The French island of Corsica is a study in contrasts, Napoleon’s birthplace rises majestically from the Mediterranean with a stunning display of natural beauty that includes unblemished landscapes, pine-crowned mountains and turquoise seas washing upon pristine pink beaches. The island’s inhabitants treat tourists with respect in their ability to discover the island’s offerings without their interjections. The natural beauty often masks occasional violence by organized crime and anti-French nationalism that periodically rises like the Mediterranean tides, but visitors should feel safe and secure in their choice of Corsica as a destination worth discovering.
Key Takeaways:
- While Corrano has no advertised lodging, there are a number of nearby, beautiful bed-and-breakfasts.
- Three million tourists visited the island in 2015, compared with 1.5 million in 1992, according Corsica’s tourism agency.
- During World War I, historians estimate that 10,000 to 12,000 Corsicans, a disproportionately high number considering the island’s small population, died on European battlefields.
“One reason the French island of Corsica can feel so bracing to a visitor is that — and I mean this in the best way possible — Corsicans don’t much care about you.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/31/travel/corsica-france-holidays.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0