Top tips from our guests and staff:

• Visit a vineyard; the home of Corsican wine making. Corsica is renowned for its rosé wines. Two of our favourite domains are Domaine de Torraccia de Porto Vecchio and Domaine Pero Longo. Almost all the domains have an outlet in the village where one can taste and buy wines direct from the vineyard. A top tip is to bring your own carafe (or they sell them for a few euros) for them to fill up and pay about half the price of the bottled wine. Alternatively you can buy a box of AOC wine for half the price of in the glass bottles.
  
• Dive on the I’lles de Lavezzi – Just south of Bonifacio on Corsica’s southernmost tip lays a collection of islands that have been designated as a nature reserve by the Corsican authorities. These islands can only be reached by boat and are also home to some of the most beautiful beaches on Corsica. Taking a dive in the crystal clear waters gives you the opportunity to swim with Mérou (Grouper) fish, Murène (Moray Eel) and Pageot (Sea Bream). You’ll also find some beautiful Coral and Poulpe (Octopus).
• Tour Corsica’s interior by car or bike or moped. Visit Zonza and see the Bavella Needles; which are huge formations of granite stretching up 100’s of metres. On a really hot day a trip to the mountainous interior can be amazingly refreshing – even more so if you decide to swim in some of the freshwater rock pools that are dotted along the roads.
• Visit Saleccia beach on the northern Coast of the Desert des Agriates. This beach is only accessible by water taxi from St Florent in the north and is reputedly one of the best beaches in Europe; you might not find a more lovely beach anywhere in the tropics.
• Eat at a traditional Corsican Ferme Auberge. Try Sanglier (wild boar) and Aubergine and Brocciu salad which is a traditional dish from Bonifacio (sometimes called a Bonifacio Salad). Top all this off with a few glasses of local wine and Chestnut and Chocolate tart. Wash down with a glass of Myrte – a traditional Corsican digestif.
• Hike some or all of the GR20 – Europe’s longest marked hiking route.
• Go horse riding on the beaches around Porto Vecchio at sunset. For a very modest sum of money you can hire horses and gallop along the sandy beaches in the south of Corsica.
• Go horse racing at the amazing race track in Zonza. Cut into the wooded hillside at over 1000 metres is a hidden horse racing track that was a surprisingly tourist free event. A real chance to mix and have flutter with the hospitable Corsican people and a great day out in a stunning location. During the summer races are normally held fortnightly.
• Visit Filtiosa, Corsica’s famous historical site which dates back to the Neolithic era (circa 3300BC). The site is situated about 30 minutes drive from Bonifacio in the south of Corsica. What makes this a unique day out is that, unlike many historical sites in Europe, you can still wander amongst the remains freely at your own pace. Take time before leaving to go round its fascinating museum which explains the history and exhibits lots of the artefacts recovered form the site over the years.
• Have a night out at Via Notte, Porto Vecchio’s massive open air disco. During the peak months of July and August it attracts some of the worlds top House and Trance DJ’s. Even if the music isn’t your cup of tea it’s a fascinating place to go and see an eclectic mix of locals and tourists dressed up to the nines and partying the night away. Doors open at 11pm and expect to pay about 9 euro’s for a half a beer. Tables are hard to come by therefore booking a table is recommended a few days before.
• Visit the Hotel Belvedere for a luxury evening meal. You can eat in the grill, sitting almost on the beach with stunning views of the sunset across Porto Vecchio. Or if you’re feeling like an extra special meal, you could eat in the gastronomique restaurant which has a Michelin Star.
• Guests have often said that St Guilia & Palombaggia beaches get too busy in high season. In which case we recommend Cala Rossa beach. Head to the furthest end away from the Grand Hotel and all the crowds. You will be sure to find a relatively quiet spot with soft white sand & plenty of rocks for snorkelling.
• Go to Puracaccia Waterfalls or ‘Paradise Rock’ as it has been coined since our visit, deep in the mountains. There is a walk from the Col de Bavella which takes about fifty minutes on a track around the side of the mountain. The waterfall runs gently down a serious of rocks creating natural waterslides in a truly beautifully setting against the mountains. Organized Canyoning groups visit this spot.
• Do the Via Feratta. There are many in Corsica, one is in L’Ospedale, 20 minutes from Porto Vecchio. There is a park to get you started before venturing to the medium or difficult track around the huge rocks. There are easy to very challenging courses & plenty of zip wires for fun!