CÓRSEGA, férias, informação, hotéis

Corsica is a French island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the Italian island of Sardinia. Mountains make up two-thirds of the island, forming a single chain. Before French annexation, Corsica was under the ownership of the Republic of Genoa.

Corsica is one of the 27 régions of France, although it is designated as a territorial collectivity (collectivité territoriale) by law. As a territorial collectivity, Corsica enjoys some greater powers than other French régions but is referred to as a région in common speech and is almost always listed among them. Although the island is separated from the continental mainland by the Ligurian Sea and is closer to Italy than to the French mainland, politically Corsica is part of Metropolitan France.

Corsica is split into two departments, Haute-Corse (Upper Corsica) and Corse-du-Sud (Southern Corsica), with its regional capital in Ajaccio, the prefecture city of Corse-du-Sud. Bastia, the prefecture city of Haute-Corse, is the second-largest settlement in Corsica.

Fonte: wikipedia

Turismo

Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud) is the region's capital city and was the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1769. Notable sights here include the 16th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame de la Miséricorde where Napoleon was baptized in 1771 and houses Delacroix's painting Vierge du Sacré-Coeur. Nearby is the Maison Bonaparte where Napoleon was born and spent his childhood. The Musée Palais Fesch, in the Palais Fesch contains works of Italian primitive art with masterpieces by Bellini, Botticelli, Titian and Veronese, and Bernini and Poussin. The peninsula here has a citadel that terminates in the jetty and offers great views of the town, marina, and Golf d'Ajaccio. Tourisme France Corse Ajaccio

Bastia (Haute-Corse) is the thriving main port of the island and is famous for its wines. The city is quintessentially mediteranean with its 16th-century Genoese citadel and polychromed 19th-century Italiante buildings in the old port. Sights include the 17th-century Chapelle de l'Immaculée Conception with its ornate interior and the 17th-century Église de Saint-Jean-Baptiste with a spectacular façade that dominates the Vieux (old) Port (photo). Near the Citadel are two more churches, the Chapelle Sainte-Croix with its amazing Black Christ found in the sea in 1428 and the 15th-century Sainte-Marie with a Virgin made of silver. Tourisme France Corse Bastia port
Bonifacio (Corse-du-Sud) sits on a limestone peninsula at the southern-most point of Corse and offers stunning views of the Mediterranean. The lively harbor lies at the foot of the cliffs and has plenty of cafés, restaurants, and boutiques. Above the harbor are steps leading up to the fortified Vieille Town (old town) also called la Haute Ville (upper town) on the 9th-century Citadel (photo) that was built by the Genoese in the 12th-century and was once the headquarters for the French Foreign Legion (1963-1983). France Corse Bonifacio

Calvi (Haute-Corse) is primarily a summer resort and the closest point for boats to mainland France lying southeast of Nice. It has 15th-century citadel (photo) which houses the 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment of the French Foreign Legion. Though legend says that Calvi was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, there is no evidence to support this. Just outside the town is the 19th-century Chapelle de Notre-Dame de la Serra beautifully situated on a hilltop with 360-degree views of the surrounding area. There is a worthwhile jazz festival towards the end of June. France Corse Calvi

Cap Corse (Haute-Corse) is a 25-mile (40km) long, yet narrow peninsula at the northern tip of the region. There are only two roads to the Cap from Bastia, the D80 running north and south each side of the Cap, and the D81 which goes west across the mountains. The highest peak on Cap Corse is Monte Stello at 4,300 feet (1,307 m) which has 360-degree views including the Italian island of Elba to the east, Saint Florent to the west, and central Corse to the south. Other sights include the 16th-century Genoese Tour de Losse originally used to warn Corsican towns of barbarian raids. Also here is the quaint 18th-century fishing port of Centuri at the northwestern tip of the Cap. Further south is Canari, one of the larger villages with views across the sea and has a 12th-century Pisan church, Santa Maria Assunta. France Corse Cap Corse

Castagniccia (Haute-Corse) is a hilly chestnut-covered region east of Corte and is considered the heart of the Corse. The independence leader, Pasquale Paoli, was born here in 1725 and the revolts against Genoa and later France began in 1749. Many villages in this remote, but beautiful area are nearly empty now in what used to be the most prosperous and populated area in Corse due to significant chestnut production during the 17th-century. It is reachable by the D71 from Ponte Leccia (north of Corte) heading east. France Corse Castagniccia

