It boasts the best beaches in the Mediterranean, mountains twice as high as Snowdon and its own language.

Until a few years ago, a holiday in Corsica was only for the relatively affluent, but now that no-frills airlines like easyJet and Ryanair offer rock-bottom fares to the South of France and Italy, a holiday in Corsica has become possible on even the tightest of budgets.

Language

The language you will hear most often in Corsica is French, but in the interior many of the people speak Corsican, a unique European language that shares words with Italian, reflecting Corsica's turbulent history.  Before the days of Pascal Paoli (Corsica's father figure and national hero) and Napoleon (who was born in Ajaccio, a large town in the west of the island), the island was ruled by Genoa and Pisa. 

Children must now learn the Corsican language at school, and the local traditional and popular music - also sometimes in the Corsican language - can often be heard in bars and restaurants.   Road signs tend to be in French and Corsican.

Can you get by just speaking English?  Yes.  Most shop staff and waiters speak a little English, though you may find it difficult to find English speakers in Corsica's mountainous centre.   If you have a little French, it goes a long way here!

The island is sometimes called "L'Ile de beauté" - a title which it richly deserves.  Go to one of Corsica's spotless beaches (see beaches page above) and you may find it possible to look at snow-capped mountains while sun-bathing or swimming in a warm sea.

Currency and shopping

Corsica is politically part of France and its currency is the Euro.  You can spend your euros in Corsica’s thousands of excellent shops and restaurants.  Most common credit cards are accepted, and as with most European holiday destinations, there are banks and ATMs in the major towns. and some villages

If you have somewhat larger amounts to transfer, we recommend using a currency exchange specialist.  We use HIFX (See banner right) when we transfer sums in the thousands - they'll give you a better rate than your bank and are very helpful.

If you can't wait to go there to do your shopping, and want to buy some Corsican produce while you're at home, you can order some from Corsican-products.com..

Weather

See our Corsican Calendar.  West Corsica gets more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in France, but the interior gets its fair share of rain between September and April.