Explore: Corsica
General Info
- Corsica lies in the western Mediterranean just 14km north of Sardinia. It has been described as “a French island basking in the Italian sun”, but it has been a “department” of France for only 200 of its 4000-year history, and has a distinct culture of its own.
- It is a mountainous island; high cliffs and rocky inlets characterise much of its coast. It is regarded as one of the last unspoiled corners of the Mediterranean, but in July and August there are a large number of visitors and berthing may be a problem.
- If planning a circumnavigation of the island, consider an anti-clockwise circuit. When the Mistral is blowing, this gives you relatively light east coast sea breezes going north, and a fast run down the SW coast to the Bonifacio Straits.
- French is the official language, but Corsica is not France, and a large number of the inhabitants speak Corsican (Corsu), which sounds a bit like Italian.
- The separatist movement is to be taken seriously and has, in the past, carried out bombings. In 2005 one group declared an end to the current cease-fire.
- Visiting cruisers warn that in order to avoid problems fly the Corsican courtesy flag (not just the French courtesy flag).
Places
Corsica, France
