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The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
Is it possible to safely hike solo in the mountains?
There's something uniquely satisfying about lacing up a pair of walking boots, shouldering a pack and hiking up solo from the valley floor to the summit of a mountain and back down again, all under your own steam. The boom in outdoor leisure, fuelled by social media, has seen many explore the mountains for the first time, and hiking continues to be the most accessible way to enjoy being immersed in the world's wildest landscapes, with all of the benefits that this brings. As Tom Carrick, mountain safety officer for the British Mountaineering Council (which represents both hill walkers and climbers) says: 'It's so good for your physical health, your mental health and your social health, and we want to encourage people to safely come into the mountains, whether it's your first time, or your 600th time.' It's never been easier to hop on a plane and tackle official, well-publicised long-distance trails, such as Corsica's G20, which goes the length of the country and is known as ' Europe 's toughest trail', or the Swiss Alps' Haute Route that takes you days deep into remote, high-altitude areas. Or to catch a train and take on iconic British challenges, such as scrambling up the knife-edge arête of Crib Goch in Snowdonia National Park, or hiking up Ben Nevis. Just as with anything truly worthwhile, there are significant risks associated with being in the mountains, and there have been some recent tragic stories of solo or small-group hikers getting into trouble in challenging terrain. Conditions can change abruptly at altitude, where a lack of appropriate equipment and key knowledge can quickly lead to a survival situation. If this is all starting to sound a bit grim, then know that there are a host of solo adventurers, like Cotswold Outdoor ambassador and author Jamie Ramsay, who have made a rewarding career from overcoming obstacles and challenges in the outdoors: 'Every hike I have been on has presented something that has tested me and I have learnt so much over the years. Solo hiking is exhilarating but it doesn't need to be unsafe,' says Ramsay, who who has run across Iceland and fast-hiked the length of the Pyrenees So, is it possible to make solo, self-guided hiking safer, and what should we do if things go wrong in wild, hard-to-reach places? Fastpacking adventurer and Montane Endurance Athlete Katy Parrott is no stranger to extreme outdoor challenges, but she's had to fall back on some well-practised navigational skills, even on well-marked, official trails. 'I was doing Corsica's G20 and even though it was the middle of the summer, there were these sudden, tropical downpours and full white-outs with 20-metre visibility.' Parrott was on her own on top of an exposed ridge when the weather came in. She missed one of the trail markers that are painted on rocks every 50m or so, and ended up going off-route and down into a ravine. 'Luckily, I'd plotted the whole route on my phone on OS Maps and also had a little map book as well. I had to retrace my steps back up to where the last marker was and then do a bit of micro-navigation to find the next marker, which was kind of hidden away on a rock a bit further on.' Rather than charging backwards and forwards to visually search for the trail, which could have resulted in falling off a cliff in the bad visibility, Parrott matched her map to specific contour lines and features in the landscape that showed her she was in a gully. She then used the map to measure how far her position was off the trail (100m) and finally retraced her steps by using her watch to measure 100m. For this kind of micro-navigation, she recommends knowing your usual pacing for 100m by counting how many times your right foot touches down over a 100m distance. Parrott also recommends having backup forms of navigation, electronic and paper, because you never know when one of them might fail. It's the same message from Carrick at the BMC, whose advice has evolved from saying to carry a backup paper map and compass to recommending that hikers actually draw out their intended route on their paper map before they set off, and know how to use the compass to orientate themselves by doing a basic navigation course online, or in the hills. You can start here with the BMC's video guide to taking a compass bearing. 'I always download the maps I'll need for the day to use offline and then put my phone on Airplane Mode before I set off into the mountains,' says Tom Carrick, who is also a qualified Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor and volunteer with Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team. Not only will you save yourself from having to answer work calls, but you can still take photos and videos while reserving power in case you have to use your phone to call for help in an emergency. 'And I carry my phone in a waterproof case because when it rains, the water tends to run off your jacket's hood and right onto the screen of your phone, which can stop you from being able to use the on-screen navigation at all.' That's not to say you should completely drop from the grid, especially if you're hiking solo. Many tragedies may have been averted if solo hikers had simply notified someone of their plans and when they expected to get back, so that the alarm would have been raised and search parties sent out when they didn't return to base on time. 