From Cap Corse to Balagne, a slow itinerary to discover the wonders of the northern coast of Île de Beauté, among fishing villages, dream beaches and wild nature.
The northern Corsica, which extends from Bastia to the Balagne hills, passing through the désert des Agriates and the vineyards of Calvi, is a territory that does not resemble any other place in the Mediterranean. At the same time wild and elegant, rustic and refined, escapes any rigid definition. But it is right here, where the scent of maquis mixes with salsedine, where fishing villages survive as islands in time and ancient vineyards produce wines that know of sun and granite, that the concept of slow tourism It really takes shape.
We traveled this magical portion of the island and returned with the certainty that three days just enough to fall in love with it, but they are more than enough to understand why Corsica is coming called the Île de Beauté. Here is the story of our trip to the north Corsica, realized in collaboration with theCorsica Tourist Agency, Corsica Ferries, Explore France, EPCI de Corse .
Index of Article
Northern Corsica, scent of sea and maquis
We arrive at the port of Bastia in the morning, when the light is still soft, after the night crossing from Savona on board the ferry Mega Andrea di Corsica Ferries, a leading company for connections between Italy and Corsica, which allows you to travel in great comfort with accommodation in cabins from 2 to 4 beds, suitable also for families. We had dinner at Dolce Vita, restaurant à la carte on board, enjoying delicious dishes such as the calamarata shrimp and zucchini, the mixed fried sea, the crème brulé honey course and pistachio ice cream, realized thanks to the supervision of a Chef Stellato, who coordinates the work of the chefs on board and guides the choices of the best raw materials and wines.
The first destination of the day immediately takes us out of town, along the eastern coast of Cap Corse.
Erbalunga, the port that looks like a creche
Erbalunga appears after a few kilometers as a vision made of stone and water. Small fishing port overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, considered one of the most beautiful villages of Corsica, spreads between cobbled alleys, silent small squares, turned arches, and a Genoese tower of the 17th century that protects itself in the sea as a sentry without more mission. We stop for a coffee in the shelter of the marina, ranging with the gaze from the reflections of the boats on the water to the picturesque views that in the past have attracted artists from all over the island, so that the village has been nicknamed "nido di painter".
The laboratory of essences that reveals the secrets of the maquis course
We rise towards Sisco, in the hinterland of Cap Corse, where something unusual and fascinating awaits us: an atelier beauté immersed in the Mediterranean scrub. From Intimu, under the guidance of Hélène and Laurent Filippi, the discovery of maquis plants becomes a sensorial initiation, corbezzolo, elicriso, myrtle, lentisco, herbs that the courses have used for centuries and that today find life in natural and authentic cosmetic routines. Let's smell, touch, learn. It is one of those moments when the journey becomes a living and engaging experience.
Bastia, the city you don't expect
The afternoon brings us back to Bastia, a perfect mix between Mediterranean elegance and genuine racing, which enchants with views of the Vieux Port that smells of sea and history, the pastel facades that mirror in the water, the sailboats and the pieds-dans-l’eau restaurants where to make fresh fish peel with view of the Citadel.
Perched on the promontory that closes the port, the ancient Bastille which gives the name to the city dominates the landscape.
Up there, between ancient walls and endless views of the port, the Governor's Palace, built around an ancient tower, today tells stories of people and traditions in the Ethnological Museum of Corsica. While the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta has been the centre of local spirituality for centuries. We reach it by the Aldilonda, the new water-line path that is a real balcony overlooking the sea that connects the city center to the beach of Arinella, and then with a staircase carved into the rock that leads to the Citadel.
A boutique hotel overlooking Elba
In the evening, we are going toHotel Pineto, on the Marana lagoon in Biguglia, where the border between land and water becomes uncertain and the air smells of psalm. Rooms with direct access to the private beach, a restaurant with excellent cuisine and views of Elba Island: a boutique hotel that is definitely romantic, perfect for a two-way getaway or a relaxing stay.
From the Désert des Agriates to the beaches of L’Île-Rousse
In the morning we leave early, towards the west, following the road that crosses the Désert des Agriates, one of the most wild and fascinating areas of the whole of Corsica: a landscape of rocks, low stain and absolute silences, routed by dirt tracks that lead to secret beaches and bays. We don't sping to the sea, but we sit at the sea Parc de Saleccia, the only botanical park in Corsica, which gathers in an oasis of 7 hectares all the botanical species typical of the regions of the world with Mediterranean climate.
An explosion of colors and fragrances that follows the rhythm of the seasons, but that in spring, with the blooms at the climax, it presents itself in its most striking form. Here Corsica lets you explore, admire, smell along the paths that wind between the essences of the maquis, the olive trees, the oleanders, and myriads of flowered flower beds and shrubs that give spouts of wonder at every step.
