The birthplace of French Emperor and military genius Napoleon Bonaparte as well as an island of astonishing beauty, Corsica is one of the glimmering jewels of the Mediterranean.
Its already glamorous profile has been raised in the last fortnight with the historic 100th edition of the Tour de France staging its Gran Depart here, with the first three stages of the classic event criss- crossing the spellbinding island.
The second stage traversed the rugged interior mountains, the highest of any Mediterranean island peaks, rising to 2700 metres, concluding in the regional capital of Ajaccio.
The third stage moved to the northern coastal town of Calvi, rumoured as the birthplace of another historical giant, Christopher Columbus.
A simmering cultural cauldron, the island might be French, but its distinct and enduring Corsican language is a tongue much more like Italian.
And Italian passion runs high here too it seems, with the 19th century vendetta tradition seeing thousands of Corsicans killed in reprisal acts over petty family slanders.
A place of stunning clifftop villages and jagged UNESCO World Heritage listed coastal terrain, it’s also littered with Roman era ruins, still glorious to this day.
Then there’s a mouth-watering rustic food tradition, with wild boar, goat’s cheese and chestnuts (used to make polenta) all local delicacies.
You can experience this stunning island courtesy of Trafalgar’s 11-day At Leisure Corsica and Sardinia itinerary. Prices start from $2725
