On land in Corsica – the northwest coast

We not only explored Corsica on and under the water (see other blogs ‘On the water in Corsica’ and ‘Under water in Corsica’), but also spent some time inspecting various bits and pieces of the terrestrial environment.

In particular, we were keen to do a few hikes as Corsica is well-known as a hikers’ paradise, famous for the Grande Randonnée (GR) 20, a long-distance hiking trail that traverses the island north-south. While we were (unfortunately) not planning to do the GR 20, it was the middle of a heatwave during a very hot summer after all, Corsica has plenty of shorter walking and hiking options that looked enticing.

Walking around Calvi

After having been on Yuma for a couple of months, we were seriously out of shape and decided that we should start with a few easy walks to get our leg muscles working again. So, we started with a couple of walks around Calvi and the Golfe de la Revellata, enjoying the scenery, smelling the maquis up close and personal, and checking out a few birds along the way, such as flocks of the European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) that were feeding on thistle seeds.

I also checked out whether we could walk to the research station Stareso via the previously open access road, but this was now blocked off with a locked metal gate and a ‘Accès interdit’ sign. No luck.

Walking around in temperatures of 30°C+ is hard and thirsty work, but luckily, in Calvi this could always be alleviated by an sorbet or two at Glace Raugi. This place had the most amazing flavours of ice creams, sorbets and gelatos, such as lemon and basil (F’s favourite) and mandarin (D’s favourite). What a treat!

Citadella di Calvi

We also did several walks inside the impressive Citadel of Calvi, which was built by Corsica’s Genoese rulers from the 12^th century onwards. On top of the Citadel, you get superb 360° views over Calvi Bay towards the spectacular Monte Cinto massif, along Cap Corse over the Mediterranean back towards Golfe de la Revellata and Calvi. No wonder this was one difficult Citadel to conquer, even though plenty of peoples have tried over the centuries.

At the Citadel, we also came across a few famous names, such as Christopher Columbus, Horatio Nelson, and Napoleon Bonaparte. According to local legend, Columbus was born within the Citadel (rather than in Genoa) around 1436, but he thought it better to hide this from his Spanish benefactors as Calvi inhabitants had slaughtered an Aragon regiment in 1421. Mind you, he was apparently born in a few other spots as well.

Horatio Nelson, most famous for his victory at the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) during the Napoleonic Wars, was blinded in one eye during the Siege of Calvi in 1794. He would later loose his right arm during a battle in Tenerife in 1797 before getting himself killed winning the Battle of Trafalgar.

And Nelson’s nemesis, Napoleon, is of course the most famous person born in Corsica. In 1793 the Bonaparte family, including Napoleon, took refuge in Calvi’s Citadel after fleeing persecution in Ajaccio before they went into exile in mainland France. We would come across Napoleon again later during our stay in Ajaccio, his birthplace.

Hiking in the maquis

Our next hike was near the town of Galéria, when we were anchored in the Golfe de Galéria, in an area that was part of the Park Naturel Régional de Corse.

Here, we had various options of leisurely wanders, pleasant walks, hikes with some ups and downs, to extremely steep climbs. What to choose? Luckily, Galéria had an exceptionally good ‘boulangerie’ where we could explore these options, while enjoying delicious espressos and croissants, before heading off in the morning.

We decided on a hike with some ups and downs, which ended up being a hike with one very long up followed by one very long down, all the while being enclosed by dense maquis.

It’s not hard to imagine that, over the centuries, this all but impenetrable vegetation has been providing the perfect hiding place for those who do not want to be found.

Once at the top of the hike, at the Punta de Muvrareccia, we were treated to stunning views of the mountains, the coast and the sea; no wonder this island is called l’Île de Beauté.

The walk back down mostly followed a path bordered by walls of impressive drystone construction, covered in beautiful ferns, moss and lichen.

Lack of wildlife

Strangely enough, we saw and heard very few birds during this and our other Corsican hikes. Was this because we were outside the breeding season and so they were simply not singing? Perhaps. But it wasn’t just the small forest and field birds that were missing, where were all the raptors? Even while we were on Yuma, we saw very few gulls and terns and if we did see them, they were all alone – very strange.

Butterflies were a bit more common, but other insects such as flies and bees were few and far between. What we did see a lot of were fantastic skinks with bright metallic colours that reminded us of the skinks back home.

Genoese towers

We also did a few shorter walks along the west coast. These were primarily to visit some of the many (67 of an original 86) Genoese watch towers that are dotted all along Corsica’s coastline.

Of course, with facilitating the early detection of Barbary pirates being their main purpose, these stone towers were located at spots with outstanding views along the coast and out over the ocean.

Five centuries later, they still provide superb views but given that many are located in what must have been very remote locations you have to wonder what life would have been like for the men being stationed there waiting, waiting for something to come over the horizon. That said, there are a lot of watchtowers so something must have come over the horizon often enough to make the investment and the effort worthwhile.