1st Stage (Saturday 29th June 2013)
Porto Vecchio to Bastia, 200KM
Things to see: the beautiful fortress towns of Porto Vecchio and Bonifacio, the latter established in 833 and mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey. Visit the Roman ruins at Mariana and enjoy a walk and a picnic at Lake Biguglia Nature Reserve south of Bastia, Corsica’s largest lake at 1,800 hectares and home to many species of bird including the purple heron, kingfisher and great cormorant.
Accommodation in the south
Accommodation around Bastia and St. Florent
2nd Stage (Sunday 30th June 2013)
Bastia to Ajaccio, 155KM
Things to see: the 2nd stage starts in Bastia’s buzzing Place Saint-Nicolas, one of the biggest squares in Europe; drive up into the beautiful mountains of Corsica’s interior and visit Corte, the former capital of the island and home to the University of Corsica; drive along the coast to La Parata headland close to Ajaccio and watch the sun set over the sea and the Sanguinaires Islands.
Accommodation on the west coast
3rd Stage (Monday 1st July 2013)
Ajaccio to Calvi, 145KM
Things to see: the 3rd stage starts in Corsica’s capital, Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoléon and a great place to visit with a good selection of cafés and boutiques as well as the Musée Fesch which houses the most important collection of Italian art in France outside the Louvre; to the north of Ajaccio, the fishing villages of Porto and Piana claim to be in one of the most beautiful bays in the world and we can’t argue – definitely worth a drive along this coastal road to the wonders of Calvi and the Balagne region.
Accommodation in Calvi and the north west
Corsica holidays for 2014
The following document is in French but contains extensive visual information on the tour, including stage times and which roads are closed during the various stages: Tour PDF
