With more than 600 miles (1,000km) of dazzling coastline, three-quarters of it protected as a parc naturel régional, Corsica offers visitors scores of watersports, endless days on its beaches, and hiking and cycling aplenty.
The island averages 300 days of sun each year. Yet staking out your own private stretch of seafront here is a breeze. Kitesurfers head south to harness the steady winds in the Strait of Bonifacio. Beachside sports centres lure visitors to Propriano with windsurfing boards, waterskis and sailing dinghies.
The western calanques – the Mediterranean equivalent of fjords which splice Piana's crimson granite cliffs – are best explored by kayak or canoe. Or simply pack a picnic and hit the beaches clustered around Porto-Vecchio – the white sands of Palombaggia and Rondinara are particularly striking – for lazy afternoons by the sea.
Among serious hikers, Corsica is perhaps best known for its challenging GR20 mountain trek, which bisects the island. However, this rugged landscape is laced with walking routes to suit all ages and abilities. Ile-Rousse's Parc de Saleccia on the town's outskirts is an ideal place for an easy stroll among the island's indigenous vegetation, which ranges from fragrant maquis to myrtle and wild olive groves.
Stretching eastwards of here, the nature reserve Désert des Agriates edges along 22 miles of pristine Mediterranean shores. A sentier du littoral, or coastal walking path, meanders past powder-fine beaches, each one beckoning hikers into the tropical-blue waters, which offer snorkelling at its most sublime. To the south, Ajaccio's Napoleon Trail unfolds over just six miles, yet this pathway offers some of the island's most jaw-dropping vistas.
Keen cyclists love Corsica, too. This year, expect plenty of improvised pelotons pedalling the 2013 Tour de France's first three stages, pinging their way from Porto-Vecchio to Bastia, on to Ajaccio and north to Calvi. For a gentler ride, stick to the eastern shores of Cap Corse. But do bear in mind that cycling in Corsica is not for the faint-hearted: the island's interior is mountainous in the extreme.
Bird-watchers are advised to make a beeline for the Etang de Biguglia nature reserve. Corsica's largest lagoon sits south of Bastia, and is home to more than 120 species of birds, including kingfishers, flamingos and purple herons.
On the west coast, regular catamaran and motorboat trips skirt the Scandola nature reserve. This Unesco world heritage site's russet cliffs shelter eagles, puffins and peregrine falcons. You'll discover that Corsica is the most mountainous, greenest, diverse and unspoilt island in the Med.
To find out more about this destination, visit gotofrancenow.com/corsica
or corsica.co.uk
Offer
Le Home apartments nestle in luxuriant gardens in the heart of Calvi with a number of bars, restaurants and shops just a stroll away. The perfect place for couples seeking a tranquil & comfortable holiday home in the heart of Calvi. Sleeps two, from £599pp. Visit corsica.co.uk
