CORSICA

For events visit: www.visit-corsica.com

Are you thinking of moving to the Corsica region? We hope that the following information will be of help to you but please also use the links where further details can be found.

Where is Corsica?

Corsica is a beautiful island in the Mediterranean 160 km south of the Côte d'Azur, sail eastwards to Italy and just a stone's throw further south you come to Sardinia. It consists of 2 departments: Haute Corse (2B) and Corse-du-Sud (2A). The capital is Ajaccio, situated on the west of the island, on the stunning Gulf of Ajacci with magnificent views over the Iles Sanguinaires. This elegant town, nowadays an all year round tourist attraction, is where Napoleon was born.

What is there on Corsica?

This is the third largest island in the western Mediterranean, sometimes called the 'scented isle' on account of its very fragrant flowering shrubs (maquis). Its rugged mountains ( up to 2710m, nearly 300ft)- with mountain lakes, torrents with trout, dramatic gorges (Spelunca), pine forests and mountain valleys - cover a large part of the island. The scenery is fantastic and the beaches are superb. You will find tropical palm trees, vineyards, chestnut covered hills, orange and olive groves, charming hillside villages&towns (Corte with its magnificent views) and by the sea fishing villages such as St Florent. Calvi, a port, is where Nelson lost an eye during the siege and it may also be the birthplace of Columbus. Bastia, with its citadel, is the largest city and the commercial centre of the island.
It is a perfect island for walking and horse-riding but there is also a beautiful golf course and in winter why not go skiing? Of course you can enjoy swimming, sailing, windsurfing etc. in and on the lovely Mediterranean waters – average sea temperature in summer 24C - but also inland canoeing is popular as is fishing. The Corsican people also know how to have a good time here with their festivals, fairs and processions.
It is hardly surprising, given its location, that this island has had a turbulent history. It had been under Genoese rule for many years when in 1768 it became French. Ever since there have been political problems which have put some people off going to the island.
The official language is French but you will also hear a dialect which is quite similar to Italian. Around 250,000 people live here and although this number rises considerably during the summer months the overall population is in decline with people emigrating to other parts where there is more industry. Most people live near the coast and apart from tourism diary, fruit and viticulture are important.

Climate of Corsica:

Often bathing in sunshine Corsica has a typical Mediterranean climate which means hot and dry summers and mild winters. Up in the mountains it is a question of the higher you go the cooler it gets and above 1500m (4,500ft) it is more an alpine climate. You can see snow on the mountain tops from September to May and in summer the nights may be cool but the sun is hot. Beware of sudden storms especially in the mountains.

Property in the Corsica region:

It will not come as a surprise that property on this beautiful island is expensive, especially if you are looking for a place near the sea.

Food and wine on Corsica:

Corsica being an island you may have expected the inhabitant to eat lots of fish but it is in fact meat: goat, wild boar, lamb etc. Real favourites are the ham and sausages but pollenta (a sort of porridge here made with chestnut flour), local cheeses and delicious deserts should not be forgotten. Corsican Muscat is quite well known but the island produces other fine red and white wines and excellent rosé. You do not have to take our word for it, you can find out for yourself if you go to a tasting in Patrimonio or Oletta.

Getting to Corsica:

Airports:

There is an airport, near Ajaccio (British Airways, Thomsonfly), to which there are direct flights from London and it has good connections with Europe. Other possibilities are Calvi (Thomsonfly), Figari (Thomsonfly) in the south and Bastia (Thomsonfly,British Airways,XL.com) in the north. As always, beware of the low cost airlines, we do not know how long the service will last.

Ferries:

You can take your car on the fast ferry from Nice which takes about 3 hrs. (Calais to Nice is roughly 11hrs) or you can a ferry from Marseille or Toulon with crossing times of 7 to 12 hrs. (Calais to Marseille is roughly 10 hrs)