Corte (Haute-Corse) is in the geographical center of Corse and was the chosen capital of the independence leader, Pasquale Paoli from 1755-1769. It is now the seat of Corse's University. Sights include the 15th-century citadel in the old town which houses the Museu di a Corse with an exhibit of traditional Corsican life and anthropology. Mairie France Corse Corte

Golfe de Porto (Corse-du-Sud) is considered to be one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean and and is on the UNESCO cultural heritage site for its flora and fauna. The town of Porto has a superb Genoese watchtower and there are boat excursions nearby to get to the Calanques. The Calanques are 1,000 foot (300 m) high red granite cliffs above the sea about 1.2 miles (2 km) out of Porto in the direction of Piana (photo). France Corse Golfe de Porto

L'île Rousse (Haute-Corse) was founded in 1758 by Pasquale Paoli to create a port that would not be in the hands of the Genoese and is today a major holiday resort and ferry terminal. The center of town is the Place Paoli with a marble bust in his honor and is shaded by hundred year-old plane trees. On the north side of town is a covered market and just beyond is is the Old Town with its partly-restored cobbled streets. The church of Notre Dame de Miséricorde is next to an old Franciscan convent, while the parish church of Immaculée Conception de Marie is on the west side of the main square and is flanked by enormous date palms planted in 1890. While L'île Rousse is usually overcrowded in the summer, Lozari beach 6 miles (10km) away provides an unspoiled stretch of sand. France Corse L'île Rousse

Saint Florent (Haute-Corse) is a fishing port located at the base of the northern peninsula and has its share of yachts, wealth and attracts many tourists for its exceptional Mediterranean beaches and the Patrimonio vineyards. The main sight here is the citadel from 1439 and is a good example of Genoese military architecture. Further inland is the 12th-century Cathédrale de Santa Maria Assunta on the road to Poggio-d'Oletta. France Corse Saint Florent

Piana (Corse-du-Sud) is a pretty village just south of Porto and is reached passing under granite archways along the corniche (road on a ledge). The town is a good place from which to visit the surrounding area and nearby Ficajola Cove has a nice beach. France Corse Calanques de Piana

Porto Vecchio (Corse-du-Sud) is a medium-sized port city placed on a nice harbor on the southeastern corner of Corsica and the hills to the northwest are part of the natural park. The population expands to 50,000 in the summer months (predominantly Italian) and the beaches are well-populated, especially Palombaggia Beach 2 miles (3 km) to the southeast. In 1983, it acquired a Film Institute and there is an annual film festival.

Fonte: allfranceinfo

Gastronomia

From the mountains to the plains and sea, many ingredients play a role. Game such as wild boar (Cingale, Singhjari) is popular. There also is seafood and river fish such as trout. Delicacies such as ficatellu (also named as ficateddu), coppa, ham (prizuttu), lonzu are made from Corsican pork (porcu nustrale). Cheeses like brocciu, casgiu merzu, casgiu veghju are made from goat or sheep milk. Chestnuts are the main ingredient in the making of pulenta. A variety of alcohol also exists ranging from aquavita (brandy), red and white Corsican wines (Vinu Corsu), muscat wine (plain or sparkling), and the famous "Cap Corse" apéritif produced by Mattei. Maquis, the brush that grows in the area, is eaten by local animals and grows near certain plants, resulting in the noticeable taste in the food there.

Fonte: wikipedia

Clima

The climate in Corsica is under Köppen climate classification of hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Csa).
Frost is not usual in the coastal areas, but it can appear between November and April. It freezes and snows more often in the mountains -- for instance the famous GR20 path is open only between mid-July to the end of October. Camping is possible between May and October in lower altitudes. Average sea temperatures range from about 19 °C in June and October to 23 °C in August. The sea is usually too cold to swim in between November and May.

In spring or autumn you may feel colder due to the strong wind, that blows in the mountains and in the seaside.

There's an annual average of 71 hours of sun a day. Average sunlight varies from 4-5 hours a day in winter to 10-12 hours a day in summer. Again, there are usually more cloudy in the mountains.

The rainiest months are March, April, October and November. It's generally dry from May to September, especially on the cost. Storms are common in the mountains during summer. In general, the East is wetter than the West. The table below shows the average rainfall in millimetres as well as number of wet days by month.

Fonte: corsica.forhikers