Cap Corse from atop the col de Serra
Cap Corse from atop the
col de Serra
In fall 2000, I spent 17 days cycling around the Mediterranean island of Corsica over some of the most spectacular seacoast and mountain roads on earth. Day after day, I pedalled along narrow, clifftop roads that gave a balcony view of the wild, rocky coast with its bays and beaches and massive capes and fishing harbors far below.
Traffic was mostly light and drivers courteous. And in the interior I cycled for days on almost car-free backroads that snaked through rugged gorges and climbed multi-imposed switchbacks to ancient villages perched high in the mountains. Each night I stayed at a comfortable hotel, in locations ranging from centuries-old mountain villages to picturesque boat harbors or beach resorts, or under the massive walls of a medieval citadel in towns like Calvi, Bonifacio or Bastia.
For me, all this makes Corsica one of the world's greatest bike touring destinations. But cycling on this rugged island isn't for the faint-hearted or for those whose energy may flag. For this reason, few bike tour organizations offer tours of the island. So if you want to experience Corsica's world-class cycling, you'll probably have to do as I did and go on your own.
Frankly, I planned my route to cover the best of Corsica's colossal scenery without pedalling long, exhausting distances on a loaded touring bike or climbing the notorious col de Bavella (1,218 meters) in a single day. My itinerary may still not be perfect. But if you care to follow it, I guarantee you will have one of the most rewarding bicycle tours you can experience today.
French-speaking Corsica, a department of France, can be accessed with a bicycle by either air from Paris or Marseille, or by car-ferry from Marseille or Nice. First off, I recommend avoiding a Sunday arrival, either in Corsica or in France. On this particular trip, I took my bike by car-ferry from Marseille to Ajaccio (Corsica's capital) and returned by car-ferry from another Corsican port, Porto Vecchio, to Marseille.
Whichever way you go, I recommend landing at Ajaccio and beginning your bike tour from there. That's because the Ajaccio Tourist Office is by far the largest and most likely to have on hand a free copy of the current Corsica Hotel Guide. This priceless 104-page book lists every hotel in Corsica with location and phone number and is almost indispensable to bikers staying at hotels. Like similar hotel guides to other French provinces, it is virtually unobtainable in the U.S.
In the report below, I've briefly listed the name of each hotel at which I stayed. (H. = Hotel; example "H. de La Gare".) Some hotels were good, others were fairly basic and I simply picked them from the hotel guide sight-unseen because of their central location. Should you stay overnight in Ajaccio, the centrally-located Kalliste is a popular cyclists' hotel.
Even off-season I found it best to reserve a hotel room in advance. Without a reservation, the arrival of a single tourist coach could fill every room at a small village with only one hotel. Except at Corte, I made reservations by phone a day or two ahead as I went along.
You'll find more practical advice, and a thumbnail route map, at the end of this tour log..
A DAY BY DAY REPORT OF MY TOUR
DAY 1: AJACCIO TO CORTE, by train. More like a cruise ship than a car-ferry, the "Danielle Casanova" carries 2,000 passengers in 8 decks of cabins and sports a bar, cafeteria and movie theater. For the overnight trip from Marseille, my private cabin (with shower and toilet) was comfortable enough. And at 08:00 next morning, I cycled down the ramp into the center of Ajaccio.
Despite the traffic, I felt perfectly safe riding a bike. But en route to the nearby Tourist Office I found that a recovery spring had broken on my rear cantilever brake. The women at the Tourist Office were helpful and pleasant. Beside a copy of the aforementioned Hotel Guide, they gave me a street map marked with the location of the largest bike shop.
My plan for today was to take my bike on a train which left at 15:00 (3 pm.) for Corte, a university town in the center of Corsica. Since it was only 09:00, that left several hours in which to fix my brake.
I rode to the bike shop on a seashore bike path. There I learned that cantilever brakes were no longer available in France so the mechanic fitted my bike with a new V-brake. It never worked well, but did allow me to continue. He obligingly completed the job by 12:00 so that I could catch the 15:00 train. (As in France, almost all shops and businesses in Corsica close at 12:30 for a leisurely lunch break of 1.5 to 2 hours.)
