Destination Guide

L'Ile Rousse and Monticello

A 'laid-back' seaside town

L'Ile Rousse is little spoilt by tourism and the town has a real life of its own. Whilst holidaying families are at the superb sandy beach, the market place bustles with people going about their everyday business. Afternoons are for a game of pétanque on the square in front of the church and early evenings see the locals get together for an apéritif beneath the plane trees. The streets of the old town come alive at night, with many restaurants to tempt you in.

At the foot of the Balagne hills, with beaches of white sand, lies L'Ile Rousse, a laid back seaside town with a bustling marketplace, the odd game of pétanque and cafés beneath the plane trees in the village square.

Founded by Pasquale Paoli in 1759 to counter the massive Genoese presence in Algajola and Calvi, L'Ile Rousse or Isula Rossa, is named after the islets that blush a deep russet red in the sunset. With the warmest climate in Corsica, thanks to the sheltering Balagne hills that surround the town, and a gently shelving beach, L'Ile Rousse is an ideal spot for a family holiday. English tourists were amongst the first to discover the town in the early part of the 20th Century, when seaplanes and boats brought them to L'Ile Rousse in winter. Now the third busiest resort on the island, of an evening the town's cafés and restaurants fill and the streets of the old town come alive, exuding a truly Corsican charm.

Monticello, a village perched high above L'Ile Rousse, is rumoured to be the birthplace of Christopher Columbus' mysterious mother. Boasting some of the most stunning views in Corsica and being just a stone's throw away from the beach in L'Ile Rousse, it is hardly surprising that the village is a magnet for many French actors and musicians, looking to get away from it all. Old stone streets and olive groves surround the pretty village square all adding to its appeal.

Things to see and do

• If you like gardens, Le Parc de Saleccia are wonderful and full of local flora. The stroll around the park takes around an hour.
• If you enjoy a walk and are reasonably energetic, take one of the paths to nearby villages of Santa Reparata, Sant 'Antonino or Monticello.
• Monticello has a number of land sports on offer at its Complexe Sportif, including mini golf, tennis courts, an outdoor swimming pool and a riding centre.
• The modern promenade at L'Ile Rousse skirts some great beaches, perfect for small children, they remain shallow for thirty metres. If you are after watersports, diving, windsurfing and sailing are all on offer.
• Take a trip into the mountains on the narrow gauge railway. The journey to Corté takes approximately two hours and will show you a different side to Corsica, otherwise take a trip in the other direction to Calvi.
• Explore the passageways of Sant'Antonino, the oldest inhabited village on Corsica, climbing to the top of the village from where you can have a 360 degree view of the surrounding countryside.
• Follow the Craft Trail 'Strada di l'Artigiani' through the villages of the Balagne and pick up some souvenirs. Taste the local wines and the speciality of the region - lemon wine at the Caves Sant'Antonino in the delightful village of Sant'Antonino or Domaine d'Alzipratu and Domaine Orsini in Calenzana.
• The pretty blue shuttered village of Pigna is also well worth a visit, home to some fabulous craft shops and the irresistible setting to the Festivoce, a festival of voices in July.

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