2023 Corsica tasting
Something like "Wine tasting", little sips of Corsica to get the desire for more.
While Linda and myself (Dirk) are together now for nearly 20 years, we both know Pierre and Martine for more than 35 years. They are living in the south of France and suggested to go on a short trip to Corsica. In 10 days, we would never be able to cover the entire island by bike so we planned it as a mixed Bike/Car trip.
5 days of cycling, 1 day of hiking and 4 days of relaxing and having good times with our friends.
​
In April, the tourist season in Corsica is just starting up and the small roads around the island are not busy yet.
​
For a long time, Linda's all time favourite bicycle tour was the trip around Ireland, but during these 10 days, we got convinced that Corsica challenges this top position a lot.
We will certainly come back to see and experience all the beauty this island has to offer.
​
All cycle tracks have been seen and downloaded from the website : Corsica Cyclist
Video on DILISTUFF YouTube channel
Ajaccio
We took the car ferry from Toulon to Ajaccio, but there are also ferry services to Corsica from Marseille or Nice. From most ports in France, you can sail to Ajaccio, L'íle Rousse or Bastia, all depending from where you want to start your trip. Best is to compare prices as they seem to vary depending travel period. We took the day trip but it's also possible to do the night crossing and to book a sleeper hut.
Ajaccio is the capital of Corsica and the birthplace of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in 1769. Ajaccio offers pretty narrow streets with colourful houses and you can visit Napoleon's birth house which is now a museum with it's personal souvenirs.
On our day arrival, it was just the day of carnaval which is manly a children's event with a parade.
Hiking the Gorges de Spelunca
From Ajaccio, we drove to the north, passing the Calangues de Piana.
Best way to discover these red ocre cliffs is by boat, but that is something we'll do next visit.
Our first real outdoor activity on the island was the Gorges de Spelunca hike. The hike follows an old mule track between the villages Evisa and Ota and runs down the bottom of the gorge next to the Spelunca River.
The trail takes you a few hours to complete.
Cycling, from Porta Ota to the bay of Galeria
It's about 50 km between Porta Ota and the bay of Galeria, always up and down, always turning.
The views are incredible, being there in April also meant nearly no other traffic on these winding roads.