More about Corsica's railway later. But the train consists of only two cars and carries a maximum of half-a-dozen bikes (at 76 francs each). Trains are heavily used by hikers with large backpacks so I advise arriving early and loading your bike into the train as soon as possible. Remove all bags, pump, bottles and computers and carry separately. For most of the two-hour ride, the train follows a scenic and sinuous route as it climbs through the mountains to Corte (elevation 400 meters).
Because of its popularity, I advise reserving a room at Corte well in advance. (In 2000, hotels in Corte wouldn't take credit cards and I had to pay my U.S. bank a $10 fee for a check made out in French francs which I then snail-mailed to my Corte hotel as a deposit on my reservation.) I stayed two nights at Corte's HR-Hotel, near the station and supermarket, but the H. De La Paix near the center seemed better. In the remaining daylight, I walked across a footbridge and up to the ancient Citadelle poised on a hill above the town.
DAY 2: CORTE TO GORGES DE LA RESTONICA AND BACK, 35 kms. The jagged mountain spires and razor-back ridges towering above Corte offer a series of exciting out-and-back day rides on narrow, lightly-travelled roads. Today, I headed up D623 which serpentines for 16-kilometers through the maze of giant rock formations and boulders that fill the steep-sided Restonica Gorge. Several auberges offer outdoor dining in the lower gorge. But 7 kilometers from Corte the road was closed to cars and only hikers and bicyclists could continue. For 3 hours I alternately cycled and walked through towering virgin forests up the steeply- slanted road to the end of the paving. Along the way, I couldn't help thinking that except for towns and cities and a few busy roads, much of Corsica is still so deserted and unspoiled that it resembles one gigantic national park.
Perched high on a crag, this
ancient fortress overlooks city of
Corte
DAY 3: CORTE TO CALACUCCIA AND PONTE LECCIA, 60 kms. Leaving Corte on low-traffic D18 I climbed for an hour up and over the col Ominanda (658 m) and coasted downhill into Castirla village. Here I swung left on D80 and began a 15-kilometer climb between the towering rock walls of the Scala di Santa Regina. So tumultous is the jumble of rock walls and mountains here that coaches filled with sightseers pass through regularly. Heralding their approach with hunting horn klaxons, the coaches warn all other drivers to pull to one side until they have passed.
Razor-sharp peaks surround Calacuccia, a popular lunch stop at the top of the gorge. Then it was time to coast all the way back down through the Scala and on down N193 into Ponte Leccia. A larger town, Ponte Leccia has two hotels, a supermarket, train service to Calvi or Bastia, and a choice of scenic local day rides. H. Des Touristes.
DAY 4: PONTE LECCIA TO PIEDICROCE, 30 kms. Thirty kilometers seems short for a whole day's ride but it took several hours of small chainring pedalling to urge my loaded touring bike up to the 1,000-meter elevation of the col de Prato. From Ponte Leccia, D71 climbs steeply through huge, forested mountains with very light traffic. Halfway up, I stopped at a cafe in Morosaglio village for a coffee and snack.
Atop the chill col itself I found the Hotel San Pedrone with meals, comfortable rooms and a small museum of local artifacts. Then I plunged downhill for the 10-kilometer descent into Piedicroce. A massive ruined convent marks the village edge, destroyed not during some medieval vendetta but by German troops in 1943.
Piedicroce is an ancient, rambling village clinging to a mountainside with neither epicerie nor boulangerie, just the restaurant in the Hotel Refuge at which I stayed. Learning I was vegetarian, the chef prepared an excellent meal of split pea soup and "truite meuniere". If you elect to stay two nights, you could cycle on down the scenic road to Cervione and back.
All names on road signs are given in both French and Corsican. But I noticed that many of the French spellings had been painted out, presumably by supporters of a Corsican independence group.
DAY 5: PIEDICROCE TO BASTIA, 70 kms. Almost all downhill or flat, today's ride began with a steep descent from Piedicroce down a series of 11 switchbacks to the ancient village of Stazzona. From here, D506 wound on down through forested mountains to the junction of D306.
Here I had a choice of routes to Bastia. Either I could continue on D506 down to Folelli (cafe, snacks) and continue north for 12 kilometers on N198, a wider, undulating main highway used by large trucks. Or I could take backroad D306, climb an elevation gain of 600 meters, then enjoy a scenic, low-traffic ride through villages like Venzolasca and Vescovata before heading down for a final 2-kilometer ride on N198.
