Road Trip Corsica 1 Week
In the summer of 2022 we made a road trip through Italy, Switzerland, Austria and France (Corsica) with our convertible. During our road trip Corsica we visited beautiful beaches, the mountainous inland and some nice mountain villages. Furthermore, we made a challenging hike to the highest point of the island: Monte Cinto.
Day 1: Boat Trip to Saint-Florent
Distance: 50 km
Activities Bocca di Vezzu (1), L’ostriconi (2)
There are several daily departures from France and Italy to the island of Corsica. Depending on your own travel route, you can choose your departure location. The crossing from Savona in Italy takes a total of 6 hours, so you will have to stay on the boat for a while. If you are lucky with the weather like us, you can sit outside on the deck. There is also plenty to do on the boat (Corsicaferries) itself. As soon as you drive off the boat, you will be amazed by the beautiful views and beautiful roads.
Day 2: Saint-Florent to Piana
Distance: 150 km
Activities: Plage d’Aregno (3), Plage le Caspui (4), Calanches de Piana (5), Plage d’Arone (6)
Today we have a number of beautiful beaches planned. Both Plage d’Aregno and Plage le Caspui are really beautiful! The water is crystal clear, so don’t forget to bring your snorkeling set. You can also swim here for hours without getting cold. The water temperature is just perfect.
The roads you drive today are also worth mentioning. You wind past the most beautiful viewpoints and mountain roads through small villages. It’s pure enjoyment! Along the way you will pass the Calanches de Piana: a red rock formation where you can take various walks. We skipped this, because we wanted to go to Plage d’Arone in the evening.
Day 3: To Lozzi
Distance: 150 km
Activities: Plage de Menasina (7), Cascades d’Aitone (8)
Today it is time to leave the coast behind you. The interior of Corsica is also incredibly beautiful. The first stop is at a beach: Plage de Menasina. Access requires a short walk, but this is another very nice stop. After this you drive via the D70 towards the highest mountain peaks in Corsica. Along the way you can make a stop at the Cascades d’Aitone. The river that runs here produces several natural swimming pools where you can cool off. It is a bit busier on this route and walk, but still worth it. You can sleep at the campsite after the Col de Vergio (Google Maps).
Day 4: Monte Cinto
Activities: hike Monte Cinto (9)
Today the climb of Monte Cinto is planned. This mountain has a height of 2706 meters and there is a route to it from the campsite. The route is very diverse: from easy to very difficult. Unfortunately we didn’t reach the top in the end. Read more about the hike to Monte Cinto.
Day 5: Visit the Capital Ajaccio
Distance: 100 km
Activities: Canyon de la Ruda (10), Corte (11), Ajaccio (12)
It’s time to take it a little easier, after yesterday’s walk. Today’s route starts off well with the Canyon de la Ruda. The stopover in Corte is also worthwhile. This small village is located in the middle of Corsica. You can easily park your car in a parking garage along the edge of the village. You will be in the center in no time. It’s not too busy here, which makes it feel cozy. This is something different from Ajaccio. Here the beaches are suddenly overcrowded and it is generally very busy!
Day 6: West Coast
Distance: 100 km
Activities: Plage de Cupabia (13), Zonza (14)
It’s time to head inland again. Don’t forget to stop at Plage de Cupabia, for us the most beautiful beach in Corsica! The water here is crystal clear and there is fine white sand both above and below water level. Only rocks on the side of the bay complete the picture. After a few hours at the beach, you can continue to Zonza. The drive here is again very beautiful and it goes nicely on all those winding roads. Zonza is small, but lively!
Day 7: Zonza
Distance: 100 km
Activities: Cascade di Ghjaddu (15), Plage du Grand Sperone (16)
Today’s first stop is a short distance from the overnight stay: Cascade di Ghjaddu. Judging by the size of the paid parking lot, it can get quite busy here. We got there on time and it didn’t bother us. The last and most beautiful part of the route has been cordoned off. In all likelihood this is due to a landslide. You will automatically notice when you reach this point; there is a chain with a sign in front of it. We did continue and there will certainly be some climbing, but without this last part, this waterfall is not worth the parking fee in our opinion.
The last beach stop in Corsica is Plage du Grand Sperone. You have to park the car a long way from the beach along the road because it can be very busy here. However, don’t let this stop you. You first pass two large and busy beaches where the crowds are looking for a spot. After walking for a while, through the forest and along the other two beaches, you arrive at Plage du Grand Sperone. Truly the most beautiful and most quiet beach of all three! In our article 5x beautiful beaches, you will find exactly how to get here.
Day 8: Visit Bonifacio
Activities: Bonifacio (17)
The last day of the road trip Corsica. You arrive in the south of the island at Bonifacio. There is a reasonably affordable parking lot at the port, from where you can easily reach the center. You can walk to the chalk cliffs on which Bonifacio is located via the stairs. The view of the harbor and the rugged coast is very beautiful and we think the town itself with the narrow and cozy streets is definitely worth a visit. From the ferry that you can (optionally) take to continue your journey to Sardinia, you have a beautiful view over the edge of the city.
