Cap Corse and the Balagne

Route description

Corsica is reached by ferry from Marseille, Toulon or Nice, or from Italian ports, to Bastia, L’Île-Rousse, Calvi and Ajaccio. From Bastia, the D80 follows the east coast of Cap Corse north, past Erbalunga, a fishing village with a Genoese tower on a rocky point. Allow a full day for the loop of about 120 km; the road is slow and twisting throughout.

At the northern tip, near the Col de la Serra, the restored Moulin Mattei looks over both coasts and the island of Giraglia. The west side of the cape is higher and wilder, with villages hanging above the sea. The road is often narrow with low walls; motorhomes can manage it but should drive slowly and use the lay-bys to let others pass.

Nonza is built on a cliff with a tower on top of a rock and a long grey beach below, reached by several hundred steps. Continue south to Patrimonio, Corsica’s oldest wine appellation, where estates along the D81 offer tastings. Then drop down to Saint-Florent, a small port with a citadel and a good base for boat trips to the Saleccia beach in the Agriates.

The D81 crosses the empty Désert des Agriates to L’Île-Rousse, a port founded by Pasquale Paoli. Turn inland into the Balagne, a region of olive groves and hill villages, and walk the lanes of Sant’Antonino, one of the oldest villages on the island. Finish in Calvi, below its Genoese citadel. From Calvi, the west coast route continues south to Porto.