I decided to take the faster, easier route through Folelli. Actually, I had no problem with trucks and N198 had a shoulder part of the way.
By either route, you turn right at Casamozza village onto unmarked (but fairly obvious) D210 and follow quiet backroads past Bastia airport out to the beaches at Plage de Pineto. For the next 15 kilometers along D107 I rode on a flat "piste cyclable" (bikepath) beside the wetland preserve of Etang du Biguglia.
Even here, I met few other cyclists. Cycling isn't trendy enough for most Corsicans and I never saw a Corsican woman ride a bike or do any other athletic activity. Most Corsicans smoke and younger Corsican women seem to depend on chain-smoking to stay slender. While Corsicans seem pleasant enough, chattering away on cell phones seems far more popular than staying fit or eating healthfully.
The bikepath ended on the outskirts of Bastia and I rode the final two kilometers into the city on the rather rough shoulder of N193. Since N193 then enters a tunnel--forbidden to cyclists--bikers must turn left and ride on city streets to by-pass the tunnel. I turned left at the exit for D264, took rue Cesar Vezzani north to the Citadelle, then dropped steeply down to the yacht harbor. On past colorful waterfront cafes I cycled around the port to huge Place St. Nicholas where I found the Tourist Office and my hotel, the Univers. Tip: if possible, try to pick up a street map of Bastia before entering the city, perhaps at the Ajaccio Tourist Office. If you need repairs, Bastia has a large bike shop.
DAY 6: BASTIA TO MACINAGGIO, 40 kms. From Bastia, Route D80 follows the shore for the entire 111-kilometer distance around Cap Corse. With its high cols and headlands, Cap Corse is one of the world's most beautiful seacoast bike rides. But this great scenery comes at the cost of pedalling up a total elevation gain of more than 1,000 meters.
That's a lot of pedalling in one day on a loaded touring bike. So I broke the ride part-way with an overnight stop at the seashore village of Macinaggio. Which is why today's ride is only 40 kilometers. That left several hours after breakfast to explore Bastia's port area and the rambling streets inside the historic Citadelle.
Heading north up D80 after lunch, traffic soon thinned out and I cycled on through beach resorts and fishing villages and past Genoese watchtowers on slended capes--always close to the azure Mediterranean. By 17:00 (5 p.m.), I was watching the BBC news on television in my comfortable room at Macinaggio's Hotel U Ricordu.
DAY 7: MACINAGGIO TO ST. FLORENT, 71 kms. Cycling across the tip of Cap Corse and down its spectacular west coast is a trip that few cyclists ever forget. My day began with a 3-hour climb from Macinaggio to the col de Serra at 365 meters. From here, the narrow balcony road stays high up on the cliffs with breathtaking views at every turn.
Even after the col de Serra, there were five other climbs each taking 30 minutes or more to ascend. Despite the grand scenery and very light traffic, I met only two cyclo-tourists all day. They were from Holland and earlier today, between Pino and Abro, they had taken an even higher and more scenic road (D22) for part of their ride along the west coast of Cap Corse. On the road I took (D80) there were several cafes en route and a hotel at Nonza.
Altogether, I spent a total of 12 hours pedalling around Cap Corse from Bastia to St. Florent. Some cyclists do it all in a single day--but usually with their panniers carried in a van. The beach resort of St. Florent was my overnight stop. H. de L'Europe.
DAY 8: ST. FLORENT TO ILE ROUSSE, 50 kms. Billed as a crossing of the Desert de Agriates, this proved to be another superbly scenic ride. The "Desert" was actually a wilderness of rock through which route D81 winds as it climbs up and over a deserted mountain backbone. En route, I passed thirty or more cyclists, all on racing bikes and wearing Lycra and helmets. Presumably Corsican, and including some middle-aged men, all waved and called out "bonjour" as they passed.
The final 16 kilometers was on a wide, modern road that skirted the ocean. Being a Saturday, there were no large trucks and traffic consisted of small cars and vans. Once in town, I found Ile Rousse a pleasant beach resort with a promenade curving around the bay to a group of red rock islands now used as the car-ferry dock. My hotel, the Isula Rossa, overlooked all this and it was a five minute ride around the promenade to the well- stocked Casino supermarket in the centre-ville.
