DESTINATIONS — EUROPE
Mark Warner’s San Lucianu Beach Resort,Corsica
TRIED &TESTED:
Best foot forward
in Corsica is the villages which pepper the tops of the foothills leading up to the spectacular mountains in the island's interior, writes Robin Searle on a Mark Warner agent fam trip. And when I say tops of the hills, I mean it. These precariously placed hamlets seem to cling to the very peaks, and you get the impression that it would take a pretty long drive to find any flowerpot nudged accidentally off a window sill. Like its near neighbour Sardinia to the south, Corsica is relatively untouched by mass-market tourism. While it follows that direct airlift from the UK isn’t exactly plentiful, it does mean visitors can experience a destination just a
O
ne of the first things to strike you when you arrive
two-hour flight away which still feels raw and authentic. Corsica’s mountains are among its biggest draws, as demonstrated by the number of airline passengers heading to the oversized-baggage reclaim area to pick up their racing bikes for a week of thigh-burning climbs and freewheeling descents. But with its fantastic coastline, good winds and beautiful beaches, it is a great place to step out to enjoy activities at sea level too.
l GET ACTIVE These natural gifts make Corsica an obvious choice for an activity operator and, with its San Lucianu resort, Mark Warner offers a property with family-friendly flight and transfer times and plenty of open space.
Although the hotel itself isn’t
the prettiest, you can’t fault the views from it, with steep peaks on one side and the sea to the other. Mark Warner presents the
property as its entry-level option, and it certainly ticks the boxes for families taking their first active break. The childcare centre is enormous, with lots of shade and indoor space, while the three tennis courts mean there is plenty of opportunity to have a knock-up. Watersports are also plentiful, while the aforementioned cycle routes make San Lucianu a great spot to start some beautiful and challenging mountain bike excursions. One potential issue for clients is
Pool time:
San Lucianu Beach Resort
the mixed quality of rooms. About half had been recently refurbished when I visited in mid-May, with the remainder still waiting and feeling rather dated as a result. But, as with all Mark Warner resorts, time spent in rooms is rather wasted. With a stunning new beach bar, top-quality food from the operator’s own chefs and a Viva salon on-site, San Lucianu is a great starting point from which to explore a destination that thoroughly deserves its nickname – the Isle of Beauty.
OPINION Alice Hook,
AGENT
Appleby Travel, Cumbria:
“The quick transfer
and short flight make this a great family destination. The refurbished rooms were
fantastic although the stairway is a bit dated, and the food
really lifted it to a four-star.” Beverley Lenton,
Travel Counsellors, Epsom:
“Staff were friendly,
helpful and knowledgeable, and the equipment was first-class and all brand new. Corsica itself was beautiful too – spectacular mountains and scenery.”
Book it: Seven nights’ half-board at San Lucianu Beach Resort for a family of four costs from £1,966 including flights from Heathrow, transfers, childcare for children aged two to 17, evening crèche, sailing, windsurfing, tennis, mountain biking and fitness programme. Childcare for under-twos costs £180 a week.
markwarner.co.uk
5 June 2014 —
travelweekly.co.uk • 47
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