On my desk there is a very tall tower of travel magazines. After flipping through them, I almost always have a new destination to add to my bucket list - a place I’ve either never heard of or never wanted to visit until an article or a picture captured my imagination.
In this new weekly series, I’ll share some of the lesser known destinations that have tickled my fancy in the recent months!
I’m always looking for under the radar travel destinations that have a lot to offer but aren’t yet “all the rage.” Imagine being one of the tourists who visited Iceland prior to 2016? Before the “Blue Lagoon” was featured in every twenty-somethings dating profile? That’s always my goal - to find the latest up and coming travel-worthy countries before they’re overrun with Instagram influencers.
So here’s week one of “Under the Radar Travel Destinations” - we’re kicking off with a popular destination among French travelers, but lesser known by Americans.
FRANCE - CORSICA
instead of paris or nice, consider a vacation to france’s mountainous mediterranean island
language: french
population: 330,455
inspiration: this article in national geographic
when to visit: may - september
where to stay: hotel napoleon in Ajaccio, the capital city
what to do:
You’ll likely arrive in Corsica’s main port town, Bastia. Victor Hugo, author of Les Miserables, once lived here. Stop by the Mattei Concept Store and pick up a bottle of Cap Corse, a wine infused with orange and other local fruits.
Make your way from Bastia to the capital city of Ajaccio (where Napoleon was born) via train. Once you arrive and check-in, walk down the bustling Roi de Rome and stop for a drink or meal at popular places like Le 20123, L’8 Dicembri and Bar a Vin 1755 (temporarily closed due to COVID).
Be sure to take a walk to Pointe de la Parata at sunset to see Illes Sanguinaires (“The Blood Islands”) which turn a stunning red hue at the end of the day.
Plaza Foch is an open air food market worth a visit - keep an eye out for local specialties like clementines (November - January) and chestnuts (canistrelli biscuits are a biscotti-looking treat made from chestnut flour). If you’re craving something more savory, opt for a beignet au brocciu - a pastry with cheese in the middle.
Head to the town of Banifaio for a day relaxing at Plage de Sutta Rocca and take in the limestone cliffs.
Other places on the island worth a visit include the fishing village of Erbalunga, the resort town of Porticcio and another sea-side stop, Tiuccia.
kick it up a notch:
If you’re really up for an adventure on this mountain island, you could set out to complete the GR20 - a 112 mile backpacking trip that travels north to south down the center of Corsica.