Calvi's massive citadelle viewed
from a cafe across the harbor
DAY 9: ILE ROUSSE TO CALVI, 24 or 40 kms. From Ile Rousse to Calvi is just a 90-minute ride on N197, the busy main highway. But despite a stiff climb into the mountains, I found it far more enjoyable to ride on D151, a narrow, almost traffic-free balcony road with far-flung vistas of the beach resorts below. After several hours, D151 descends through the village of Calenzana straight into Calvi--a ride of 40 kilometers.
Dominated by its magnificent Citadelle, Calvi drops down through a maze of narrow streets to the waterfront cafes facing the harbor. I found several cyclo-tourists relaxing at cafe tables here as they soaked up the sun. As I expected, almost all were Swiss, Dutch or German though one middle-aged man was from Wales.
Since foodshops and bakeries usually close at noon on Sundays, it was a pleasant surprise to find that several remained open in Calvi throughout Sunday. Calvi's ancient Citadelle is well worth exploring and you can bike anywhere in the town without problems. H. Kalliste.
DAY 10: CALVI TO GALERIA, 40 kms. Up past a series of superlative coastal panoramas, route D81B climbs to a viewpoint at Anse de La Serra. The surf-rimmed peninsula below is a huge nature preserve. Of this, everyone is reminded by a sign that says, in effect: "The present generation is reponsible for preserving the quality of life of future generations on this planet. Don't let them have to reproach us for destroying the environment and the well-being of our descendents when we had the opportunity to preserve both" . . . a stark reminder that by riding a bicycle instead of driving a polluting car we are making a significant contribution to the very survival of the human race on earth.
Narrow and often rough with little traffic, D81B follows every bay and headland as it winds past a series of dramatic seascapes on one of the wildest stretches of the Corsican coast. After two climbs of more than 100 meters each, this wonderful road drops down to join D81, a more direct highway from Calvi.
Here I turned west on D361 and rode a few kilometers into Galeria, a seashore
village popular with divers and my overnight stop. Hotels? The large Filosorma
Hotel closes from September 30 till May but both the Fango Hotel (at nearby
Fango) and L'Auberge at Galeria are listed as open all year while the Stella
Marina and Stagnolo are other hotels.
Level corniche road provides
a balcony view of Corsica's wild, rugged
seacoast
DAY 11: GALERIA TO PORTO, 45 kms. Back on D81, I commenced a 90- minute small chainring climb to the 408-meter elevation of the col de Palmarella. The road up was good but the paving deteriorated at the top and the descent into Porto was bumpy and rough. Yet this was another grand day of stunning panoramas of huge headlands, bays and gaunt bare rocks, many as large as cruise ships.
From Galeria over the col is a 30 kilometer stretch without human habitation, then small hotels appear in villages as the balcony road gradually descends towards Porto. A final 130-meter climb just before Porto revealed a bird's eye view of the village and the marine hotel area spread out below.
Two small supermarkets on D81 form the center of Porto. From here, it's a delightful two-kilometer ride down a ravine shaded by tall eucalyptus trees to the marine area, a cove rimmed by several hotels. Here I stayed at the Hotel Ideale while the Kalliste next door seemed equally attractive.
DAY 12: PORTO TO CARGESE, 35 kms. Though short in distance, most cyclists spend several hours on this ride as they view and photograph the phenomenon of sea and rocks known as Les Calanches.
From Porto, I pedalled steadily uphill on a road hacked out of the steep mountainside with the Mediterranean several hundred meters almost sheer below. Here, huge red rocks plunged from overhead down to the sea in chutes called Les Calanches--one of the most spectacular features of the Corsican coast. Occasionally, a tour coach went by and motorists parked at the roadside in every nook and cranny as they stopped to view the rocks. Meanwhile, D81 twisted and turned in sharp S-bends as it contoured around the red-hued rocks and cliffs.
At this point it began to rain so I stopped at a cafe poised above Les Calanches. Minutes later, a coach full of American tourists arrived. I swiftly learned they were on an excursion from the cruise ship Rennaissance and that the cafe staff had been tipped off to accept their American dollars (at a sizeable discount, no doubt.) Several I spoke with had no idea where they were nor even what country they were in. What they were getting was a thrice-daily moveable feast with a party each night and a guarantee of total isolation from any real contact with the people or culture of the places they were seeing.
