one in Ajaccio). Or, you can take a ferry from either Nice or Marseille to get there. It might take longer (around 7 hours) but it is much more fun if you are a sea enthusiast. I personally took the ferry to Bastia and I recommend you doing the same because one thing is for certain – you really need a car to visit the coolest spots in Corsica and renting a car from continental France is much cheaper than renting a car from Corsica. 

You can book your ferry trip by clicking on this link. The prices for a ferry trip may vary from €100 to €600 depending on your trip dates, the type of private cabin you choose, the type of vehicle you bring on the ferry or the additional costs for bringing your pet on the ferry. You might as well choose no private cabin at all and it's of course more affordable this way. 

Now, Corsica is a hilly and sparsely populated island so you can imagine that it has pretty spectacular views and a lot of natural beauty by itself. Down bellow I'll give you some suggestions on places that I think they deserve to be explored and some other things that I didn't have the chance to visit that you can try. Stay tuned because I am about to spill some spicy insights!

Bastia

As I have previously mentioned, I took the ferry to Bastia and I decided to spend the rest of the day here to explore the town. It has a nice port and quite a few pretty cathedrals to visit. I also had dinner at Le Conti which was the local recommendation for delicious food and good prices. Bastia reminded me so much of Marseille and the story of the Count of Monte Cristo that I’d say it is the mini version of Marseille. Click here to find out more about Marseille. Also, don’t forget to check out its narrow streets and the local shops. 

Flatbread with anchovies and Pizza carbonara were €12 each

Porto-Vecchio

Now, I truly think that the southern region of Corsica (Corse-du-Sud) is much more fascinating than the northern region (Haute-Corse where Bastia is). It's filled with the best beaches, the most historical places on the island and the coolest outdoor activities. The three main towns in this region are Porto-Vecchio, Bonifacio and Ajaccio which is the largest one in Corsica. Porto-Vecchio is the closest town to Bastia so I first stopped there after a 2 and a half hour trip. The roads in Corsica are quite well preserved but there are no highways throughout the island so a trip from one place to another may take longer than expected. You will not regret it at all as the scenery is breathtaking anywhere you'd go.

As for the town itself, I found Porto-Vecchio the most plain of them all. Even so, I came across a private collection museum of knives and canes from all around the world which was so cool. The old man who was collecting the items was also in charge of the museum and he seemed so happy that I stepped in. Despite not understanding each other, he was maybe one of the few welcoming people I've met in Corsica and he made everything he could to communicate with me. The ticket was a bit pricy for what it offered (it was €5 if you're interested) but I cannot complain. Also, I had beignets de calamars for lunch and visited the town's Genoese style tower for €2.

However, the most interesting thing to do in Porto-Vecchio is to see the nearby beaches. These are the most spectacular ones on the island and you can also find some cool jet-ski areas for a boost of fun (you actually need to communicate with the locals for that and it's maybe the most challenging thing to do in Corsica so I dare you!). If you're more into hiking, you should check out Foret de l'Ospedale. In terms of beaches, the most popular ones are Palombaggia, Tamaricciu, Santa Giulia, Porto Novo and Cala Rossa. I personally opted for a more isolated beach such as Sant'Amanza where I caught a splendid sunset.

Bonifacio

True beauty is where you least expect it. That is Bonifacio in a sentence. To be honest with you, this place is France, Italy and Portugal combined. It has the magnificent rock by the sea type of landscape which can be seen in Faro, Portugal and its old citadel reminded me of those isolated Italian hill towns like Dolceacqua in the Liguria region. All of this is completed with the French aesthetic that can be seen in the port area (this one is so similar to Saint-Tropez in particular).

I totally recommend two must-see attractions and I'm sure you won't regret any of these. The first one is called Escalier du roy d'Aragon and I actually discovered it by mistake. I was struggling to reach the old town when I started seeing a huge queue where everyone was wearing helmets. I was curious to find out more about it until I saw a huge banner which forbid visitors from wearing several items (most of those were related to shoes). Even so, I thought there was a good chance to see something nice so I bought the ticket (it took €5 and too much sweat to climb those 189 stairs to the sea and admire the beauty of Corsica). Also, I got the chance to wear that helmet (they're so underrated, like who needs hats anymore??). What is this place exactly? Well, it is a carving in the rocks of the coastline which helps people have a different perspective and get closer to the sea.

