Things to do on Corsica
When a destination intrigues, guided shore excursions will lead you to the sweet spots.
One of the beauties of cruising is passengers can alight at each destination, like a bumble bee flitting from flower to flower, to create their own montage of fabled sights then return to their floating hotel. They can free-range independently or take advantage of a wide variety of guided shore excursions, from short jaunts and day-long outings to one-on-one exclusive experiences – a personal chauffeur in jetset Portofino anyone?
On a recent sailing from Barcelona to Rome on Celebrity Edge, I combine structured and unstructured exploration, choosing guided tours at destinations that intrigue me most, while leaving time to wander freely at others. Corsica, the ancestral island home of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, is a relative mystery, so I select the half-day tour of the French territory’s interior.
Leaving Spain, we sail across the gulf to Corsica’s capital, Ajaccio. Unlike other ports we call at, which require secondary transport of between 20 minutes to two hours, the ship docks directly at Gare Maritime, allowing us to stroll straight on to Quai L’Herminier. Within moments of leaving the anglophone bubble of the ship, we are surrounded by French at the street market as locals buy fromage de chevre and figatelli sec, the U-shaped Corsican charcuterie made with pork, spices and red wine.
Ajaccio’s ochre and mustard villas, bougainvillea-festooned palazzos, and waterfront cafes line the crescent-shaped port while from the narrow alleys, the massive metal hulk of Celebrity Edge looms in the distance. A stunning palm-fringed esplanade of stone walls and ramparts overlooks a beach of white powder and calm waters.
Napoleon is history’s ultimate military alpha male, strutting the world stage in his seven league boots. Here, Napoleonic heritage, present in monuments, museums and squares, becomes thrillingly personal. I tip-toe through the furnished salons of the miniature Maison Bonaparte townhouse in narrow Rue Saint-Charles, where he was born in 1769, and wander the public garden of the family’s country house, Domaine des Milelli. In the afternoon, we take off to the Prunelli Gorges, Corsica’s natural wonder. The hairpin mountain roads are accessible only by car and small tour buses (maximum 12 people). Our guide tells of the island’s push-me-pull-you tussle between Italian and French ownership over centuries, and its turbulent history of vendetta culture.
At the stone Ponte Vecchio, the Prunelli River cascades across craggy rocks; clouds hover over a sweep of pine forest and valley lake overlooked by heritage hamlet Tolla. I spot the shaggy coat and curved horns of a black-headed mountain goat navigating an impossibly steep rock among yellow immortelle blooms. Their unmistakable scent carries on the wind to the coast, once helping Napoleon sense when he was close to home.
Driving through Ocana village, at 350m altitude, closed shutters give the stone cottages a ghostly air, belied by well-tended roses and geraniums. We meet locals at Le Jardin des Abeilles, a dry-weather garden and apiary where lavender sways in the breeze. The family-owned business sells pollen, honey soaps and jam, and raw honey harvested from the beloved local bees. Sitting at the wooden treetop bar, sipping a delicious Apa Nera honey beer, I relax my formal schoolgirl French. “You must come and spend mountain time here,” insists the affable bartender. And I realise that Corsica has snagged me. I’ll be back.
Cleo Glyde was a guest of Celebrity Cruises.
JUST ADD …
The fertile island of Corsica is known for its bountiful springtime and summer fruit, from apricots, nectarines and peaches to strawberries and grapes. But it’s the citrus tang of mandarins that lingers in the air. This delicious scent has been key to the success of unisex L’Artisan Parfumeur Mandarina Corsica. The Paris-based brand combines middle notes of immortelle, jasmine-like hedione and orange blossom with sandalwood and vanilla pepping up the base ($349.85, pictured). Or consider Une Fleur d’Oranger by fellow French maker Obvious, with its hybrid blend of mandora (orange and mandarin), Italian bergamot, Tunisian neroli and spicy ginger ($199). Both prices for 100ml eau de parfum atomisers.