The Great Corsican Loop

Nice

Capital of the Cote d’Azur, Nice is neighboured by the Baie des Anges. You will probably want to explore the Promenade des Anglais, where you can sit on one of the famous blue chairs laid out opposite the shoreline. Don’t forget to explore the Château hill. This is the entrance to the old city, with its bustling markets and regional products along the main street, the Cours Saleya. If you want to plunge into Nice’s diverse cultural heritage, visit the Lascaris palace with its baroque decorations. The museums dedicated to painters Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall are an absolute must.

23 August 2016 – Girolata / Scandola (Corsica)

At the far end of a turquoise gulf on the north-west coast of Corsica, the charming little port of Girolata can only be reached by sea or via a hiking path. You can admire the little white 16th century fort, a vestige of Genoese presence in Corsica, before sauntering in the shade through the smattering of little streets. To the north, the Scandola Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site, offers its vast, remarkable scenery full of protected fauna and flora: falcons, seals and dolphins living free and wild. Wonder of wonders: the spectacular red granite cliffs surging from the waters below.

24 August 2016 – Porto Cervo

Porto Cervo is a small and very popular seaside village on the Emerald Coast of Sardinia.  Built in the 1960s at Aga Khan’s behest, it now plays host to the world’s biggest fortunes and most stunning yachts. A haven of peace and harmony lined with blooming gardens, this out-of-the-way paradise was built according to the traditional architecture of the region. When your ship drops anchor here, you will have a chance to discover the picturesque streets, beautiful fine-sand beaches and lively port. And the historical heritage here is unique: discover relics from the Bronze Age as you explore the Giants’ grave and the Nuraghe La Prisgiona, megalithic vestiges of the mysterious Nuragic civilisation.

25 August 2016 – Palombaggia (Corsica)

Located on the south-east side of the island, close to Porto-Vecchio, the seaside town of Palombaggia offers some of the most beautiful beaches in Corsica. White dunes, pink porphyry rocks, turquoise waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. In this dreamlike setting, everything invites you to rest and unwind. From the beaches you have a view of the Cerbicale archipelago, six rocky islands with jagged silhouettes hewn out by winds that, together, form a natural reserve. In the hinterlands, Alta Rocca proposes many possibilities for walks through generous pinewoods.

25 August 2016 – Navigation Strait of Bonifacio

The Strait of Bonifacio is the stretch of water separating Corsica from Sardinia. Always windy with strong currents, this strait is well known to sailors who are wary of the many reefs that have caused the deaths of so many of their kind, as the moving memorial to the frigate La Sémillante illustrates. To the east lies the Lavezzi Islands, with their airs of a tropical paradise, as large pink granite rocks emerge from a transparent turquoise sea. The area of the Bonifacio Strait has been classified as a nature reserve since 1999 because of its terrestrial and maritime ecological richness.

25 August 2016 – Bonifacio

26 August 2016 – Bonifacio

The spectacular town of Bonifacio located on the very tip of southern Corsica, clings to a narrow promontory of white rock overhanging the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. You can admire its limestone cliffs hewn out by the wind, before setting off on a cultural tour of its cultural treasures. From the little paved streets in the ancient Haute Ville, to the promenade on the open-air medieval chemin de ronde, this stunning town will take you on a journey back in time. Frequented or secluded, there are numerous beaches to choose from, all in keeping with the high standards of the “Île de Beauté”.

27 August 2016 – Roccapina (Corsica)

Located in the south-west of Corsica the wild rocky Roccapina headlands covered in pine forest are a conservation area. The headlands embrace two bays of turquoise blue water and powder-soft sandy beaches. You may not see many people but traces of the region’s Genovese past are visible, including a 17th century tower. However, the main attraction is provided by Nature in the form of dramatic rocky peaks sculpted by the wind into the shape of animals and humans. On the top of a rocky outcrop one of the most famous formations strongly resembles a lion lying down, its head up surveying the coast.

28 August 2016 – Ile Rousse (Corsica)

Overlooking a wide crystalline bay to the north of Corsica, the port of Ile-Rousse offers the charm of an historical town in the heart of spectacular natural surroundings. You will be able to admire the white facades of the famous Paoli square, the busy hub of the old town centre, where restaurants lay out their terraces in the shade of plane trees. Make sure you take a look at the statue of Pasquale Paoli, known as “Babbu”, father of Corsica. Amateurs of fine sandy beaches will find fulfilment at Napoleon beach, located near the centre, or the calmer Caruchettu beach. There are a plethora of hiking paths from which to choose.

Nice

Capital of the Cote d’Azur, Nice is neighboured by the Baie des Anges. You will probably want to explore the Promenade des Anglais, where you can sit on one of the famous blue chairs laid out opposite the shoreline. Don’t forget to explore the Château hill. This is the entrance to the old city, with its bustling markets and regional products along the main street, the Cours Saleya. If you want to plunge into Nice’s diverse cultural heritage, visit the Lascaris palace with its baroque decorations. The museums dedicated to painters Henri Matisse and Marc Chagall are an absolute must.