CORSICA
Corsica - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Playgrounds of the rich and famous | |||||
| Issue 44 – Spring 2010 | |||||
| (Corsica, France) | |||||
| THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND OF CORSICA HAS LONG BEEN A PLAYGROUND OF THE RICH AND FAMOUS BUT AS HOST TO THE WEDDING LAST MONTH OF ALICIA KEYS, IT IS SET FOR A REVIVAL. | |||||
| When superstar songstress Alicia Keys chose to marry her music producer beau Swizz Beatz in a waterside ceremony on Corsica with U2’s Bono and Queen Latifah in attendance in August this year, it heralded the start of a new jet-set era for the French island. Of course, Keys is not the first of Hollywood royalty or wealthy elite to be seduced by Corsica’s rugged charms. Angelina Jolie’s flying visit with daughter Shiloh was well publicised while the French president Nicolas Sarkozy has splashed in its azure waters. Dubbed the new St Tropez for its superstar and squillionaire pulling power, unbeknown to many, France’s southernmost Mediterranean outpost has been home to the wealthy and powerful for centuries. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in 1769 in Ajaccio, the capital of the region of Corsica, a city of palm-fringed avenues, alleys with scents of the sea and a port watched over by an ochre-coloured fortress. Evidence of centuries of invasion and resistance can be found in the Genoese watch towers that line the breathtaking coast of Corsica. Despite struggling to eject the French for decades and declare their independence, the Corsicans do welcome invaders of the tourist kind, if a little gruffly. Governed by France but flanked by Italy, the mix of influences has resulted in a unique culture that’s passionate, fiery and fiercely proud. The 170 km-long and 80 km-wide island boasts exquisite beaches and has some of the best diving and sailing in the world, while its peaks and escarpments provide myriad trekking trails, including the 100 mile north south coast G20, said to be the toughest in Europe. | |||||
| BONIFACIO | |||||
| The piece de resistance of any Corsican sojourn is Bonifacio in the south, the oldest settlement on the island and the most distinctly Italian, courtesy of another playground for the fabulous and famous, nearby Sardinia. On the harbour, multi-million dollar luxury yachts sail into the picture-postcard port off the Bonifacio Strait. The old medieval town (or haute ville) balances precariously on rugged limestone cliffs that soar skywards from the sea and features fortifications and a citadel which dates from the 16th century. Dark alleyways wind past bustling restaurants and tacky tourists shops. Like the rest of Corsica, just pick a spot and pull up a chair because you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bad meal in any of the pocket-sized restaurants that range from rustic to sophisticated. The tiny and hard-to-find but oh-so-quirky L’Archivolto is worth a wait for a table. The décor and the food are equally impressive. | |||||
| PORTO VECCHIO | |||||
| A short drive north-east of Bonifacio is the shamelessly sexy Porto Vecchio, which lures French A-listers and wealthy tourists looking to indulge. Rub shoulders with the rich and famous under a canopy of bougainvillea during dinner in a cobbled alleyway, enjoy a cooling aperitif in the colourful town square, or browse the designer shops which stay open late. The best way to arrive in Porto Vecchio – if you don’t have a mega yacht to show off of course – is to drive along the coast from Bonifacio stopping at Palombaggia beach, voted one of Europe’s ten best. The days here are spent swimming off yachts, snoozing on one of hundreds of lounges for hire at the water’s edge or sipping a refreshing pastis at the beach bars dotted along the blindingly white sand. There are a number of upmarket boutique hotels in the heart of Porto Vecchio but if quiet sophistication in a hotel unlike any other on the island is your scene, the Casadelmar is the belle of the ball. Besides, you can avoid all that traffic congestion by using the hotel’s helipad to land your latest toy. Far removed from the bling and bustle of the Porto Vecchio township but only 10 minutes away by car, the glass and red cedar uber exclusive compound spills down a mountainside into the Porto Vecchio gulf. Cutting edge interiors and service at this boutique bunker make the Casadelmar gob-smackingly glamorous. Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard is a fan, as are kings and queens of Europe and the Middle East. Don’t forget your designer sunnies to lounge by the infinity pool or pamper yourself at the resort’s renowned spa before indulging in a meal with magnificent views at the Michelin-starred restaurant. | |||||
| CALVI | |||||
| In Calvi on the island’s north east, mega yachts house the mega tanned of Europe’s elite. A visit to Chez Tao bar where Kylie Minogue and Brad Pitt (on separate occasions) have been spotted is a must. | |||||
| SAINT-FLORENT | |||||
| The tiny northern enclave of Saint-Florent with some of the island’s most remote beaches, most notably the Plage de Saleccia, is a firm favourite with those in the know. But it’s the rugged and seductive scenery that is the real star here. From the pink and orange granite Les Calanques mountains that march magnificently into the sea on the west coast to the pine-scented interior where raging rivers offer respite from the summer heat to the aquamarine coast where warm waters caress the softest, white sand, and in winter, snow capped mountains you can ski from, it’s no wonder the Corsicans want to keep it to themselves | |||||
| STAY PORTO VECCHIO | |||||
| HOTEL CASADELMAR | |||||
| Room rates: From A$485 per double room | |||||
| Address: Route de Palombaggia, 20137 Porto Vecchio | |||||
| Website: www.casadelmar.fr | |||||
| BONIFACIO | |||||
| HOTEL AND SPA DES PECHEURS | |||||
| Room rates: From A$460 for a standard room | |||||
| Address: Ile de Cavallo, 20169 Bonifacio | |||||
| Website: www.hoteldespecheurs.com | |||||
| CALVI | |||||
| HOTEL LA SIGNORIA | |||||
| Room rates; From A$430 per double room | |||||
| Address: Route de la Forêt de Bonifato 20260 Calvi | |||||
| Website: www.hotel-la-signoria.com | |||||
| SAINT-FLORENT | |||||
| HOTEL DEMEURE LOREDANA | |||||
| Room rates: From A$265 per night for a double room | |||||
| Address: Lieu dit “Asterminu Suttanu”, 20217 Saint-Florent | |||||
| Website: www.demeureloredana.com | |||||
| WHEN TO GO | |||||
| Corsica enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and mild winter temperatures, at least at coastal level. Corsica is a year round destination. Avoid August when hordes of French tourists crowd the island. Early September still has sizzling summer temperatures which you can enjoy on emptier beaches. | |||||
| HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES BEST FOR | |||||
| Swimming, snorkelling, wind-surfing, scuba diving, sunbathing, walking tours and coastal drives. | |||||
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