Corsica: Sailing In The Mediterranean"s Best Kept Secret
Mention Corsica to just about any Frenchman and you'll see a misty look spread across his eyes. L'Isle de Beaut - the beautiful island - is one of France's best kept secrets; a natural paradise where the rugged coastline dips regularly into bays lined with white sand beaches, hung with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, and hemmed with a turquoise sea so clear you can see the fish without the need for a snorkeling mask.
We'd heard so many poetic descriptions of the island from our French and Corsican friends that we were eagerly anticipating exploring its western coastline under sail. As the coast came into view a late spring sunset spread its hazy glow across the huge bay, dabbing the distant mountain snow and the ancient citadel walls of Calvi with rose pink highlights. The next morning we were soon joined by dolphins playing at the bow. Through water as smooth as glass, we were able to watch their every move - including seeing them turning from time to time to look up at us. Dolphins are frequent companions in the waters around Corsica, and whales are also often sighted during the passage from mainland France.
An island besieged.
One of the first things anyone will notice about the coastline here is the absence of buildings, with the exception of small, round towers placed at regular intervals. Like a beautiful woman, Corsica has constantly had to fend of the attentions of those who wanted to possess her, or steal her virtues. The inhabitants constantly fell victim to barbarians who stole their livestock, pilfered the harvest and also took the Corsicans themselves into slavery. In defence, the locals retreated to live in the mountains, where their villages were easier to fortify against invaders, and in the 12th and 13th centuries the Genoese fortified the ports, such as Calvi and Bonifacio, which are still characterized by their imposing citadels. The building of the eighty five towers around Corsica's 300 miles of coastline was also ordered by the Genoese, as an early warning system. Each of the "Tours de Guet" is within sight of the next, so that whenever the sails of a suspect vessel appeared on the horizon the alert could be passed from tower to tower by lighting fires. In this way, the whole coast could be made aware of the incursion in less than an hour.
Being so constantly victimized did nothing to help the local economy, and this is one of the reasons that the Corsicans have never had the pleasure of being able to govern themselves. The other was the attraction of the island as a staging post along important Mediterranean trade routes. The Ancient Greeks were the first colonizers to arrive in the 6th century BC. Sharing the sentiments later echoed by the French, they referred to the island as Kalliste - "the beautiful". Domination from Rome followed, then, as the Roman Empire declined, the island fell into the cruel hands of the Saracens, or Moors. In the 11th century the Pisans finally succeeded in driving out the Saracens and took over, before the Genoese wrested it from their control in 1288.
The birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.
In 1769 Corsica's most famous son, Napoleon Bonaparte, was born in Ajaccio; the same year that the French took control of the island. The descendent of a family from Tuscany in Italy, Napoleon later changed his surname from 'Buonaparte' to the French version 'Bonaparte'. It may well have been the constant turmoil of his birthplace that helped Napoleon to become one of history's most talented and renowned military strategists: "Victory belongs to the most persevering" he said, and the Corsicans certainly knew how to persevere. Although he was ultimately to become Emperor of France, he never gave his homeland its independence.
A natural heritage of global importance.
As we passed a fishing boat, the dolphins left us for more profitable games, and we turned towards land, entering the Marina d'Elba to anchor for our own lunch. Rather than being a man-made marina, this bay was created 250 million years ago by the volcanic eruptions of Monte Cinto. Its dramatically red rocks have been fashioned by subsequent erosion into creases, pinnacles and caves. The area forms part of the Scandola nature reserve, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its outstanding coastal and marine habitat. The reserve is off-limits to hikers and can only be visited by boat. Snorkeling is permitted but diving is banned inside the park, and the site is regularly patrolled by the reserve wardens. Those wishing to experience the diverse marine life may dive on the edges of the area with the diving school based at Galeria, which is one of the largest in France.
After lunch, we headed into Girolata, a tiny cluster of houses with a couple of relaxed beach restaurants which makes a stunning overnight anchorage. The village is inaccessible by motor vehicle - the locals use quad bikes to get around and meet the morning supply boat when it arrives at 10.00am each day! It's this absence of roads that makes Corsica such a great place to take your walking boots. The hillsides are criss-crossed by numerous well-marked paths, which enable ramblers to experience the wildness of the countryside, as well rewarding them with the best views. Next morning we walked amongst the garrigue, a tangle of vegetation which covers the rocky Mediterranean terrain. Spring flowers and wild herbs such as rock roses, lavender and rosemary immediately enveloped us, giving off their distinctive earthy perfume; an aroma so pervasive that we could also breathe it from the deck of our yacht at anchor, especially in the cool night air.