The second thing which shouldn't be missed in Bonifacio is a boat trip. That's especially because a boat trip can take you 11 km away from Sardinia by the Strait of Bonifacio and to some amazing surrounding areas. You can book a few hours long or a full day boat trip (it only depends on your preferences and you can also buy your tickets from the tickets-point in the port area). The cheapest trip is €20. Bonus tip: if you choose a longer boat trip, you can actually swim near those exclusive beaches like people do it in Saint-Tropez!

Anyways, Sardinia is so close that you can take a 50 mins ferry trip from Bonifacio. Just keep in mind that Sardinia is part of Italy and not of France.

Do you see that 45 degree line carved in rock? Those are the stairs that you climb for Escalier du roy d'Aragon

Ajaccio

The "capital" city of Corsica is that kind of place where I hope I will never come back to. It just did not match my vibe and the locals do not really seem to be into culture. Also, some of them were quite rude towards me and I came to the realisation that Corsicans do not know what tourism is supposed to be about. The city is nice but definitely not spectacular. However, I must admit that its historical significance overcomes its overall plainness. 

Something that no one can miss in Ajaccio is the Bonaparte family house (not for the museum itself but rather for your ticked off bucket list). I was a bit disappointed to see that no one invested in Napoleonic history as they should have done. Don't get me wrong, the mansion is well preserved and there are quite big queues to visit it. It just didn't have the charm I expected. It was underwhelming and I had the impression that the museum is open because it has to be and not because of local pride (which I would have totally understood and appreciated). I don't know if you've ever felt that way but here I am completely candid with you. Also, they do not give you audio guides at the entrance so you should ask for it. Otherwise, you don't understand anything from it because absolutely everything is written in French. It's free for EU residents under 25 years old, but it's €7 for non-EU residents under 25 years old (which is completely discriminatory in my opinion and it's not a matter of encouraging youth culture anymore). 

A bit of Napoleon history that you all knew: Napoleon Bonaparte was the second oldest out of the eight surviving children of Carlo Maria di Buonaparte (he was a descendant of a Tuscan noble family) and Maria Letizia Ramolino (she was a descendant of a Genoese noble family). His siblings were (in order)  Joseph, Lucien, Elisa, Louis, Pauline, Caroline and Jérôme. Napoleon had lived in this house for 9 years before he moved to continental France for education purposes. Until the age of 10, he only spoke Corsican and Italian so he learnt French in school. His father died when Napoleon was as little as 15 years old and so went away all the funding that the Bonaparte children had until the tragic event. In the same summer, the soon-to-be emperor was accepted in the greatest artillery school in France, the École Militaire. The financial instability of Bonaparte's family made him scramble to complete a two year program in just one year. This eventually had an unimaginable outcome on world history.

Fesch Museum is much more interesting than the previous one. It has pretty cool Italian and Flemish Renaissance paintings, Corsican art works and a few popular paintings like The Death of Marat (it's actually a replica of the famous painting made by one of Jacques-Louis David's disciples). The ticket is a bit more pricy as it's €10 per person (Disclaimer: all the prices that I share with you are per person).

Besides, Ajaccio has nice cafes, bars, restaurants and local shops but make sure to have enough supplies because there are just a few expensive shops open on Sundays.

Last but not least, I got the chance to see how a flat building looks like in Corsica. My accommodation in particular was not picture perfect (those stairs were terrible and the place where I stayed in was at the last floor without access to any lift). The flat itself was quite nice except for the old creepy neighbour that was watching me when I arrived. Click here for great location and good price accommodation.

Iles Sanguinaires

Now let's talk about the trip that I almost lost because of Corsicans' bad management. I booked a small trip to the Sanguinaires islands via Get your Guide and I could take the boat from either Ajaccio or Porticcio for this trip (I ultimately chose Ajaccio). What happened? They registered me for Porticcio even though it was clear that I booked for Ajaccio (the thing is that Porticcio is 6 km away from Ajaccio and the trip was about to start so I had no chance to be on time). It went well in the end thanks to some nice tourists that could translate for me in French but my advice is to be really prudent with this kind of trips. The place was so pretty, I tasted some local wine and products which were included in the price for this journey and the sunset was magnificent. I honestly think that we should live for moments like these.

That being said, this was Corsica in a nutshell. Of course there are so many undiscovered places like Calvi, Corte, hiking or beach areas, but those remain to be uncovered another time. I hope you enjoyed this and that it made you think twice before choosing to spend a vacation in Corsica. I have personally never felt more useless for speaking English haha! I virtually hug you all and see you next time!