Destination: Corsica
BLOGGED LOCATIONS
The French island of Corsica is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies west of the Italian ‘boot’ and north of the island of Sardinia. Corsica was ruled by Genoa in the late 13th century for a period of 500 years. In 1768, Genoa relinquished it to France as payment for military aid to suppress the Corsican revolt, Napoleon Bonaparte, was born in Corsica and his family home today is a tourist attraction and museum.
Would you believe that between the late fifties and the seventies, there were proposals to conduct underground nuclear tests in the Argentella silver and copper mines? 18,000 Algerians immigrated to the island under French supervision and there were high levels chemical pollution from mainland Italy. All of these incidents caused tensions to rise and on 23 August 1975 created an armed nationalist struggle against the French government.
Though obviously not advertised, in 2018, Corsica had the highest murder rate in France which were the result of family feuds between clans on the island and vendettas or revenge actions against insults against the honor of a family. Tourists and visitors weren’t targeted and the victims were mainly business people and local mayors. In March 2022 there was a lot of civil unrest, though this did not impact tourist areas.
In August 2022, a powerful destructive storm swept across the island and killed six people, injuring dozens more. Have a look at our blog on the ‘Corsica Storm’.
While all of the above paints a less than rosy picture, in the limited time we stayed there, we did not see or experience anything that would stop us going back. Everyone we met was friendly. The bars and restaurants were exceptional and the places we visited were safe and interesting to visit.
Would we go back to Corsica and visit it again? Absolutely!
Average costs in this area
Transportation - By bike, by taxi, by car, by bus, by train. all of these options are available to you. Pick whichever one suits your budget and vacation time and go and enjoy the sights.
Accommodation - Villas, Apartments, Hotels, Houses/Maisons, and Residences all exist for every type of budget. Do an internet search and you will find many places to book accommodation for your stay.
Food - As part of France, you will soon notice that Corsicans take their food very seriously. The flavors and plates cater to all palates and costs vary based on seasonality. Other than fresh seafood the most signature Corsican dishes are listed below;
1. Civet de sanglier: Wild boar casserole. The signature dish of Corsica.
2. Veau aux olives: Slow cooked stew of veal with olives.
3. Agneau Corse: Slow roasted Corsican lamb with whole garlic cloves, fresh rosemary and potatoes.
All of them delicious. Why not try each one?
Suggested daily budget – Of course this depends on where you stay, what you do, and where you eat as it all makes a difference. We like to walk the streets to see the ‘real’ stuff going on and to call in at interesting street food vendors for lunch. If many locals eat at a place that means the food is usually good and inexpensive and you should eat there too. Buying from a local grocery store and having a picnic is also an affordable and fun option. Corsica offers one of the most fun. affordable, and safest places to visit in europe.
TIps for first visit
1. Getting Around – What do you want to see or do? Is it going to be a cultural, culinary, or adrenaline junkie trip? How much time do you have? Organized tour for optimizing time, or do-it-yourself to optimize flexibility, or something in between?
2. Get tour and entrance passes – Doing your research in advance, gives you MANY benefits: Allows you to prioritize activities, allows you to know costs in advance for budgeting, and gives you some idea of time needed at each activity. When you know what you want to do, reserve a ticket in advance so that when you turn up you will not be turned away!
3. Check where the locals eat– PRO TIP: If you forgot to make a reservation then this holds true … walk a MINIMUM of THREE blocks away from a tourist attraction. If you still see restaurants with photos of food plastered along their fronts, keep on walking until you dont see them. When you dont see any ‘photo menus’, you have just entered the ‘local’ zone! The food here will be cheaper, better, fresher and you are more likely to meet locals than other tourists. Good food will sell by itself and doesnt need a photo to sell it. These restaurants without the ‘photo menus’ stay in business because the food is good and they want your repeat business, NOT because they have an endless supply of tourists coming through that they dont need to impress.
Do’s and don’ts
Be respectful and be kind. Learn some local lingo. Always remember that you are a GUEST in their country. You are in Corsica, so .. relax and watch this part of the world open up in front of you. Go for an early walk, have a coffee or sandwich at a corner cafe and people watch. Some of the best times are before and after the work day when you can see food being delivered to restaurants, linens being washed, families going off to activities. Sit, watch, and listen, its free and fun!
What you shouldn't do?
Be smart with your bags and gear. Cars get broken into in each country in the world and not just Corsica so do advertise to would be car thieves. Carry just enough cash for a couple of days, and use your credit card for as many purchases as possible. Use the local ATM machines to get out more euros when you need them.
Hopefully the tips above will give you enough information to start your own planning. If you want to check out some of the locations we visited in Greece and what we though of them, then click the [EXPLORE LOCATIONS] button below, or select a specific Greek island location from the list on the right.
