Corsica - France, Europe

Imagine a craggy mountain rising from the sea. Imagine a fiercely independent land that feels Italian and, indeed, sits just north of Sardinia and due west of Rome, yet belongs politically to France. Imagine the humble birthplace of one of France’s most glorious historical figures, Napoleon Bonaparte, looking on its famous son with as much irreverence as pride. Imagine a people who speak a language all their own, a dialect older than the Italian it resembles, a passionate and hospitable people who seem as likely to burst into traditional song or poetry as to speak.

Corsica is a self-contained place abounding in delightful contradictions, more than you might expect from an island measuring just 114 miles (183 km) north to south, 52 miles (83 km) east to west, and with a population totaling little more than a quarter million souls. You’ll find here more to do than in many places ten times Corsica’s size. The ruggedly mountainous interior boasts three ski areas along with forests and fields ideal for hiking, lakes and rivers for fishing, and scores of charming villages to explore. The meandering coastline measures an amazing 621 miles (1,000 km) long, offering great sailing, scuba diving, and sunbathing.

Along the coast you’ll also find its two main port cities - Ajaccio on the west and Bastia on the north - home to about half the island’s population and where café life, historic buildings, and museums give you countless opportunities to steep yourself in Corsican culture. Not to be missed is the Corsican cuisine, featuring fresh and cured game and pork dishes; goat cheeses; figs, chestnuts, and olives from the forests; Italian-inspired baked pastas; and the catch of the day from the surrounding Tyrrhenian Sea.

Wherever you stay in Corsica, and wherever you go there, you’ll be dazzled by the variety of experience, and deeply moved by a still fiercely independent land and people.