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Winter in Balagne
Make the most of the winter season and visit the Genoese citadel of Calvi , where you can hire a Walkman to enjoy an audio-guide visit, and stroll along the paved pedestrian streets that will take you to another time. Then, give in to the temptation of stopping on the terrace of a restaurant by the port to sample sea urchins accompanied by a glass of white wine from Calvi. In the afternoon, take the children along the path that runs alongside the seafront to the south of Calvi and head forPointe de la Revellata and its lighthouse.
The Castille diving centre, open all year round, will let you explore the wreck of the mythical Bombardier B17, which was sunk in 1944 during the Second World War and now sits 28 metres below the waves. The region’s equestrian centres provide you with horses that are well accustomed to the steep pathways of the Balagne.
250km of walking trails have been restored and sign-posted, and information booklets are on sale at the Tourist Offices of Calvi and Ile-Rousse. Here you can admire some of the breath-taking sites and views. Notre Dame de la Serra is a trail that is accessible from the hotel La Villa (2h00 return trip). These walks will help you appreciate an authentic natural environment, such as the abandoned hamlet of Occi, with a trail that starts at Lumio and provides a grandiose view across the Balagne.
You will be surprised by the number of Roman and Baroque religious buildings in the Balagne. It is a veritable open air architectural exhibition. Corbara, a village boasting Moorish architecture, will astonish you with its magnificent religious heritage.
Journey down once more to Algajola, a former fortified town and the ancient seat of the Bishop of Balagne. Children will turn into knights when they encounter the old château where writer José Giovani set the first part of his novel ”The Adventurers”, adapted for a film starring Lino Ventura and Alain Delon.
To round off your escapade, Ile Rousse (red coloured granite) and a well-deserved stop-off at the port. This former Roman market town was transformed into a veritable port in the mid XVIII Century by Pascal Paoli in order to compete with Calvi, which had remained loyal to the Genoese.
At the port of Ile Rousse we will serve you a dish of Corsican veal with olives (grown naturally and without using hormones) accompanied by fresh tagliatelle produced on the island….and you can sample some chestnut ice cream that has also been made on site. The sunset across the peninsula of La Pietra will make you yearn for never-ending holidays!
The Balanin back-country: Mountainous Balagne
The following day, head off along the artisans’ route in order to discover the savoir-faire of these men and women who make Corsica what it is through their works. The artisans will offer you a warm welcome and you can take the time to listen to them, watch them work and stock-up on gifts for your friends: Raku ceramics, essential oils, mosaics, blown bubbled glass, earthenware and stoneware pottery, cow or lamb’s leather, gold and silver jewellery…
The AOC wines of Calvi-Balagne can be explored at the production sites, in friendly wine-growing estates that open their doors to you for delicious tastings that are first class. Signs labelled « Strada Vinaghjola » can be seen throughout the territory and these indicate the presence of one or more estates.
San-Antonino, is a village that should not be overlooked and is worthy of the label “Most Beautiful Villages of France”. Meander along its cobbled narrow streets, vaulted passageways and its medieval eagle’s nest, where inhabitants sought refuge during the invasions of Barbary pirates.
A great many churches, mostly in the baroque style, can be visited in the Balagne. The church of Saint Blaise de Calenzana, with its polychrome marbles, provides an example of the richness of the baroque period in Corsica.
From the Ostriconi to the Giussani
One hour by road from Ile-Rousse, the Giussani, surrounded by a chain of mountains, will let you discover an authentic side to Corsica. The villages of Olmi-Capella, Vallica, Mausoleo and Poggiola are located at an altitude of 900 metres at the heart of the Corsican Regional Nature Park.
Don’t forget to stop and admire the baroque churches of the Giussani with their magnificent organs. Enjoy the charm and tranquillity in the midst of the centuries-old chestnut trees and holm oaks, where you may be lucky enough to spot a mouflon mountain sheep or a bearded vulture.
Journey back down to the medieval village of Lama and finish in style with a walk on the long beaches of Ostriconi, close to the Agriates desert.