Even though Corsica does not seem to be any exotic destination to the majority of people, there are many aspects of visiting this place you should keep in mind in order to make the most of your visit. This article will tell you more about some things which should be considered seriously while you are planning your trip to Corsica.
Plan a stay of at least seven days
You are certainly aware of a city-break form of travelling which is chosen by tourists who do not have enough time for a longer stay in a new destination. When it comes to Corsica, many people choose such short stays because Corsica does not seem to be filled with large cities packed with tourist attractions. In the reality, coming here for just two nights will not be satisfying for the majority of people.
It is crucial to pay your attention to the size of this island. In the reality it is on the fourth position when it comes to its size in the Mediterranean and the only islands larger than Corsica are Cyprus, Sardinia and Sicily. The area of over a thousand of square kilometres has more than two hundred beaches let along the scenic towns such as Bonifacio or Porto-Vecchio as well as the world-known hiking trails. As you can imagine, a short stay in Corsica is not exactly the best choice.
Move around the island
Certainly, there is a large group of tourists coming to sunny destinations with a view of having a hassle-free stay in the same place for at least a week where they will have a possibility of complete relaxation. Still, if you are coming to one of the small Corsican towns or villages, it will be a better idea to move around the island, especially if you are a very active person and need to explore. You might quickly learn everything about the place where you are staying in and find the rest of your stay boring which can be easily avoided if only you choose to travel around the island.
For this purpose, the best option will be renting a car as public transport is primarily available only in larger towns of Corsica. It is also highly recommended to purchase maps of Corsica as travelling with navigation can be rather challenging. One of the problems is the lack of English signing on the roads. In fact, most of the times you will have rely on Corsican naming since the French sides of the bilingual road signs might be covered with paint by vandals. Travelling with navigation can also get you into trouble because of problems with the Internet connection which might happen on the way through the rural parts of the island and, it can also lead you to the rural trails some of which can go even through mountains.
While moving through Corsica, it is highly advised to explore the villages of the island which are particularly picturesque. Some of them are especially interesting because of their ancient architecture, for example, Algajola which has a fort built in the 16th century located in the scenic waterfront. Cargese is a curious village to visit as it has a strong touch of Greek architectural style.
Of course, there are also villages with particularly beautiful natural views. Soveria is surrounded by a mountainous landscape whereas Venzolasca has a mixture of the historic buildings and hilltop landscapes.
Remember siesta shop hours
For many people who are not used to living in the European locations featured with hot climate in the summer, siesta might be a new experience and such tourists are prone to forgetting about this practice. Siesta is a time given to employees for rest during the hottest hours of a day and in Corsica, such a break can be quite long lasting even up to five hours.
Most of the businesses and shops will be closed by noon. The majority of them are reopened after 4 pm. The working hours after siesta are pretty long and stretch to 11 pm in most of the cases.
In some cases it is not thus important, yet, in others you will certainly prefer to be able to plan your shopping in an appropriate way.
I would almost forget about siestas. Definitely something to keep in mind when visiting southern europe.