Around the villa
We've been coming here since we were children. These are the beaches, trails and detours we repeat every year — and recommend without hesitating.
The beaches
The first is five minutes on foot, the other two under ten by car.
The easiest to reach: five minutes on foot down the path, or two by car. Watch the climb back in the heat of the day — it's steep. It's also the best sheltered when the sea is rough, and the most family-friendly. Ringo rides, jet-ski hire and parascending on site.
Livelier: bodyboarding and surfing when the waves come, and sandbars that make for long spells of playing in the water away from the shore. Beach-volleyball nets, paddleboard and surfboard hire, and several beachfront restaurants — best at sunset.
The wildest of the three. There are several ways in, but we suggest the one from the beach-shack car park: easier and safer than pulling up on the roadside. At the river mouth, a freshwater stretch has paddleboards and canoes for hire.
Many more beaches and coves are easy to reach, towards Ajaccio or Cargèse alike. Open a map and go exploring.
The hikes
Corsica is famous for its trails, from family strolls to serious mountain runs. Guidebooks wait in the hall cupboard; here are our favourites.
Starts at the far end of Pero beach. Two easy hours, no difficulty.
Starts beyond Piana. Three hours, with a punishing final climb — but a breathtaking panorama as the reward.
Starts in the Calanche of Piana. Two hours the whole family can manage, with plenty of viewpoints to stop and take in.
Starts at Soccia. 1h30 of well-waymarked walking each way, to a protected pocket of green. Deeply calming.
Starts past the Col de Vergio — the drive takes you through the Aitone forest, with its natural pools to stop at. The waterfall opens a 16 km route, but a simple there-and-back to this cool refuge will please tired legs and bold divers alike.
Starts at the Belfiori bridge. Two hours in tree shade along the Liamone, with plenty of places to slip into the water.
Day trips
40 minutes along the coast. The imperial city, the Bonaparte house, the morning market on Place Foch and the Sanguinaires islands at sunset.
20 minutes. Corsica's Greek village, its two churches facing each other, and Pero beach below.
50 minutes. Red granite plunging into the sea, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Go early or late in the day.
1 hour. Laricio pines, natural swimming pools and cool mountain air when the coast turns furnace-hot.