The Caribbean-like Sea of L’Île-Rousse
And that's how the Balagne, the Jardin de la Corse, opens before us as a revelation. We reach L'Île-Rousse, the city from the red rock founded in the eighteenth century by Pasquale Paoli, the "father of the homeland" course, as an alternative independent port in Calvi, at the time controlled by the Genoese. We walk under the arches of the covered market, recently restored, where the aroma of local spices and cheeses fills the air of an all Mediterranean heat.
So we go to the streets of the village for an obligation to stop Biscuiterie Salvatori, for half a century a real institution in Île-Rousse, and not only for tourists. We assist in the artisanal preparation of canestrelli, the classic biscuits of pastry to anise or lemon that the courses carry on the table for generations, and we fail to say it with the strapiene bags.
Lunch is a break of pure bliss at the Restaurant La Siesta, on the shore of a sea with Caribbean nuances, and between dishes of fish and rosè wine of the Balagne, we almost forget to have a program to follow.
Clos Culombu, wine and territory stories
And speaking of wines, to learn more about local productions, before reaching Calvi, we expect a stop at Clos Culombu, a winery among the most prestigious in the region, extending over 55 hectares in the countryside of Lumio. It is the owner Etienne Suzzoni in person who guides us proudly in the visit of the vineyard, cultivated in organic agriculture and with biodynamic method, and the cellar, among the most avant-garde of the island.
The tasting is a passionate tale of the geological history of the island: white wines that at every sip reveal the elegance of the vermentinu and the indomitable spirit of Corsica, red structured fruit of the encounter of the great vines courses. We end the day at Calvi Hotel, a modern structure with direct access to the long sandy beach, and with a dinner on the beautiful terrace on the port de The Nautic, with the Genoese citadel illuminated as a perfect background.
Calvi and the discovery of the Balagne
At the north-western end of Corsica, Calvi is the main resort of the Balagne, dominated by the majestic Genoese citadel of the 13th century, built on an imposing granite promontory suspended on the sea, almost to want to control every corner of this part of the Mediterranean. Even today, the citadel represents the most evident testimony of the long centuries of Genoese domination and its powerful walls and paved streets, is considered one of the most impressive fortresses of France.
Exploring the lanes of the Citadelle
From up there, the gaze embraces the Gulf with turquoise shades, the mountains of the Balagne and the port that slowly takes life under the sun of Corsica. Walking through cobbled alleys and old ochre-coloured houses, following the salty scent that comes from the sea and the ovate silence of the ancient walls, you will meet historical buildings like the Saint-Jean-Baptiste cathedral and the church of Sainte-Marie-Majeure, recognizable for its characteristic pink facade.
Each corner seems to guard a story: that of the centuries of Genoese domination (as the motto "Semper Fidelis" engraved on a stone arch), of the battles fought to defend the city, of the legends that still make Calvi so magnetic. One of these tells that Christopher Columbus it would be born in these walls, so much so that in the city there are statues, streets and references dedicated to the great navigator. True or not, it doesn't matter: in Calvi the stories are intertwined with reality so natural to become part of the landscape.
Coming down to the lower city, the rhythm changes. The port is all a way of sailing boats and restaurants pieds-dans-l’eau on the animated Quai Landry. The old fishermen’s district that is full of local handicraft boutiques and local products today is the heart of Calvi, elegant but authentic, lively without losing its Mediterranean character. The holiday atmosphere invites you to linger a little further to the coffee tables in the open air, to stay a little longer than expected. I mean, slow down.
Slow down at the Domaine à Flatta with a delicious snack
And that's exactly what we do, but moving a few kilometers in the hinterland, heading the Domaine à Flatta, on the heights of Calenzana. An elegant country refuge surrounded by nature managed by Joël Guerini, who together with his sons Yan and Lesia gave birth to an ancient bergeria, bringing back the vegetable gardens and imagining a place capable of combining hospitality, agriculture and sustainability.
Since the arrival we have the feeling of entering a suspended dimension, where the silence of the maquis, the scent of the earth and the light of the Balagne seem to slow everything, while Corsica shows its most authentic and discreet face. E the bistro gourmand à Flatta becomes an extension of this essential and refined philosophy. On the terrace, from which you can see the sea in the distance, we expect one snacks with flakes: cuts of meats, cheeses, local jams and freshly baked bread, all based on seasonal ingredients from the estate or from small producers of the area.
Simple, true flavors, deep courses. A convivial cuisine that speaks of territory and memory. To dispose of lunch, nothing better than a walk in the maquis, until you reach the natural pools of a creek hidden among the rocks. But there are many paths that wind around Calenzana, which is the starting point of the GR20, the legendary trekking that crosses Corsica from north to south.
The precious essences of L’Astratella
On the way back to Bastia, still an unexpected and precious stop: Astratella, distillery of essential oils of plants of the maquis. Rosemary, immortelle, myrtle: essences that we had already learned in these days, that this small artisanal female company contains bottles to take home as precious souvenirs of this trip in the north of Corsica. An island that we leave with the absolute certainty of wanting to return.
