Road trip in Haute-Corse

For this summer 2023, we set our bags down in France! But not just anywhere: on the Isle of Beauty, and more precisely in Haute-Corse for 18 days between July and August. The story behind it: we just couldn’t find plane tickets at a decent price in high season. At the end of March we came across an exceptional deal on the Air France website: 90€ for a return Paris-Bastia ticket, checked bag included. We didn’t hesitate for a single second and booked for Corsica!

Why Haute-Corse? We planned our road trip of nearly three weeks as a loop from Bastia airport, focusing exclusively on the north of the island. The wild landscapes and the less built-up, less crowded coasts appealed to us more than the paradise beaches of the south. The idea was also to take our time and not drive too much each day trying to see as much as possible. The goal? To properly discover all the micro-regions of Haute-Corse! And even in 18 days, we couldn’t see “everything”.

For our road trip we rented the car (a hybrid convertible Fiat 500) from CarGo Bastia, going through BSP Auto because the rate was better on the comparison site. The agency is a few kilometres from Bastia airport, so a shuttle came to pick us up as we came off the plane. Just be careful to return the car clean (vacuum and water jet at a petrol station), otherwise you risk paying a 150€ surcharge.

To find out everything about our 18-day road trip in Haute-Corse, read on!

Our programme for 18 days in Haute-Corse

Our budget for 18 days in Haute-Corse

• Flights: 180€ for the return Paris-Bastia with Air France and Air Corsica for two, so 90€ per person with a checked bag
• Accommodation: 1476€ for the 17 nights with breakfast (except for 4 nights), in 6 different places (so 86€ a night on average)
• Rental car: 739€ for the 18 days of rental via BSP Auto (+ 8€ for the wash)
• Petrol: 167€
• Meals (restaurants, sandwiches, ice creams…): 1065€ for two
• Visits and activities: 106€ for two
• Souvenirs: 32,50€ for two

A total of 3765€ (roughly) for 18 days for two (so 1883€ per person).

Our accommodation in Haute-Corse

For this 18-day road trip, we decided to stay in six different places, doing a loop from Bastia. The way the nights were spread out was ideal for making the most of each micro-region we were in and for getting around easily from our base. Our criteria when looking for places were these: sleeping with locals in guest rooms, having outdoor space and a lovely view from the room, and as often as possible a pool. Mission accomplished, we unearthed some real gems!

I Fundali (Cap Corse), 3 nights

We stayed in a guest room in the heart of Cap Corse at Luri for 68€ a night with breakfast (tourist tax included). An unbeatable rate for high season in Corsica. I Fundali is run by Alain and his two daughters, who welcomed us warmly and kindly. The room (air-conditioned) is simple but more than enough when you spend your days out and about. You can cook for yourself thanks to the shared kitchen, very handy. Breakfast is bread, homemade jams, canistrelli and drinks: perfect to start the day right. We warmly recommend this lovely spot for a cheap stay with locals in Cap Corse!

Chez Bénédicte (Nebbio), 4 nights

After finding this private room with a local on Airbnb, we contacted the owner directly to avoid the platform’s service fees. Think about it when you want to book, ask to go direct. We paid 65€ a night for a self-contained room with a garden and private pool: excellent value to stay fifteen minutes from Saint-Florent.

Chez Dévote et Valérie (Balagne), 4 nights

We’re sharing this third place with you, without necessarily recommending it warmly. We booked this guest room on Gîtes de France (86€ a night with breakfast), up in the heights of the Balagne at Nessa, in the heart of the mountains. We chose the biggest and prettiest room (Rilaghja), which has a huge terrace with a panoramic view over the whole region – if you go, take that one. The cleanliness and the facilities were worthy of a hotel, nothing to say on that front. We’re more mixed and disappointed about the welcome, which wasn’t the warmest… That’s only our experience but you’ve been warned.

Casaloha (Galeria), 2 nights

The kind of place where we’d have liked to stay longer! We loved our short stay at the Casaloha, where we were given a friendly welcome. 90€ a night with breakfast, in the Kent room with its British decor. The big plus: the well-kept and quiet pool area (shared kitchen available too). We highly recommend this guesthouse!

Couvent d’Alando (Bozio), 2 nights

Another gem, unearthed on Gîtes de France, for 91€ a night with breakfast (Terra room). The guest rooms at the Couvent d’Alando are run by Marie-Laure, a remarkable host who takes care of everything: at her place it’s all homemade, right down to the pastries and cakes in the morning. We also enjoyed her table d’hôtes one evening, 28€ for the set menu per person: we recommend having dinner there, we had a great time in the company of the other guests. The garden is very pleasant too, with a small pool to cool off in. We recommend it!

Casa Ghjunca (Nebbio), 3 nights

For our last nights, we stayed once again in the Nebbio, in a very beautiful guesthouse with a magnificent view over the gulf of Saint-Florent. We initially found the room on Airbnb (Ciucciarella room, 100€ a night with breakfast) but, as usual, we went direct with the owner of the Casa Ghjunca. Special mention for the terrace and its pool overlooking the region: we made the most of it! The owner also puts on musical apéros on the terrace every Friday, open to the public (remember to book your table). We got to enjoy one the evening we arrived, to celebrate Romain’s birthday, and we had a very lovely time until nightfall. Another great spot we recommend!