When the rain subsided, I biked on through the village of Piana--perched more than 400 meters above the ocean--and continued on a scenic road through the mountains into Cargese. This small tourist town (with supermarket and several hotels) is located 100 meters above its beach. H. De France.
DAY 13: CARGESE TO PORTICCIO, 65 kms. Still hugging the coast, route D81 led past beach resorts and up to col St. Bastiano at 464 meters. Just past here I branched right on to D61, a "petite route" on which I pedalled into the center of Ajaccio without encountering significant traffic.
Heading south out of the city I again avoided most of the traffic, first by taking a bike path then by cycling on frontage-type roads that parallel a good part of the highway to Porticcio. A final few kilometers on D55 brought me to my hotel, the de Porticcio, conveniently next door to a supermarket and boulangerie, and just across the road from a beach.
DAY 14: PORTICCIO TO PROPRIANO, 65 kms. Innvolving 1,000 meters of elevation gain, this last of the great seashore rides took 7 hours to complete--at an average speed of 9 kilometers (or 5.6 miles) per hour. For the first 16 kilometers, the level road passed scores of wealthy homes and estates. Then the hills began.
Far-flung vistas of coast and mountains were visible from the village of Aqua Dora at 300 meters. But the road--now narrow, neglected, cracked and abraded--kept on climbing. Traffic by now was almost zero but my progress was slowed even more by deposits of mud on the road from recent rains.
A long, strenuous ride it was--but rewarding and worthwhile. As always, it took a few minutes to find my hotel, the comfortable Claridge, located near the center of Propriano, a beach resort with an active Tourist Office and supermarket.
DAY 15: PROPRIANO TO ZONZA, 41 kms. All uphill, today's ride began with a few kilometers on wide, modern N193, then branched off through the mountains on D268. A ghostly mist enveloped the mountains, restricting visibility so much that I switched on my rear red flashing light.
By the time I reached St. Lucie village, the mist had burned off. Then came another hour of climbing up a series of switchbacks into the larger village of Levie. The grade eased here. After a rest in a cafe, I biked on up through a chestnut forest into the small straggling village of Zonza, located on a mountainside at a distinctly cool elevation of 758 meters. The old fashioned Hotel Le Tourisme was adequately comfortable but no heat was ever turned on and I wore cycling tights and two sweaters, both in and out of bed, to stay warm.
Corsica's mountainous interior
resembles a gigantic National Park
DAY 16: ZONZA TO COL DE BAVELLA AND PORTO VECCHIO, 70 kms. Known for its awesome rock formations and elevation of 1,218 meters above sea level, the col de Bavella is a mere 9 kilometers (and another 460 meters in elevation) above Zonza. Today's plan was to pedal the rest of the way from Zonza to the col, then ride the mostly downhill route back through Zonza to the town of Porto Vecchio on the coast. Through this strategy, I could cycle a third of the way up the col without panniers. To do this, I left my panniers at Hotel Le Tourisme, cycled pannier-free to the col, then picked up my panniers once more on the way down.
It had stormed all the previous night but the rain ceased at daybreak and I headed up D268 towards Bavella. Mist enveloped the road as it wound higher into the mountains and once again I turned on my flashing rear red light. Fortunately, traffic was almost zero. The grade up wasn't difficult. But the summit was socked in and visibility barely fifty meters.
So I stopped in at the auberge (restaurant) here and ordered a large coffee. Suddenly, through the window, I saw the mist clear. All of the rugged rock formations--cliffs, spires and needles-- were clearly visible on the northern side. For a better view, I ran outside and coasted down the steep road for about two kilometers. Yet the best views had been from the top. By the time I rode back up, though, the mist had closed in once more.
Descending back to Zonza, I glimpsed the rocks on the south side also. The ride down was so cold that I wore all my clothes plus raingear and gloves. Back in Zonza, I picked up the panniers then headed on down D368 towards Porto Vecchio.
It wasn't all downhill, though. Soon came a climb through a tall evergreen forest to the col d'Illiterata at 991 meters. Next, I cycled around the barrage and shore of Opedale dam. A snack bar was open in Opedale village. For the next 15 kilometers I barely touched the pedals. In sweeping curves and steep switchbacks, D368 dropped steadily downhill with vast panoramas of capes, bays and ocean spread out below.
