Day 1: Arrive Ajaccio — Napoleon’s Birthplace
Arrive Ajaccio, Corsica’s capital on the west coast. Afternoon: orientation walk through the old town — visit the Maison Bonaparte (Napoleon’s birthplace, now a museum), the 16th-century Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption (where Napoleon was baptized), and the Fesch Museum (France’s finest collection of Italian Renaissance paintings outside the Louvre, assembled by Napoleon’s uncle, Cardinal Fesch). Walk the palm-lined Cours Napoléon to the waterfront. Welcome dinner featuring Corsican specialties: figatellu (smoked liver sausage), brocciu cheese, chestnut flour cake, and a glass of Patrimonio wine. Overnight at a boutique hotel in Ajaccio.
Day 2: The Calanques of Piana — Red Granite Cathedrals
Morning walk: drive north along the spectacular coastal road to the Calanques of Piana — a UNESCO World Heritage site where towering red granite rock formations, sculpted by wind and sea into fantastical shapes (hearts, eagles, cathedral spires), plunge 300 meters into the turquoise Mediterranean. Your 8km hike winds through the calanques on ancient shepherd trails, with stops at the most photogenic viewpoints — the “Heart” rock formation and the Château Fort. The red rock against the impossibly blue sea is Corsica’s most iconic image. Picnic lunch on a granite outcrop with views of the Gulf of Porto. Afternoon: descend to the fishing village of Porto. Stroll the pebble beach and the Genoese watchtower dating from the 16th century. Overnight Porto.
Day 3: Scandola Nature Reserve — Corsica’s Jurassic Coast
Full-day boat excursion into the Scandola Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the Mediterranean’s most spectacular marine protected areas. Scandola’s volcanic cliffs — towering 900 meters above the sea — are inaccessible by land, making this boat trip essential. The rust-red rhyolite formations, sea caves (the Grotte des Veaux Marins), and crystal-clear waters teeming with fish, dolphins, and the rare osprey (Corsica’s emblematic bird) are unlike anything else in Europe. The landscape is so otherworldly that parts look like Jurassic Park meets the Amalfi Coast. Stop for swimming in a secluded cove accessible only by boat. Afternoon: drive along the coast to Calvi. Walk the 13th-century Genoese citadel — massive ramparts overlooking a crescent of white sand beach and a marina filled with yachts. Overnight Calvi.
Day 4: Calvi & Lumio Village
Morning: explore Calvi — the cobbled lanes inside the citadel, the 13th-century Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, and the legendary claim that Christopher Columbus was born here (the ruins of the “Columbus House” are allegedly his birthplace, though Genoa disputes this). Bailey’s Beach — Calvi’s 6km of white sand. Afternoon walk (6km): drive to the hilltop village of Lumio for a gentle hike through ancient olive groves to the abandoned hamlet of Occi, a ghost village with crumbling stone houses and panoramic views of the entire Bay of Calvi. Late afternoon: wine tasting at a Patrimonio vineyard — this tiny AOC region produces Corsica’s most famous wines, particularly the Niellucciu red (the same grape as Sangiovese) and Vermentino white. Sunset views over the vineyards running down to the sea. Overnight Calvi.
Day 5: Saint-Florent & Cap Corse Peninsula
Morning drive to Saint-Florent, the “Corsican Saint-Tropez” — a chic fishing port with a 16th-century citadel and a waterfront lined with restaurants. Walk through the old town, visit the Romanesque Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral. Afternoon drive along Cap Corse, Corsica’s wild northern finger — a 40km peninsula of Genoese watchtowers, secret coves, and dramatic cliffs. Stop at Nonza, a village clinging to a black schist cliff above a dark pebble beach (the “Black Beach” of Corsica). Continue to Erbalunga, a picture-perfect fishing hamlet with a Genoese tower at the harbor entrance and pastel-colored houses reflected in the water. Evening: Bastia — Corsica’s second city and historic Genoese capital. Overnight Bastia.
Day 6: Bastia to Corte — The Heart of Corsica
Morning: explore Bastia — the Terra Vecchia (old port) quarter of narrow alleys, the 17th-century Church of St. Jean Baptiste, and the Terra Nova with the Genoese Governor’s Palace. Drive inland to Corte, Corsica’s historic capital and the symbolic heart of Corsican identity. Corte was the seat of Pasquale Paoli, the 18th-century Corsican patriot who established the island’s short-lived independent republic (inspiring the American founding fathers — Paoli corresponded with Thomas Jefferson). Walk to the citadel — a dramatic 15th-century fortress perched on a rock pinnacle above the confluence of the Tavignanu and Restonica rivers. Visit the Museum of Corsica inside the citadel for an excellent overview of the island’s anthropology, music (the haunting polyphonic singing), and independence struggle. Overnight Corte.
Day 7: Restonica Valley & Mountain Walk
Full-day walk in the Restonica Valley (10km). This spectacular glacial valley is Corsica’s premier mountain hiking area — the trail winds past giant granite boulders, through Laricio pine forests (Corsica’s endemic tree, adapted to the thin mountain soil), and past crystalline rock pools. Reach the Bergeries de Grotelle (shepherd huts at 1,400m) for lunch — fresh brocciu cheese and charcuterie made by the shepherd. Those with energy can continue to the high mountain lakes (Lac de Melo and Lac de Capitello) at 1,700-1,900m, where patches of snow persist into summer. Return to Corte. Overnight Corte.
Day 8: Corte to Porto-Vecchio
Morning drive south through Corsica’s mountainous interior to Porto-Vecchio, a glamorous resort town on the southeast coast. Afternoon: explore the old town’s Genoese citadel and boutiques. Swim at Palombaggia — a beach consistently ranked among Europe’s top 10, with fine white sand, aquamarine water, and umbrella pines growing to the water’s edge. The view of the pink granite Îles Cerbicale offshore completes the postcard. Evening: dinner at a waterfront restaurant in Porto-Vecchio’s marina. Overnight Porto-Vecchio.
Day 9: Bonifacio — The Cliff City
Full day in Bonifacio, Corsica’s most spectacular town. Bonifacio clings to the edge of 70-meter white limestone cliffs at Corsica’s southern tip, with house façades that literally hang over the abyss. Morning walk (6km): the Sentier du Bord de Mer from Bonifacio to the Pertusato lighthouse along the cliff edge — the views of the chalk cliffs eroded into caves, arches, and sea stacks (the “Grain de Sable” rock formation is iconic) are stunning. Afternoon: explore the Haute-Ville (Upper Town) inside the 9th-century citadel — the Escalier du Roi d’Aragon, 187 steps carved into the cliff face that legend says were built in a single night by the King of Aragon’s troops during an 11th-century siege. Visit the marine cemetery (one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful graveyards, perched on the cliff edge) and the 13th-century Church of Sainte-Marie-Majeure. Farewell dinner at a clifftop restaurant with views over the Strait of Bonifacio toward Sardinia (visible just 12km away). Overnight Bonifacio.
Day 10: Departure
Morning at leisure — final exploration of Bonifacio’s boutiques or a boat trip to the Lavezzi Islands marine reserve. Transfer to Figari-Sud Corse Airport for departure.