The forested hillsides are home to the Sanglier, or wild boar, that features regularly in the local cuisine. 'Daube de Sanglier' is a deliciously rich casserole, cooked slowly with red wine and herbs, and every butcher's shop displays a profusion of smoked hams and 'saucission' (dried sausages). Understanding the past insecurity of the island and this close relationship with the untamed, natural environment, is key to appreciating Corsican culture. Life here was never easy; families have always had to stick together, and extended families - or clans - often took sides with the various occupying powers that were fighting for domination. Being so distant from their foreign masters, as well as so inaccessible, meant that on a local basis the government held little sway; instead life was characterized by feuding between the island nobility, with Corsican matters often being settled by violence.
The dramatic cliffs of Bonifacio.
From Girolata we headed towards one of Corsica's most spectacular locations, the port of Bonifacio. Perched impenetrably on top of striking chalk cliffs, the citadel guards an almost invisible entrance to the port. Until one is close by, it's hard to spot the gap in the heavily striated white cliffs through which yachts slip before making their way up the mile-long channel into the harbour. Looking up the impossibly steep walls of the citadel as you enter, it's easy to imagine why it was able to withstand being besieged by the French and Turks in the 14th century. Bonifacio's unique harbour is also thought to be mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, when the Greeks were forced to retreat from a fortress called Lamos by the threat of being eaten by a cannibal king - clearly Corsica has always enjoyed a ferocious reputation!
Once inside the ancient walls of the citadel, the narrow alleyways reveal arresting architectural details at every turn: a Genoese tower, the patinated wall of a church, a set of stone steps worn by centuries of comings and goings. And every now and again, a passage opens to the sky, with dizzying views through the wheeling gulls to the rocky shore below and its mosaic of turquoise and deepest blue.
The Mediterranean as it once was.
Our journey the next day was to take us to the tranquility of Porto Pollo, yet another beautiful anchorage with a perfect sandy beach and little sign of the impact of ma
We'd heard so many poetic descriptions of the island from our French and Corsican friends that we were eagerly anticipating exploring its western coastline under sail. As the coast came into view a late spring sunset spread its hazy glow across the huge bay, dabbing the distant mountain snow and the ancient citadel walls of Calvi with rose pink highlights. The next morning we were soon joined by dolphins playing at the bow. Through water as smooth as glass, we were able to watch their every move - including seeing them turning from time to time to look up at us. Dolphins are frequent companions in the waters around Corsica, and whales are also often sighted during the passage from mainland France.
An island besieged.
One of the first things anyone will notice about the coastline here is the absence of buildings, with the exception of small, round towers placed at regular intervals. Like a beautiful woman, Corsica has constantly had to fend of the attentions of those who wanted to possess her, or steal her virtues. The inhabitants constantly fell victim to barbarians who stole their livestock, pilfered the harvest and also took the Corsicans themselves into slavery. In defence, the locals retreated to live in the mountains, where their villages were easier to fortify against invaders, and in the 12th and 13th centuries the Genoese fortified the ports, such as Calvi and Bonifacio, which are still characterized by their imposing citadels. The building of the eighty five towers around Corsica's 300 miles of coastline was also ordered by the Genoese, as an early warning system. Each of the "Tours de Guet" is within sight of the next, so that whenever the sails of a suspect vessel appeared on the horizon the alert could be passed from tower to tower by lighting fires. In this way, the whole coast could be made aware of the incursion in less than an hour.
Being so constantly victimized did nothing to help the local economy, and this is one of the reasons that the Corsicans have never had the pleasure of being able to govern themselves. The other was the attraction of the island as a staging post along important Mediterranean trade routes. The Ancient Greeks were the first colonizers to arrive in the 6th century BC. Sharing the sentiments later echoed by the French, they referred to the island as Kalliste - "the beautiful". Domination from Rome followed, then, as the Roman Empire declined, the island fell into the cruel hands of the Saracens, or Moors. In the 11th century the Pisans finally succeeded in driving out the Saracens and took over, before the Genoese wrested it from their control in 1288.
The birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.
In 1769 Corsica's most famous son, Napoleon Bonaparte, was born in Ajaccio; the same year that the French took control of the island. The descendent of a family from Tuscany in Italy, Napoleon later changed his surname from 'Buonaparte' to the French version 'Bonaparte'. It may well have been the constant turmoil of his birthplace that helped Napoleon to become one of history's most talented and renowned military strategists: "Victory belongs to the most persevering" he said, and the Corsicans certainly knew how to persevere. Although he was ultimately to become Emperor of France, he never gave his homeland its independence.
A natural heritage of global importance.
As we passed a fishing boat, the dolphins left us for more profitable games, and we turned towards land, entering the Marina d'Elba to anchor for our own lunch. Rather than being a man-made marina, this bay was created 250 million years ago by the volcanic eruptions of Monte Cinto. Its dramatically red rocks have been fashioned by subsequent erosion into creases, pinnacles and caves. The area forms part of the Scandola nature reserve, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its outstanding coastal and marine habitat. The reserve is off-limits to hikers and can only be visited by boat. Snorkeling is permitted but diving is banned inside the park, and the site is regularly patrolled by the reserve wardens. Those wishing to experience the diverse marine life may dive on the edges of the area with the diving school based at Galeria, which is one of the largest in France.
After lunch, we headed into Girolata, a tiny cluster of houses with a couple of relaxed beach restaurants which makes a stunning overnight anchorage. The village is inaccessible by motor vehicle - the locals use quad bikes to get around and meet the morning supply boat when it arrives at 10.00am each day! It's this absence of roads that makes Corsica such a great place to take your walking boots. The hillsides are criss-crossed by numerous well-marked paths, which enable ramblers to experience the wildness of the countryside, as well rewarding them with the best views. Next morning we walked amongst the garrigue, a tangle of vegetation which covers the rocky Mediterranean terrain. Spring flowers and wild herbs such as rock roses, lavender and rosemary immediately enveloped us, giving off their distinctive earthy perfume; an aroma so pervasive that we could also breathe it from the deck of our yacht at anchor, especially in the cool night air.
The forested hillsides are home to the Sanglier, or wild boar, that features regularly in the local cuisine. 'Daube de Sanglier' is a deliciously rich casserole, cooked slowly with red wine and herbs, and every butcher's shop displays a profusion of smoked hams and 'saucission' (dried sausages). Understanding the past insecurity of the island and this close relationship with the untamed, natural environment, is key to appreciating Corsican culture. Life here was never easy; families have always had to stick together, and extended families - or clans - often took sides with the various occupying powers that were fighting for domination. Being so distant from their foreign masters, as well as so inaccessible, meant that on a local basis the government held little sway; instead life was characterized by feuding between the island nobility, with Corsican matters often being settled by violence.
The dramatic cliffs of Bonifacio.
From Girolata we headed towards one of Corsica's most spectacular locations, the port of Bonifacio. Perched impenetrably on top of striking chalk cliffs, the citadel guards an almost invisible entrance to the port. Until one is close by, it's hard to spot the gap in the heavily striated white cliffs through which yachts slip before making their way up the mile-long channel into the harbour. Looking up the impossibly steep walls of the citadel as you enter, it's easy to imagine why it was able to withstand being besieged by the French and Turks in the 14th century. Bonifacio's unique harbour is also thought to be mentioned in Homer's Odyssey, when the Greeks were forced to retreat from a fortress called Lamos by the threat of being eaten by a cannibal king - clearly Corsica has always enjoyed a ferocious reputation!
Once inside the ancient walls of the citadel, the narrow alleyways reveal arresting architectural details at every turn: a Genoese tower, the patinated wall of a church, a set of stone steps worn by centuries of comings and goings. And every now and again, a passage opens to the sky, with dizzying views through the wheeling gulls to the rocky shore below and its mosaic of turquoise and deepest blue.
The Mediterranean as it once was.
Our journey the next day was to take us to the tranquility of Porto Pollo, yet another beautiful anchorage with a perfect sandy beach and little sign of the impact of ma
