Hi Corsican experts,
We%26#39;re hoping to find a villa ideally, or a quiet and stylish B%26amp;B situated up a hillside with views of the sea and mountains. It would be great to be within a 20-ish minute drive of a sandy beach that%26#39;s not too packed - BUT we are reaching Corsica in mid-August, after a travel down France from Burgundy. So we%26#39;d also want somewhere that%26#39;s not too far from a ferry arriving from Nice.
Any ideas for villas/b%26amp;Bs? I%26#39;ve been pursuing lots of Lama properties, but can only find fairly uninspiring boxes with sofa-beds. But this village (or something like it) seems as if it would be perfect. What other villages/locations should we try? My reading implies the Northern coast and the Haute Balagne will be quieter in August. Or is this a myth?
Trying lots of web-searches but not finding the right kind of place. Advice very gratefully received by blurry-eyed web-wanderers.
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You don%26#39;t say how many of you there are nor how long you want to stay nor how much you want to spend?
It IS hard, because the choice these days is wide..although you may find that the kind of places you are seeking are already booked up for mid-August, or extremely expensive, which might limit your choice in reality.
I would try near any of the Balagne villages - either near Calvi (Zilia, Montemaggiore) ....behind Algajola (Pigna, Aregno, Lavatoggio), in the Regina valley (Muro, Feliceto, Speloncato) or over the back in the Giussani (Olmi Capella, Pioggiola) - though these latter are a long way (in time) from the sea.
However, if you are right in the villages you will tend not to be in a rural retreat with a garden and distant views over your domaine...Corsican village properties tend to be close together and relatively %26#39;urban%26#39;, in the heart of village life. (Modern) villas are more likely to be near the coast.
I myself wouldn%26#39;t go for Lama - quite inaccessible, have to drive to go anywhere and not much else nearby, only one beach really close. Driving home after dinner in the dark up narrow windy roads and through a village can become a bit of a drag...But if you%26#39;re set on it, have you found this one? http://www.lama-campulatinu.com/
Pigna would be much nicer, and less remote.
Here are some other useful links with some accommodation that might fit your criteria:-
www.corsica-isula.com/accommodation.htm
http://www.labalagne.com/fr
…visit-corsica.com/grand_public/…
http://www.villasdirectcorsica.co.uk
and of course http://www.gites-corsica.com (gites de france)
Good luck!!
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Dear Balanina,
Very useful advice - thanks.
There are two of us, wanting to stay for a week and to pay not much more than £90 per night, if poss.
Will follow up your tips.
Thank you!
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I would not rule out Lama myself. It has a wide range of properties and certainly many which offer proper beds and a good quality of accommodation. A very much wider range than any of the Balagne villages. And the road to Lama is not at all bad, better than the approaches to the Balagne villages. Lama also has some facitities - a bar, restaurants, a small grocery shop and, above all, a splendid free swimming pool with a couple of tennis courts. It%26#39;s an easy drive to L%26#39;ile Rousse and to Ponte Leccia for a train ride, and also the lovely remote Asco valley. You can also do Cap Corse in a day from Lama.
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Thanks, Aadvark!
Yes, Lama looks well-serviced and attractive. And the film festival seems like fun. But just wondering what it%26#39;s like to stay in a village that seems entirely given over to tourism? Or is this the case for a lot of redeveloping communities in Corsica?
If you have any other tips on accomodation in Lama, I%26#39;d been keen to learn them. Have tried the ones Balanina mentions, but the Campu Latinu style apartments are not so characterful.
Obviously, given that we%26#39;re restricted to mid-August, we may not have the choice, but still attempting that last-minute scrabble for a dream ...
Quite keen on the idea of staying in the mountains, as long as there is easy swimming nearby, in river or swimming pool.
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Yes, Lama is THE village dedicated almost entirely to tourism, and yet one does not get this impression when lodging there. There are still plenty of locals there and life goes on as usual for them. Corsican is also widely spoken, and locals gather in the bar.
You can view the apartments on www.corsica.net/corsica/custom/lama_uk.htm
I wouldn%26#39;t recommend the F1 gites as these do no have a separate sitting area, but the F2 gites are fine and as you can see all offer proper beds! All also offer gardens or patios to sit out and eat al fresco and enjoy the peace and quiet and the mountain air.
If you try corsica.net/corsica/…lama02.htm you will get a feel of the area. Look out for a most amusing translation error in the section entitled %26quot;The Cultural Activities%26quot;.
For river swimming, the Asco valley is ideal and a great day out if you like very cold water and very narrow roads! It%26#39;s only a short drive from Lama, and on the way the typical Corsican villages of Multifao and Castifao are worth a short detour.
I would reiterate again that the drive to Lama is not at all difficult, even in the dark. The new section of the N197 is as good as any road in Corsica and Lama is only a couple of miles from it along a fairly narrow and windy road, certainly nowhere near as bad as many on Corsica.
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Hi again suburbanites.
I forgot to say that it won%26#39;t be quiet in mid-August, wherever you go. Minimising driving (especially to or through Ile Rousse between 10am and 7pm, or to Calvi, ditto) would be a good plan.
Other sites to try (if you haven%26#39;t already) are www.abritel.fr which looks like it has some quite nice places, further afield than I suggested before (above St Florent, for example, or in the Castagniccia, which latter WILL be quiet, though further from beaches); also http://www.clevacances-haute-corse.com/
To be honest I%26#39;m sure that if you can find somewhere where the pictures look halfway reasonable it%26#39;ll probably be nice even if it doesn%26#39;t fit all criteria. We once stayed at a place which was tiresomely inaccessible (half an hour drive round the cliff to nearest proper shops at Porto, 10 minute each-way vertical walk to get the bread in the morning, and to local restaurant, causing severe indigestion on the return journey!) and down a fairly hairy road to the local beach, but had a fabulous time nonetheless. Great views from the terrace (sunsets over the Gulf of Porto) and dead quiet at night despite it being a residence, good walking and scenery on the doorstep, nice local beach and others not far away (Plage d%26#39;Arone was best); excellent food a drive away in Ota. This was
www.residence-lesasphodeles.com/residence.htm
Final thought - we recently spent a very pleasant night at this idyllic spot - http://www.umulinu.com - near Porto Pollo, near Propriano in the south - it%26#39;s a small auberge right on the river Taravo, very peaceful, at least in May. We were passing through the area looking for somewhere to stay, when I remembered it from driving past 10 years ago, I%26#39;d been struck by the beauty of the location. It would make a good base for the Valinco region, which is lovely in a very different way from the Balagne. Food French rather than Corsican, but good. Atlhough not sure I personally would want to stay for a whole week, despite being assured by the very friendly new owners that some people stay for 3! You don%26#39;t get your own terrace/balcony, which I regard as a must if I%26#39;m staying a whole week. Doesn%26#39;t take long to drive to Ajaccio to get a ferry - maybe an hour or so, good unscary roads.
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Hi Corsicaphiles,
just thought I%26#39;d let you know that we are staying at The Merendella in Pigna, following your advice re. Pigna. Looking forward to it! Details for other tripadvisorites at www.a-merendella.com.
Suburbanlovers
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