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Just 180 km from Nice and only 12 km from Sardinia, Corsica is first and foremost a mountain: Monte Cinto rises to 2,706 m and the Regional Nature Park covers more than 40% of the island. This geography shapes the way you travel. The cliffs of Bonifacio, the beaches of Porto-Vecchio and the Calanques de Piana lie several hours apart on winding roads, and trying to see everything in a week means long days behind the wheel. This guide helps you choose one or two regions, the right season for what you want to do and the most convenient port or airport, and introduces a local cuisine shaped by the maquis, the chestnut groves and livestock farming.
Travel guideWhich region to choose in Corsica? North or SouthA mountain island with a strong identity
Corsica covers about 8,700 km², stretching 183 km from north to south and just over 80 km at its widest. It has some 355,000 inhabitants, a large share of whom live around Ajaccio and Bastia, the two prefectures. Since 2018 the Collectivité de Corse, the island's regional authority, based in Ajaccio, has exercised the powers of the former region and of the two departments, Corse-du-Sud and Haute-Corse.
Long under Genoese rule, independent under Pasquale Paoli from 1755 to 1769 and then part of France, the island has kept its language, corsu, seen on bilingual signs and heard in everyday life, and a tradition of polyphonic singing, cantu in paghjella, inscribed by UNESCO. Many villages perch inland, at a distance from a coastline long exposed to raids.
Around 1,000 km of coastline, three-quarters of it rocky, alternates between deep gulfs in the west and a coastal plain in the east, on either side of a mountain spine of laricio pine forests and glacial lakes.
Pick a region rather than trying to see it all
The South has the best-known landscapes: the upper town of Bonifacio perched on its limestone cliffs, the beaches of Palombaggia and Santa Giulia near Porto-Vecchio, the Bavella needles and the villages of the Alta Rocca. Further west, the Sartenais and the Gulf of Valinco, around Propriano, keep a slower pace and a rich prehistoric heritage, including the site of Filitosa.
In the west, the Gulf of Porto brings together the Calanques de Piana, the hamlet of Girolata and the Scandola reserve, jointly inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1983; Ajaccio is its gateway. In the north-west, the Balagne combines Calvi, L'Île-Rousse and hilltop villages such as Pigna. In the north-east, Bastia opens onto Cap Corse, a peninsula of small harbours and Genoese towers, and onto the Désert des Agriates.
In the centre, Corte, Paoli's former capital and a university town, makes a base for the Restonica and Tavignanu valleys. For a first week, two neighbouring regions are enough: Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio with the Alta Rocca, or Calvi and the Balagne with the Gulf of Porto.
May, June and September: the best-balanced months
July and August account for most visitors: ferries are full, roads to the beaches are busy and accommodation must be booked early. May, June and September offer long days, lighter traffic and sea warm enough for swimming from late spring; early October is often still pleasant on the coast.
For the high mountains the window is short: GR20 refuges are staffed from mid-May to early October, and snow can linger on the ridges in early summer. From mid-June to late September, access to some massifs may be restricted when the wildfire risk is high. In winter, many coastal businesses close.
Ferries and flights: the right port, the right airport
Four airports serve the island: Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari, the last one for the far south. Air Corsica and Air France fly year-round to several French cities; in season, easyJet, Volotea, Transavia and other airlines add direct flights from many French and other European cities, including Geneva, Brussels and Luxembourg.
By sea, Corsica Linea links Marseille with Ajaccio, Bastia, L'Île-Rousse and Propriano, and La Méridionale links Marseille with Ajaccio and Porto-Vecchio, mostly overnight. Corsica Ferries sails from Toulon, Nice and Sète, as well as from Livorno, Savona and Piombino in Italy. In season, Moby links Livorno and Genoa with Bastia, and Santa Teresa Gallura, in Sardinia, with Bonifacio. Aim for the port closest to your region: from Bastia to Bonifacio, allow nearly three hours by road.
