Visiting Corsica is always a great idea ! Visiting Lisula is the best !!
Determined to enjoy our girl break, I decided to organise a little trip in the North-West of
Corsica, specifically in the region of Lisula.
You might ask why there ?
Because it’s a place where you can find a little of everything Corsica has to offer in one
place.
We arrived in Ile-Rousse. Here goes a craaazyyy weekend !

Day 1 :

Having arrived in the wee hours of the morning, we make our way to the place Paoli for a
spot of breakfast next to the Plane trees in a town just waking up from a night's sleep. The
indoor market (a classed historical monument) is getting moving. The sellers have many
local products that exude an ocean or maquis scent.
We booked a hotel in the centre of town for the night, and after dropping off our luggage, we
were ready to discover the city.
A charming stroll through the little alleyways, we love getting lost in the old town.
With the time for lunch fast approaching, we chose a restaurant by the beach and enjoyed a
delicious fish from the local fishing nets. We unanimously decided to have a relaxing rest of
the day , the deckchairs by the water were calling our names …
Whilst I walked towards the paddleboard rental shop, Lisa took out her tuba and goggles,
Valerie her book and Elisabeth quietly fell asleep. It was a deeply relaxing afternoon !
The restaurant owner advised us to go watch the sunset from the islands. So, after a stop at
the hotel, we followed the path “A Marinella”, which runs alongside the sea until we arrived.
A must-see !

To round off our lovely day, we booked a table in the centre to enjoy a tapas dinner. On the
menu was an array of Corsican specialties including their famous charcuterie ! A real treat !

Day 2:

We rented a car to travel around the villages. Marie-Françoise, a holider advisor at the
Tourism Office, suggests we start in Pigna, well-known for its artisans and cultural centre.
We continue our journey to Sanata Reparata to see the local parish before driving down the
Reginu Valley. This spectacular place is a classed NATURA 2000 site and is the ideal spot
to observe Birds of Prey, particularly the Red Kite. We decided to have lunch at the Ville di
Paraso before going on to Speloncato. All the way there the views were breathtaking. We
adored this beautiful village, perched on a rocky peak, with just enough time for a little walk,
it was already time to make our way back. We stopped at Belgodère for dinner. The
restaurant in the square is full of life, with locals breaking into song – the atmosphere was on
fire ! Time for bed, we fall asleep filled with memories of beautiful landscapes and having
met friendly people. We rented a room at a B&B in Costa. It is the smallest village in
Balagne, a true haven of tranquillity. For breakfast, the owner offered us a meal fit for a
queen : homemade jam made from fresh fruit in her orchard, warm Canistrelli biscuits and
roasted coffee from the region. The scent was divine.

Day 3 :

Destination: The mountain ! We drove through the “col de Battaglia” (pass) to climb in the
Ghjunsani micro-region.
Backpack in hand, hiking shoes on and the “cyclo rando Balagne” app in pocket, we’re off !
Our starting point is the village of Olmi Cappella. The magical Tartagine forest is at the heart
of the Corsican Regional Nature Park. The path that we took was around three hours of
majestic nature and its fresh forest scent all around us. While we had lunch in the village, we
met Matteu (pronounced “MaTEYou” stressing the “TEY” sound and whispering the “ou”
sound). A true living historian, he told us his family's story, shared with us anecdotes about
the region and the best river spot to go to. Take it or leave it, but we couldn’t resist a final
dip. We meticulously followed his instructions and discovered a natural swimming pool, a
“pozzu” as we say in Corsica, it was magical. The sun envelopes the flat boulders and
shines through the hundred year old trees, the water flows into a waterfall and the bird song
brings the whole moment to life.
Time flies when you’re having fun, so we made the most of each and every moment.
Unfortunately, its already time for us to go home, return to reality, pack our bags and check
in…
On the way back, we’re already reminiscing over all the laughs we shared, the people we
met and the discoveries we made.
We can’t wait to go back to Corsica and have new adventures !

For more information & to book, please contact our favourite adviser Sylvie on (+33)
04.95.60.80.14 and/or email us at resa@ileroussetourisme.com