A week is enough — if you choose well

A week in Corsica is short. But it's enough to see the island's three faces: the old harbour towns in the north, the mountainous interior, and the beaches in the south. The trick is to choose — not to try to grab everything.

Here's the route I'd recommend to a first-time visitor. Car, not motorbike (that's a different story). Start in Bastia, finish near Bonifacio. Seven days — full enough to give you a real introduction, breathing room enough not to come home exhausted.

At a glance

Day 1 — Arrival in Bastia

The ferries from Toulon, Marseille and Nice all dock in Bastia. Or you fly into Poretta airport, half an hour south of town. Either way: pick up your rental car, check in to your accommodation, and take the evening slowly.

Bastia isn't a city you stay in for days, but one evening is well spent. The Vieux Port is photogenic at sunset — brightly painted fishing boats, tall facades, a handful of terraces along the quay. Eat in one of the neighbourhood restaurants in the Terra Vecchia district, not on the boulevard.

Tip Don't sleep on the boulevard — pick a place a couple of streets inland. Quieter, and you walk straight into the old centre.

Day 2 — Cap Corse and Saint-Florent

Today you drive the narrow Cap Corse peninsula northwards. The D80 winds along the east coast, with sea views and stops in quiet fishing harbours like Erbalunga and Macinaggio. At the top you round the cape and come down the west coast.

Halfway down the west side you pass Nonza, a village clinging to a cliff with a black beach below. Stop here for the tower and the staircase down — both free and worth it.

Late afternoon you head towards Saint-Florent for your accommodation. Saint-Florent itself is a pleasant little town on a bay, with a harbour district full of boats and restaurants. Walk the old centre, not just the harbourfront.

Tip The Cap Corse loop is about 120 km and takes around four hours if you don't stop often. Plan for the whole day — otherwise you miss the point.

Day 3 — Saint-Florent → Calvi via the Balagne

There are two routes from Saint-Florent to Calvi: the direct one (inland, 1.5 hours) or the detour via the Balagne. Take the detour.

The Balagne is "the garden of Corsica" — fertile, sunny, with olive groves and mountain villages perched on hilltops. Sant'Antonino is the most famous of these villages: a round hilltop village with narrow lanes and views all the way to the sea. Combine it with Pigna, a music-and-crafts village a few kilometres further.

Arrive in Calvi in the late afternoon. Two nights here — the town has enough to fill a full rest day.

Day 4 — Rest day in Calvi

A rest day, but not a quiet one. Morning: climb the citadel and walk the old inner town. Afternoon: beach. The Calvi beach is nearly six kilometres long and the water is calm enough for kids. Evening: dine on the harbour, ideally at one of the older restaurants slightly off the busiest stretch.

Tip Tired of the city beach? Take the Tramway de la Balagne, a narrow-gauge train that hops along the coast towards L'Île-Rousse. Get off halfway at Plage de Bodri or Plage de l'Arinella — smaller bays, often quieter.

Day 5 — Calvi → Corte (the interior)

Today you head inland. The N197 runs south via Ponte Leccia, where you pick up the N193 towards Corte, about two hours in total. The road goes through forests and along rivers — a different Corsica from the coast.

Corte is the historic capital of the interior — small but serious, with a citadel and a university. Walk up to the Belvédère for the view. Eat in the old town — pasta with local sausage, cheeses from the Castagniccia.

Sleep in Corte itself or, more atmospheric, in one of the mountain villages slightly south. Santo-Pietro-di-Venaco is 15 minutes south and has a handful of small inns.

Day 6 — Corte → Bavella → Porto-Vecchio

The drive with the best views of the whole week. From Corte you head south and cross the island via the D69 and D268 towards the Bavella mountains. Granite needles above dense pine forest — everyone gets out at the Col de Bavella (~1200 m). A short walk from the col leads to the Trou de la Bombe, a natural hole through the rock face. Allow an hour and a half there and back, not strenuous.

In the late afternoon you descend to the south coast, towards Porto-Vecchio. Mountains to sea in two hours — that's typical Corsica.

Tip Bavella at ~1200 m is cool, sometimes ten degrees cooler than the coast. Bring something with long sleeves, even in July.

Day 7 — Porto-Vecchio, beaches and Bonifacio

Last day, and the iconic spots. Two options depending on where you fly or sail home from:

Option A — Beach + Bonifacio. Morning at Palombaggia or Santa Giulia for a few hours. Both are 15-20 minutes from Porto-Vecchio. Then in the afternoon to Bonifacio: the old town on the limestone cliffs, the staircase down to the sea, the view across the Straits of Bonifacio towards Sardinia.

Option B — Lavezzi islands. Got a full day? Take the boat from Bonifacio to the Lavezzi islands for a day of snorkelling between white rocks and clear water. Go early, come back late.

Wrap up in Bonifacio or drive back to Bastia for your departure. The N198 along the east coast is the fastest — about two hours.

What you do NOT do this week

The honest list:

• Really discover the interior. The Castagniccia, the Niolu, the Asco valley — that needs another week.
• All the beaches. Rondinara isn't on this route. Next time.
• Hiking. Apart from the short walk at Bavella, no serious hiking. The GR20 needs two weeks on its own.
• The west coast and the Calanches de Piana. One of the most beautiful stretches of the island, but it doesn't fit into a week without dropping something else.

Tip Want quieter than this? Drop day 6, stay a day longer in Corte or Calvi, and skip the Bavella drive. You miss something — but you don't come home exhausted.

What you need

• Rental car. Non-negotiable — Corsica without your own wheels gets frustrating fast.
• Ferry or flight both ways. Book at least a few weeks ahead in July/August, a few days in May/June.
• Accommodation booked. For peak months don't improvise — especially in the south it fills up.
• A cooling vest or sun protection, a water bottle, and decent shoes for Bavella.

A week in Corsica isn't a holiday where you sleep in every morning. But if you follow this route, you come home with a real picture of the island — and a list for next time.