Hi - my husband and I are thinking of going to Corsica this June. He is a keen diver and I am a keen photographer, snorkeller and beach bum. Not knowing the island - can anyone offer us any feedback on where is best to go for good beaches and diving? I thought Porto Vecchio would be good to be near beaches and Bonifacio for diving. All feedback would be welcome. If we were to go there - what is the best way of getting there from Ajaccio airport? Hire a car? Any ideas how long it would take?? Thanks!
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Are you set on Ajaccio for your arrival airport? Figari is much closer to Porto Vecchio and Bonifacio about 30 mins compared with about 2.5 hours from Ajaccio. This is the most expensive and crowded part of the island.
There are beaches and diving opportunities along the north west coast between Calvi and L%26#39;Ille Rousse, 3.5 hrs from Ajaccio but only 2.5 from Bastia. Calvi airport is obviously the closest. Plenty of photo opportunities everywhere on Corsica. Good beaches all the way between the two towns and great scenery inland in the Balagne district.
Public transport is widespread but very infrequent, on many routes only one or two buses a day, so car hire is all but essential, and is great fun as long as you don%26#39;t mind narrow roads, dizzying drops and endless bends!
I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll have a great time wherever you go on Corsica!
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I agree with Aardvark. The Balagne in the north west of Corsica will give you good diving (I know there are diving centres in Galeria and Calvi) and some wonderful beaches. Most of the scheduled flights from Britain land at Bastia, and it is only an hour and a half by car from Bastia to Calvi. You%26#39;ll see much more if you hire a car wherever you go in Corsica, but an additional advantage of the Balagne is the little coastal train that connects all the beaches in the region.
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Thank yo both so much for your very helpful advice. We%26#39;lltake your advice and head for the Calvi/Ile Rousse area. Any advice on beat flight deals from the UK? Any recommended accomodation? Thank you! Can%26#39;t wait to book it - we need something to look forward to after Christmas!
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Sure - here is some info as requested... There are scheduled flights from Gatwick from BA (Sunday, Tues, Thurs) and Excel (Sundays) in June. You could also look at Thomson flights and if you are travelling from a regional airport, check out Westernair. You can Google these or get the links on my website Corsicaholiday.com, or the website Corsica Isula. You%26#39;ll love the Balagne!
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There are few cheap flights to Corsica. It may be best to book up on BA Gatwick-Bastia flight well in advance, or try the tour operators for a fly drive deal.
There are plenty of hotels etc in Calvi and L%26#39;ille Rousse and you might also like to consider Algajola, which is a very small resort midway between the two, but it does have a great beach, a railway station and a couple of hotels directly on the beach (which is properly known as Aregno Plage).
The (so-called) train between Calvi and L%26#39;ille Rousse stops at Ajgajola and all the beaches along the way. In summer there is a relatively frequent service so you could explore the whole of the area and choose the beach that suits you. Just don%26#39;t expect the Orient Express!!!
If you do fly to Bastia, the drive to the Balagne is an ideal introduction to driving in Corsica, being along main roads which are relatively easy and also have some good scenery. Because Bastia airport is south of the town you do not need to pass through the town itself. You may notice a few miles after Ponte Leccia (a road and rail junction about half way)a left turn to Asco. The drive along the river valley here to Asco is absolutely superb and you can find endless quiet spots by the river for a picnic, although the road is very narrow in places and parking is not too easy. Recommended for a day trip and very photogenic!
I hope you will return from Corsica as a converted fan of this beautiful island.
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Thank you both so much for your great advice, sounds like you go there quite often! I have found two return flights to Bastia for £190 on the BA site and will book those tonight. Then we%26#39;ll look at the accomodation. I can%26#39;t wait, the way you%26#39;ve described it sounds great! We usually go away further afield and it%26#39;ll be great to find a holiday spot we like a few hours flight from home. The website was bery helpful too, I%26#39;ll have a proper look at it tonight.
Bye for now!
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I wonder if you would like to consider something a little different?
That is staying for at least part of your holiday in a mountain village.
The village of Lama, about 30 minutes from L%26#39;ille Rousse, has lots of gites for hire. It is a true Corsican village but has been carefully adapted for holiday makers. There is the huge advantage of a very nice free swimming pool in the village, and there are a few shops bars and restaurants. There are several walks and the village has lots of photo opportunities. You can find more information on:-
corsica.net/corsica/…lama02.htm
The corsica.net site is a real treat since it has obviously translated from the French by electronic means, so the language used is very entertaining.
There is the most amusing mis-spelling in the Lama section - have fun looking for it!
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