Our favourite spots in Haute-Corse

Bastia

• ❤️ Raugi: the most famous ice cream shop in Bastia and we understand why, they’re delicious! 5,70€ for 3 flavours
• Solo Pizze: good pizzeria with a terrace looking straight onto the port; 40€ for 2 pizzas and a chocolate calzone

Cap Corse

• Chez Juliette in Macinaggio: good deli with local dishes to take away (lasagne…)
• Le Bazar du Cap Corse in Bettolace: perfect spot for lunch, in a quiet village; 14€ for 2 slices of quiche and 2 tubs of artisan ice cream (no card)
• U Palmentu in Centuri: gourmet restaurant with a magnificent terrace overlooking the port of Centuri, high prices; 61€ for 2 mains
• Le Sporting in Centuri: the obvious place for dessert in Centuri, ice creams and waffles (sandwiches too); 5,20€ for the waffle with chestnut cream
• U Snacku Albo on Albo beach: good spot for a quick bite with a sea view, fresh and local produce; 33€ for 2 salads and 1 panini
• ❤️ Milk Caffe in Nonza: our favourite spot in Nonza, where we went several times over, excellent ice creams and cold drinks; 4,70€ for 2 flavours, 3,70€ for the fresh fruit juice (no card)

Nebbio

• Maison Salge in Saint-Florent: 5€ for 2 flavours
• ❤️ La Gelateria de Saint-Florent: our favourite ice cream maker in Saint-Florent; 4,50€ for 2 flavours
• Rovere in Saint-Florent: third artisan ice cream maker we tried in Saint-Florent; 4,90€ for 2 flavours
• Le Coupe Faim in Saint-Florent: excellent spot for takeaway sandwiches (salads too); around 7€ for the generous sandwich
• L’Altezza in Saint-Florent: very good value for this restaurant that only uses local produce; 24€ for the starter-main-dessert set menu
• Toi & Moi in Saint-Florent: good pizzeria for takeaway; 23€ for 2 pizzas
• L’Olittese in Oletta: fine grocery; 6,50€ for the sandwich and 8€ for the salad
• L’Alivu in Barbaggio: very good spot to eat among the olive trees, local and homemade cooking; 27€ for the starter-main-dessert set menu
• U Salone on the Agriates desert road (D81): good spot for Corsican cooking (open in the afternoon too); 23€ for a mixed platter and a starter (no card)
• Casa Ghjunca in Rapale: our guesthouse puts on an evening on its terrace every Friday, magnificent view for a drink; 28€ for the sharing platter, 10€ for the cocktail
• ❤️ U Lustincone in Patrimonio: one of the best restaurants of our stay, with a magnificent setting, view over the sea and the mountains, refined cooking and inventive pairings; 44€ for the starter-main-dessert set menu (no card)

Balagne

• Licciola on the T30: ideal spot for lunch or a drink at sunset, unbeatable sea view; 28,80€ for two
• Terra d’Amore in Ile-Rousse: newly opened spot serving local cooking with Spanish touches; 61€ for 4 tapas and 1 dessert to share
• Biscuiterie Salvatori in Ile-Rousse: good spot to bring back sweet souvenirs from Corsica; 4€ for the packet of biscuits
• ❤️ Biscuiterie Salvatori in Cateri: delicious spot to buy biscuits or savoury turnovers to take away; 2,60€ for the filled chestnut flour turnover
• Vava’u chez Tate in Lozari: pretty spot to eat with a view over Lozari beach, prices a bit high but fairly refined cooking; 43€ for 2 mains and 1 iced tea

Fango valley

• ❤️ La Ciucciarella in the Fango: excellent restaurant with local produce, generous portions; 67€ for 1 starter, 2 mains and 2 desserts
• L’Artigiana in Galeria: lovely spot for healthy eating or a drink at sunset facing the sea; 30€ for two (drinks, salad, quiche)

Bozzio

• Auberge U Fragnu in Alando: rustic “just like home” cooking with very generous portions; 63€ for 2 set menus
• Gelateria glaces artisanales in Corte: good ice cream maker with a terrace on Place Paoli; 4,60€ for 2 flavours

What we thought of Haute-Corse

We don’t want to draw out the suspense any longer: we were won over by the north of the Isle of Beauty! We do want to point out that we enjoyed Corsica all the more because we visited it in exceptional conditions: visitor numbers on the island were down by more than 40%, which let us explore without crowds of tourists, and the weather was more than favourable, with no scorching heat. We completely fell for the Cap Corse region and its raw, wild landscapes, and we had a particular soft spot for the Nebbio and the gulf of Saint-Florent.
We can only advise you to plan a trip to Haute-Corse, focusing on the north of the island, which has so much to offer. It would be a shame to miss out on wonderful landscapes by insisting on doing the whole tour of Corsica in two weeks. So take your time and head to Haute-Corse on a road trip, ideally outside the summer high season.

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