DESTINATIONS CORSICA EUROPE RIGHT:


Residence Santa Giulia Palace, Porto-Vecchio


FAR RIGHT: Hôtel La Villa


restaurants and 15 from beautiful Bonifacio. It offers a choice of studio apartments and suites sleeping two to six people, while beachside proximity and the use of shared pools and gardens suit couples and families. The same stretch of coast also excels


at beach hotels: Le Pinarello, neighbour to pizzerias and palm trees in the leafy, cove-side village of Pinarello, is especially lovely. The poshest, priciest locations are Santa Giulia or, on the Lavezzi island of Cavallo, the exclusive Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs. Bonifacio makes for a memorable


base, but it’s better to visit there than stay given the constant footfall and limited vehicular access. Along the less developed southwestern coast, beachside hotels include the secretive and celebrity-loved Domaine de Murtoli, along with more affordable spots. Towards Ajaccio sit plenty of villas and some bigger chain resorts. The north is most reliable for villas,


FIND OUT MORE


 hotel-lavilla.com  hotel


despecheurs.com  lepinarello.com  murtoli.com


 santa-giulia.net


offering convenience for families flying into Calvi or Bastia. Hôtel La Villa has three luxurious homes in the hills above Calvi, and guests can use the swanky hotel’s pools, spa, restaurant and bar. Head further inland and the villas are secluded and an easy base for walking holidays away from the coastal crowds, or for exploration of wilder regions such as Cap Corse.


 SELL: GETTING AROUND Corsica’s roads are well maintained and, away from the winding roads of the interior, fairly direct. Traffic can be a problem, with few towns properly bypassed, but the island’s relatively


66travelweekly.co.uk28 February 2019


Le Pinarello, neighbour to pizzerias and palm trees in the leafy, cove-side village of Pinarello, is especially lovely


small length still renders two-centre trips easy. Even if customers are based in one


place, suggest they hire a car. Public transport is unreliable and infrequent, distances are too great to walk and towns too small to keep visitors occupied for a full week. Anyone planning to visit farther-flung beaches should request a 4WD to cope given the often-potholed roads. Families usually favour coastal


regions near beaches, especially as lots of bays have shallow, crystal-clear waters, ideal for smaller children and snorkelling. Calvi, the southeast and the southwest work best, in large part thanks to the flexibility and privacy offered by the self-catering options. Coastal and rural boutique hotels


work well for couples, and there is lots of choice. Options range from converted farmhouses turned chichi auberges to bijou boltholes by the sea. Just Corsica provides self-guided


walking holidays, with route guides, maps and luggage transfers, or will arrange guides for a day’s walking. Ditto for the island’s endless water sports – catamaran sailing,


windsurfing, kayaking, jet-skiing – or inland activities. Guides to the island’s history are also available, and add some real colour to the likes of Sartene and Bonifacio. Much of this requires advance booking, with the exception of boat trips from Bonifacio or Porto-Vecchio to the Lavezzi Islands, and guided sailings departing Porto for the west coast Scandola National Park, which can normally be booked on the day. Tu ne parles pas français? Customers shouldn’t worry, says Ashton-Kane, who has lived in L’Ile Rousse for a decade. “The Corsicans love the British. There are historic links with Nelson and English is quite widely spoken – restaurant, bar and shop staff love to practise!” While one or two-week breaks are the norm, short breaks are increasingly possible thanks to UK flight links. Air Corsica flies from Stansted to Bastia, Ajaccio and Figari at least twice a week (May to October), with Thursday- Sunday routings available to all three airports. Calvi flights are weekly, as are British Airways’ services to Bastia and Figari (on Saturdays and Sundays respectively, May to October). When should visitors go? “Our


most popular months are June and September,” says Ashton-Kane. “The weather’s good, everywhere’s open and it’s less crowded than during the French and Italian summer holidays.” Above all, he recommends booking months in advance. With Corsica a relatively niche holiday destination, rather than mass-market, space is forever at a premium.


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