'Share your intended route with a friend or family member and let them know when you set off. But remember to check in when you get home so they don't call the emergency services! For multi-day hikes, I take a GPS communicator and check in with my family at the end of every day,' says Jamie Ramsay. Mobile phone coverage in the mountains is often patchy at best, but there are multiple, relatively affordable options on the market for communicating through your smartphone without mobile signal, from Garmin's InReach GPS messaging devices to the iPhone's text-via-satellite feature (on models later than iPhone 14 running iOS 18). This underlines the importance of battery life when a smartphone is part of your safety system. 'Carrying a battery pack and charging cable, just as a backup, will ensure that you have that really crucial bit of equipment that can make an emergency call if you need to,' says Carrick. As more of us explore the high places, social media has become a source of inspiration as we see influencers scaling classic summits, which suddenly seem more accessible to us. One problem with these posts is they often show the mountains in 'Instagram conditions' with bluebird skies and wall-to-wall sunshine, but in the mountains, weather hits different – and it hits fast. 'In the UK, the summit of a 1,000m mountain will have a 10-20C temperature drop compared to the valley bottom,' says Carrick. 'If you're setting off in the valley at 10-15C, by the time you've got to the top, you're going to be quite close to zero, and if there's any wind about then you're going to be below freezing, because of the wind chill.' Carrick stresses that you need to check the weather forecast for the summit or highest point on your route. In February this year, he was out in balmy sunny weather in Llanberris, but on top of the mountains it was still icy and snowy. 'And the second the cloud comes in you're in a total white out; even people with a lot of experience navigating in remote areas struggle with that. 'The weather can change incredibly quickly. Climate change is exacerbating this problem even more, but it has always been a thing in the mountains. It can change on a half-hourly basis from gorgeous sunshine to complete white-out conditions and some really windy conditions as well. We're definitely seeing that more now.' Carrick recommends having a backup hiking route planned for the day that crosses lower terrain, so that you don't have to commit to hiking high in miserable conditions. If you do have a problem at the summit, or you're just a bit tired and you sit down, your body temperature will drop really quickly, and one thing that can come from being too cold is that you start making mistakes. This is where a single problem can snowball into an emergency, says Carrick, who works as a mountain guide and also volunteers for the Mountain Rescue Team: 'If I was going to tell anybody to take one thing into the mountains it would be a little, lightweight group shelter (or solo emergency bivvy bag). They're really small and quite affordable, and they will keep your body temperature up.' On days when he's guiding clients, Carrick will even put the shelter up for everyone to have lunch in, out of the wind. Food and water also become more important at altitude, so skipping lunch is not advisable. 'You need to stay hydrated and keep your blood sugar levels up so that you can make good decisions about whether you're going up or down in the mountains,' he says, adding that when Mountain Rescue take people off the peaks they test their blood sugar levels and often find they're dangerously low. So, as well as your normal food for the day, you should always carry extra rations at the bottom of your pack. For Carrick, flapjacks are a favourite because they're energy-dense with fast-release carbs for a quick sugar hit, combined with slow-release complex carbs and a bit of fat for longer-lasting energy. Ramsay agrees: 'A lot of hikers forget to take enough food or water with them. Pack more than you think you need and think about how you can get clean water if you run out. I always take a water filter with me.' When it comes to clothing, Carrick will also always carry a packable, lightweight waterproof jacket and overtrousers even on hot summer days, because thunderstorms are harder to predict than regular rain. And in the winter or shoulder seasons, as well as waterproof outer layers, it's worth packing an additional warm layer, such as a lightweight down jacket, or fleece, that you can put on under waterproofs if you have to stop for a while, or one of your layers gets wet. Even gram-counting fastpackers like Katy Parrott, who like to move fast and light, don't skimp on the safety essentials, such as a headtorch, navigational aids and a whistle. Making noise in an emergency may seem hopeless when you're in the middle of nowhere, but it can be surprisingly effective. Just last week, a severely injured, hypothermic hiker was rescued after a 200ft-fall in the Washington mountains when two other hikers, who were far away across the canyon, heard his cries for help. They couldn't even see him, but were able to call for help through their GPS messaging device, enabling rescuers to search the area and find him in time to save his life. All of the experts I spoke to for this piece agree that there's a key skill that's essential for making solo hiking safer: knowing when to back off. 