Getting around: allow plenty of time
A car remains the most flexible way to explore the island, provided you accept journey times longer than the map suggests. Allow at least 2 hours 30 minutes between Ajaccio and Bastia, 2 hours 15 minutes between Ajaccio and Bonifacio and 1 hour 30 minutes between Calvi and Porto on the coastal corniche road. Bends, narrow roads, free-roaming animals and summer traffic are good reasons to keep each leg to two or three hours.
Without a car, the Chemins de fer de la Corse (Corsican railways) link Ajaccio, Corte, Bastia, L'Île-Rousse and Calvi on a 232 km metre-gauge network, and coaches serve the main routes. Boat trips from Porto, Calvi, Ajaccio or Bonifacio reach places the road does not, such as Scandola or the Lavezzi islands.
A cuisine of maquis, chestnuts and the sea
Corsican cooking is built on livestock farming and foraging. Prisuttu, coppa and lonzu, cured meats from the nustrale pig breed protected by PDO status, sit alongside figatellu, a liver sausage of the cold season, and PDO brocciu, a fresh whey cheese made from ewe's or goat's milk, found in cannelloni as well as in fiadone. Chestnut flour, also a PDO product, goes into pulenda, fritters and biscuits.
On the coast, Cap Corse spiny lobster, rockfish and oysters from the Étang de Diana complete the menu. Among the vineyards, the Patrimonio, Ajaccio and Vin de Corse appellations, along with Muscat du Cap Corse, can be discovered at the wineries. Markets and rural fairs are the place to taste honey, cheeses and olive oil.
Essentials & your questions
| Capital | Ajaccio, seat of the Collectivité de Corse; Bastia, prefecture of Haute-Corse |
|---|---|
| Area | about 8,700 km² |
| Language | French; Corsican is widely spoken and taught |
| Currency | Euro |
| Entry requirements | Corsica is part of France: valid ID card or passport for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens; passport for UK, US, Canadian and Australian travellers (no visa for short stays; ETIAS authorisation once in force) |
| Getting there | Airports at Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari; ferries from Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Sète, Italy and Sardinia |
| Best time to go | May–June and September; mid-May to early October for the high mountains |
Essentials & your questions
| Main town | Svolvær |
|---|---|
| Area | about 1,230 km² |
| Language | Norwegian (English widely spoken) |
| Currency | Norwegian krone (NOK) |
| Visa | Not required (Schengen) |
| Best time | June–August for the midnight sun; September and January–March for the northern lights |
Do I need a passport to visit Corsica?
Corsica is part of France, so French entry rules apply. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens can travel with a valid national ID card or passport, which will be checked at boarding. Travellers from the UK, the US, Canada and Australia need a passport but no visa for a short stay; they will also need an ETIAS travel authorisation once the scheme comes into force.
How many days do I need to visit Corsica?
A week lets you discover one or two neighbouring regions without spending your days in the car. With two weeks, you can combine the south, the west coast and the Balagne, using two or three bases.
Ferry or plane: which should I choose?
The ferry is the obvious choice if you are bringing your own vehicle or staying for a long time; overnight crossings from Marseille or Toulon avoid losing a day. Flying, combined with a rental car, is better suited to short stays.
Can you visit the Scandola reserve?
Only from the sea: the Scandola nature reserve cannot be reached by road or on foot, and landing is prohibited. Boat trips leave from Porto, Calvi, Ajaccio and other ports on the west coast, often combined with Girolata and the Calanques de Piana.
Is the GR20 suitable for everyone?
No. Its 16 stages, from Calenzana to Conca, include steep, rocky sections, some of them equipped with chains. It requires good fitness, mountain experience and nights booked in refuges. The shorter local trails (sentiers de pays) offer a gentler approach.
Can you visit Corsica without a car?
Yes, with some planning: the train links Ajaccio, Corte, Bastia and Calvi, coaches serve the main towns and boats reach the coastal sites. Inland villages and many beaches, however, remain hard to reach without a vehicle.
Photo: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons