Corsica – the mountainous island between Italy’s Sardinia and France’s Côte d’Azur – has something for every holiday wish: turquoise beaches, spectacular hiking routes, adventurous canyoning, culinary delights and gay-friendly bars and clubs.
The colours of the sea are “magnifique”, the passengers enthuse as soon as the plane approaches Corsica. And as they press their noses to the windows, many of them – given the clarity of the water and the pale sandy beaches – imagine they are in a dream destination somewhere in the Caribbean, the Seychelles or the Maldives.
The Mediterranean island’s many climate zones are impressive: the weather can vary greatly over short distances, especially between the coast and the mountains and between the north and south. In winter there is even snow on Corsica. At more than 2700 metres, Monte Cinto is the highest Corsican mountain – for keen hikers there are great routes all around it.
Porto-Vecchio in the far south is an ideal starting point for your trip to Corsica. As well as gorgeous sandy beaches, the mountains are close at hand. If you want to give it everything, take on the GR20, the “Grande Randonnée”. This alpine trail is more than 180 kilometres long and runs from south to north right across the Corsican peaks. But be warned: the GR20 is one of the most demanding hikes in Europe. Around Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio, you can also go quad biking, mountain biking or canoeing – and canyoning, river hiking for the brave.
Bonifacio, the limestone jewel
Unlike the granite island of Corsica, Bonifacio stands on limestone. The little town, more than 1000 years old, sits enthroned on a limestone plateau undercut by the sea. “We are not Corsican,” our guide Pierre Gazano makes clear right from the start. Of the roughly two million visitors who travel to Corsica every year, all of them also come to Bonifacio for a day. Between July and August, though, the town and its medieval citadel are very crowded — from September it gets quieter.
A peaceful island
“Corsica is quiet and safe,” says Dominique Dunand. The honorary consul of Switzerland in Ajaccio looks after Swiss citizens who run into problems on Corsica. Major incidents are very rare, he says.
Parties on the beach
The club scene is shrinking a little on Corsica too; some parties take place on the beach. In Bonifacio, there is the gay-friendly open-air club “B’52”. The restaurants “L’Escale” and “Les Amis” in Bonifacio also attract queer visitors.
Corsica’s towns
Flight time 1:20 hours, 760 kilometres, 1 flight a week. Sports baggage flies free — whether bike, surfboard or golf equipment. Edelweiss flies to Figari and Calvi until the end of September 2025.
Text: Mark Baer · Photos: Edelweiss, Loren Bedeli, Raphael Hadad