'You should never take unnecessary risks and this is especially so when solo. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, find another route,' says Ramsay. There's one other piece of advice that I commonly hear from solo adventurers: 'don't let panic dictate your decisions'. Helpfully, Katy Parrott doesn't just say 'don't panic' because sometimes that's the natural human reaction, as she found out 165km into the self-supported Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra. 'It was the middle of the night, at about -15C with 20km to go and I basically hit a wall. I started to panic because I had no energy, I was shaking and staggering and questioning whether I could make it to safety before I passed out.' She knew that she was now at risk and had to get a grip on herself. 'So I just stopped in my tracks to take a few deep breaths to get past that 'chimp brain' of fight or flight, and to get my rational brain to kick back into gear, and that really helped to calm me down.' Parrott was then able to come up with a plan to get through a dangerous situation. 'I looked at the map and saw there was a shelter about 5km away. I realised I could do 5K and that felt easier than 20K. This clear, rational thinking got me to the shelter where I rested for 3-4 hours, had some food and a little bit of sleep and then carried on in the morning, which ended up being a success because I finished fourth overall and as the second female!' As Carrick echoes, one of the best things to do if you get lost or hit by bad weather is to stop and take stock. 'If you've been caught out in the mountains, one of the first things to do is probably to sit down, try and get yourself into some shelter and have some food and a drink to replenish your blood sugar levels while you think about how to get out of there safely.' There's usually a way to navigate out of a situation, even if you've managed to lose all of your navigational aids, especially if you retain an awareness of which general direction you need to head in and which landscape features you aren't expecting to encounter on your route. For instance, Parrott says you can simply shove a stick into the ground and watch how its shadow moves across the floor to get an east-west line. At the very least, knowing such tricks can boost your confidence if you do become unstuck. When it comes down to it, there's nothing that beats experience, and Carrick recommends building a base of outdoor experiences from which you can learn new skills and encounter different conditions and terrain. This can help you to tackle more advanced hiking routes and make independent judgement calls, such as choosing different kit for different circumstances. While outdoor organisations like the BMC are keen to promote safe and responsible hiking, they are not trying to put people off completely. 'I think there's definitely an increase in people coming to the mountains, but that's certainly not a bad thing. It's fantastic for us all individually, and there are a lot of skills that you learn when you spend time in the outdoors,' says Carrick. Whatever your hiking goals, so long as you weigh the limitations of your current experience and the tools you are using against the challenges of changeable weather conditions and rugged terrain, and have a plan of what to do if things go wrong, then you can have an enjoyable and rewarding adventure in the mountains.
Times
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Times
‘I booked a petrol hire car but was given an EV instead'
✉ I rent cars abroad about four times a year, usually with Hertz. On a recent trip to Corsica I booked a small manual petrol car but was only offered an electric vehicle on arrival. Unfamiliar with EVs and Corsica's charging infrastructure, as well as the true range of the car, I felt forced to pay extra to upgrade to a petrol car. I understand that fuel type isn't always guaranteed but this seems to be a growing issue. Do any major rental companies guarantee petrol/diesel cars? For my upcoming Hertz booking in Crete, the confirmation doesn't mention EVs. Can I assume I'll get the fuel type I selected?Owen Warnock Bigger rental companies won't guarantee petrol/diesel cars even if you get a note put on your booking specifying that you don't want an EV. Hertz, for example, said it could not guarantee a 'specific make, model, transmission or fuel type'. The best way to get what you want is to book with a reputable smaller, local company, which will have a smaller fleet and more personal service. In Crete try the highly rated Anna Cars which can guarantee no EVs because it doesn't have any ( ✉ On May 31 I was on a Ryanair flight to Stansted, coming home from a hen weekend in Biarritz in the south of France. I couldn't check in online due to a visa check issue (I'm Canadian), so I planned to do it at the airport. But when I finally got to the desk, I was told the flight was overbooked and I'd need to wait and see if any seats were freed up. In fact, six passengers, including another girl in the hen party, were left stranded, with zero support (when we rang Ryanair we were just told to go to a check-in desk but there