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Corsica
In August 2020, I took a ferry from Livorno (Italy) to Bastia in Corsica, then rode to Bonifacio along the west coast. Finally, I took the ferry to Santa Teresa di Gallura where I concluded my trip reaching Olbia.
This was my second ever bike packing trip, so I gained quite a lot of experience from it, but the main lesson was: to avoid the Mediterranean area in August (and July). It is just too hot. The trip was amazing and I fell in love with Corsica, but it was like riding in an oven for 6 days.
Reaching Corsica is quite easy with a ferry, it is easy to find one from many ports in the Mediterranean. Mine was from Livorno in Tuscany. I chose to ride the west coast because it is the most beautiful and wild, so the best for riding a bike through it, another nice option is the backcountry of the island and there should be a nice route cutting from north to south the island.
Sleeping at a campsite is easy and convenient. Many can be found along the coast, near the shore, making them perfect for a swim after a hot day on the bike. As the weather was so hot, I did not need a sleeping bag during the night, a cotton liner was enough. Maybe I had been cold one evening, so I just put a sweater on.
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Few stats from the trip:
471 km
6501m ↗
6 days
The bike setup
The bike setup
I did this bike trip with a Bianchi Impulso that I previously owned. The bike had 105 groupset and mechanical disc brakes (that are actually not good). The crankset was a 50-34 compact, and the cassette was a 11-34, easy enough gearing for mountain passes. I installed a cheapo flared handlebar from Decathlon.
I have Topeak bags: a 15 L saddle bag, 6 L top tube bag, 12 L handlebar bag, plus a 1 L bag on the top of the top tube.
Day 1 / Bastia - Saint Florent (30 km)
Day 1 / Bastia - Saint Florent (30 km)
On the first day I arrived after lunch, so I only did a short ride to reach Saint Florent on the north coast. It was a beautiful climb with a nice view on the eastern coast, The village was very nice too.
Day 2 / Saint Florent - Calvi (71 km)
Day 2 / Saint Florent - Calvi (71 km)
From Saint Florent to Calvi you ride through the "desert des Agriate". So so beautiful, and hot. Then it is a cruising ride along the coast until Calvi, a beautiful village with a charming old town surrounded by walls.
Day 3 / Calvi - Porto (84 km)
Day 3 / Calvi - Porto (84 km)
From Calvi the ride starts to be along the west coast of the island, which is astonishingly beautiful. So wild and untouched. Porto is a small cute village at the tip of a narrow gulf.
Day 4 / Porto - Ajaccio (85 km)
Day 4 / Porto - Ajaccio (85 km)
From Porto, heading to Ajaccio, you immediately encounter the "Calanques de Piana", another stunning place and road to ride the bike onto.
Day 5 / Ajaccio - Bonifacio (117 km)
Day 5 / Ajaccio - Bonifacio (117 km)
Final day in Corsica reaching Bonifacio. I was pleasingly surprised by the beauty of the southern part of the Island, less rugged and tortuous than the western part, yet very beautiful. About Bonifacio, it is very famous and for reason, the village is spectacular.
Day 6 / Santa Teresa di Gallura - Olbia (56 km)
Day 6 / Santa Teresa di Gallura - Olbia (56 km)
Last ride before continuing my holiday in Sardegna. I recommend riding the bike in Sardegna, just not on the north-eastern coast in August, too much traffic, but I knew it before starting this trip.
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