Finally back at sea level, D368 led into the center of Porto Vecchio and I followed signs to "Le Port." Here, beside the bay, I found my hotel, the Shegara, a well furnished 3-star hostelry with quiet inside rooms overlooking a beautiful hillside garden. The Hyper-U supermarket, car-ferry dock, and the old hilltop town were each about one kilometer away.
DAY 17: PORTO VECCHIO TO BONIFACIO AND RETURN, 52 kms. As I did, you can visit the colorful town of Bonifacio on Corsica's southern tip, an easy one-day roundtrip ride of 52 kilometers on fairly level N198. By starting early and riding without panniers, you can see everything and still be back by late afternoon.
Famed for its massive citadel and rambling streets, this historic seaport is a photographer's dream. On the seaward side, the houses are perched atop chalky, white cliffs sculpted into layers by wind and water. If you decide to stay longer, Bonifacio has a choice of hotels. And you can, if you wish, cross by boat to Sardinia, a larger Italian island only 12 kilometers away, with possibilities for cycle-touring.
The picturesque harbor of
Bonifaccio, one of Corsica's most historic
towns
DAY 18: PORTO VECCHIO TO MARSEILLE by overnight car-ferry. My final day in Corsica was spent exploring the old hilltop town of Porto Vecchio. Arond 15:00, I biked to the car-ferry dock and rode aboard the "Corse", another giant car-ferry similar to the one on which I travelled from Marseille. Instead of a private inside cabin with shower and toilet, I had an outside cabin with window and a washbasin; other facilities were nearby in the hall. Leaving at 16:00 and arriving in Marseille at 08:00 the trip took 16 hours, due primarily to the longer distance we had to sail. Next morning I cycled off the car-ferry and rode through Marseille--second largest city in France--to the hotel where I had left my bike box and suitcase.
So ended my tour of La Corse, not impressive in distance but with a total elevation gain equal to almost twice the height of Mount Everest.
SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE
About The Itinerary. My itinerary was frankly designed for arriving in Corsica at Ajaccio and departing from Porto Vecchio, which can be accomplished only by using car-ferries.
An alternative, and somewhat more complete, itinerary begins and ends in Ajaccio and goes like this:-
Day 1: Ajaccio to Porticcio.
Day 2: Porticcio to Propriano.
Day 3: Propriano to Sartene and Bonifacio.
Day 4: Bonifacio to Porto Vecchio.
Day 5: Porto Vecchio to Zonza.
Day 6: Zonza to col de Bavella and Solenzara.
Day 7: Solenzara to Ghisoni via backroads D545 to Pietropala and Poggio thence D44 and through the defiles of L'Inzecca and Strette (by straight well-lighted 400m tunnel) to Ghisoni--H. Le Kirie.
Day 8: Ghisoni back through the same defiles thence via Pietroso, Vezzani, Vivario and Venaco to Corte.
Day 9: Corte--day ride in Gorges de La Restonica.
Day 10: Corte to Calaccuccia and Ponte Leccia.
Day 11: Ponte Leccia to Piedicroce.
Day 12: Piedicroce to Bastia.
Day 13: Bastia to Macinaggio.
Day 14: Macinaggio to St. Florent.
Day 15: St. Florent to Ile Rousse.
Day 16: Ile Rousse to Calvi.
Day 17: Calvi to Galeria.
Day 18: Galeria to Porto.
Day 19: Porto to Cargese.
Day 20: Cargese to Ajaccio.
In some cases, strong cyclists with light loads may well be able to cover two of my daily stages in a single day. The same applies if you have a support vehicle to carry your bags. One undeniable advantage of joining a group tour is that your luggage is carried in a support van. The Bicycle Adventure Club (see link under "Helpful Websites For Bicycle Touring"} has been offering an excellent tour of Corsica every second year or so.
The only road map you'll need is Michelin #90 Corse (1/200.000). Street maps of Ajaccio and Bastia would be useful if you could obtain them in advance of arrival.
When To Go. In October 1978 I toured Corsica and experienced fine, sunny weather every day. Not so in October 2000. Two- thirds of the time the weather was overcast and it rained steadily for a total of about five hours. So my advice is to go in May or early June (the best season, when the mountain peaks are snowcapped) or else between September 7-21. In July and August Corsica is crowded with tourists and hotels are often booked full weeks in advance.
