France´s ravishing, rocky island in the Mediterranean (which the French dub l´Île de la Beauté, the Isle of Beauty) is home to some of the sea´s most stunning beaches, ranging from the more developed strands of the south to the wilder northern beaches with few or no amenities. If you´re looking for a beachy getaway next summer - especially one that allows you to combine it with fabulous history, culture, cuisine, and eco opportunities - do give serious consideration to la Corse. And now here are my top five picks:
In the south, a 20-minute drive from capital Portovecchio and 40 minutes from Bonifacio, this two-kilometre (1¼-mile) trio of exquisite white-sand strips with pinkish-orange rocks (top) is surrounded by nature, including its characteristic umbrella pines. Considered the island´s most fetching beach (as well as one of Europe´s most appealing), it´s also fairly popular, so the best times to go both in terms of minimising crowds and avoiding the full heat of the day are in the morning and late afternoon. There are a number of restaurants right on the sand, and several lodging options nearby.
François-Xavier SERAFINO
Piantarella
Also down south, just a ten-minute stroll from Bonifacio, following the signs to Punta dello Sperone, this enticing stretch of extra-fine white sand is framed by distinctive calcareous rocks , with the isles of Ratino and Piana visible in the distance. These cyrstalline waters are delightful not just for swimming but also kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing, kitesurfing, jetskiing, and sailing (there´s also a sailing school nearby). As an added cultural/historical bonus, next to the beach you can see an ancient Roman archaeological site, the ruins of an extensive 2nd-century villa.
Considered another of Corsica´s (and Europe´s) most beautiful beaches, and located halfway between Bonifacio and Porto Vecchio, this clamshell-shape stretch of white sand along the small, Bay of Rondinara (Rundinara in Corsican) nearly closed off by a pair of headlands, boasts some fantastic snorkeling in its calm, shallow, gin-clear waters. There´s a big campground nearby - which is another reason in high season it can get pretty crowded on the beach. On some summer nights, music parties are held here under the moonlight.
Just a 15-minute drive south of Porto Vecchio and also not far from Palombaggia, this fetching beach boasts fine, white sand; beautiful, clear water from ankle- to waist- deep; and both a quieter end and a busier end with plenty of amenities - restaurants, nearby hotels, and so forth - and a wide menu of water sports, including dive outfitters and sailing and waterskiing schools. Great for adults and kids alike - as well as their furry friends, as dogs are welcome here!
La Tonnara
Just ten minutes from Bonifacio, this, too is great for water sports, with a wide menu of offerings (including Jetskiing, and thanks to the nice stiff breeze windsurfing, and kiteskiing) along with nearby adventure activities on land such as quad riding. But it´s less well known than others on this list, so tends to be a bit less crowded, and there´s less construction, so parts of it actually look pretty undeveloped.
For more details, check out Visit-Corsica.com.
Comments
Nice, but these all seem to be in the south - I´d like to read about at least one of the ¨wild northern beaches.¨
Gorgeous!