Hotels. I've already covered this topic and the need to obtain a copy of the Corsica Hotel Guide at the Ajaccio Tourist Office before starting out. A smaller and less satisfactory listing of Corsica hotels, and other tourist information, is available on the Internet at Corsica's Official Website. The website www.gaf.tm.fr also lists most hotels in Corsica but fails to say how far they are from the centre-ville.
Since few people in Corsica speak English, most hotel reservations must be made in French. Many younger cyclo-tourists prefer to stay at hostels or gites d'etape, others prefer to tent camp. All seemed well catered for along my route. Most Corsican tourist centers have a Tourist Office which can help you find a place to stay--or perhaps to reserve a room for the following night. But in October, most of these offices in smaller towns, including Corte, were closed. At larger hotels, receptionists may also be willing to call ahead and reserve you a room.
Corsica's Railway. Small, two-car trains that carry half-a-dozen bikes operate four times daily in each direction on weekdays between Ajaccio, Corte, Ponte Leccia and Bastia. From Ponte Leccia, a twice daily connection runs to Ile Rousse and Calvi. While these trains can be helpful, it's a good general rule to avoid taking your bike on trains, buses, taxis, car-ferries or any other form of transportation unless you have to, due to possible hassle and risk of damage.
Bicycle Specifications. I rode an inexpensive Specialized Hardrock mountain bike with cantilever brakes, Specialized Nimbus 26 x 1.5 inch tires, and an STX crankset with 22T-32T-42T chainrings and a cassette with 14-32T. That combination provided a very low and powerful climbing gear of 18 inches (equivalent to riding a unicycle with a wheel 18 inches in diameter). If you use 700 wheels, I recommend using 700 x 38 tires. I also used plastic fenders (mudguards or "garde de boue" in French) both front and rear.
Getting To Corsica. From North America, you can buy a roundtrip airline ticket to Paris with an onward connection to almost any other city in France, including Ajaccio, and take your bike along in a box free of charge in lieu of one suitcase. If you take Air France or Continental, flying on from Paris to another city such as Toulouse or Marseille costs little or no extra fare and adds only a couple of hours to your journey. You don't have to change airports in Paris and your luggage goes straight through to your final destination.
But continuing on from Paris to Ajaccio is a little different, so I'm told. Most international flights land at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris while continuing flights to Ajaccio leave from Orly Airport 30 kilometers away. This means picking up your bags on arrival in Paris and taking them by bus or taxi to Orly-- repeating the process on the return trip. Perhaps it's all much simpler than it sounds and it probably is if you have a folding bike. But with a full-sized bike box it might be a hassle. If you've done this, could you let me know how you fared (email address on home page)?
Another alternative might be to fly on with your bike box from Charles de Gaulle to Marseille or Nice and transfer at either of these airports to one of the smaller airlines that fly frequently to Ajaccio. Alternately, you might transfer at either of these destinations to a car-ferry. This means assembling your bike and riding it on to the car ferry with your panniers. This is what I did but I stayed at a hotel overnight in Marseille while I assembled the bike and packed my panniers and I left my bike box with suitcase inside in the hotel's baggage room until I returned.
I made my car-ferry reservations on the SCNM website listed under "Helpful Websites for Bicycle Touring". High-speed ferries leave Nice each morning arriving in Corsica about six hours later while conventional ferries leave Marseille each evening for Ajaccio or Bastia and for Calvi or Porto Vecchio. At exchange rates existing in 2000, I paid $140 roundtrip including a private cabin both ways.
Other Advice. Rather than duplicate all the tips and advice on touring France in my earlier reports on the Pyrenees and Dordogne, Provence, the Southern French Alps and Les Gorges du Midi, I'm going to let you read them for yourself. Suffice to say, there is more helpful advice about touring France on this website than you will find in any guidebook about cycling in France and it's more current and up-to-date.
Above all, do learn to speak a basic level of functional French, enough at least to reserve a hotel room by telephone. Or have someone in your party who can do so. For another excellent bike tour report on Corsica by Mike Bedard click on http://www.mikebikes.org then click on the Corsica tour.
Schematic Route Map--Not to
Scale