were none of its staff there to help). The other hen and I had to find our own way home via Bilbao and this involved a two-hour night bus ride, a £120 airport hotel and a £200 flight. Ryanair has since made it near impossible to claim the compensation I'm legally owed. Its forms don't allow overbooking claims and I've had irrelevant replies to my complaints. Can you help?Jessica Pearce You and your fellow hen had a miserable experience but, as is so often the case, human error is to blame for your inability to claim compensation. A Ryanair spokesperson said your flight was not overbooked but a smaller plane had to be substituted for operational reasons: 'As a result, a small number of passengers were unable to travel on this fully booked flight. Regrettably, when informing Ryanair, the third-party ticket desk agent at Biarritz airport failed to include this passenger's details and as a result this passenger did not receive the email required to submit her EU261 compensation claim. A member of our customer service team has since been in contact to further assist this passenger with her claim.' ✉ My husband and I would like to take a trip to celebrate my son turning ten next year. We're flexible on when we go (Easter or summer) and my husband wants to take him to the theme parks in Florida, as his parents did with him when he was ten. I can't think of anything worse. Could you suggest a trip/route that would balance out the crowds and noise, experiencing more of Florida? I'd like to see the Keys and the Everglades. We have a budget of up to £15,000 for us all for up to a Pratley Audley Travel could tailor-make this trip for you, starting with five nights in Orlando — three nights at Drury Plaza Orlando, in the Disney Springs area, and two nights at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando — with Disney and Universal tickets included. (You could make your theme park experiences slightly less painful by buying skip-the-queue passes which at Disney are called Lightning Lane and at Universal Express Pass, and should be invaluable during the school holidays). Then escape the madness by flying down to laid-back Key West for three nights at Oceans Edge Resort. You could add a kayak or snorkelling tour to explore the crystal-clear waters. Next, pick up a hire car and drive about two hours to Marathon, between Key West and Key Largo. Don't miss a visit to the brilliant Turtle Hospital, which should be perfect for your ten-year-old ( You'd then have a two-night stay at the gorgeous Isla Bella Beach Resort before heading west to Naples for three nights at Naples Bay Resort and an airboat tour of the Everglades. A 14-night trip like this during next year's Easter holidays would start at about £15,000 for the three of you, including flights, car hire, theme park tickets and hotel stays sharing one room, room-only ( ✉ I'm travelling to Peru with my daughter in January. She'll be on a work trip so I thought I could go on my own to Cusco and Machu Picchu but I can't find a travel company that will organise a three-day trip with a small group and guide. Any ideas?Marie Thompson It's essential to book this Machu Picchu trip as soon as possible because permits to visit the site in January sell out quickly. The local operator Alpaca Expeditions has a two-night tour that also includes exploring Cusco City and the Sacred Valley and involves lots of walking but no trekking. It starts at £513pp, including two nights' B&B (based on sharing a room, single supplement £110), guiding, permit and entrance ticket and transport, and the company warns that because flights to Cusco are often cancelled, you should aim to arrive in the city at least two days before your trip, which will also allow you to acclimatise to the altitude ( ✉ We're three friends in our late sixties who take a short break together every year. Our next choice is Vienna. Can you recommend the best area of the city for us to stay in? We're interested in historical sites, museums and city parks with the occasional shopping trip thrown in. Also, is the city easy to get around?Melanie Lloyd Vienna is a brilliant choice for a short break. It packs a huge cultural punch, is very walkable and, mercifully, doesn't suffer from the overtourism of so many European capitals. Stay in the compact First District (or Innere Stadt) and you'll have the Hofburg Palace, St Stephen's Cathedral and the Vienna State Opera, as well as high-end shopping streets like Kärntner Strasse and Graben, on your doorstep. The large and lovely Stadtpark, home to the golden statue of Johann Strauss, is here too. For a taste of the city's imperial Habsburg past, stay in the small and central König von Ungarn, which dates back to the 17th century and has 44 elegant rooms, a glass-roofed courtyard and vaulted restaurant where you can sample a schnitzel. B&B doubles (or twins) start at £255 in September ( The city's fast and efficient public transport is another of its high points and a 72-hour travel card costs £14.50 ( Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@
France 24
14-07-2025
- France 24
Want to shrink your carbon footprint this summer? Try slow travel!
France 05:03 Issued on: 05:03 min Summer holidays are in full swing, but how can we travel without polluting? One option is sailing across the Mediterranean. A French cooperative is offering an alternative to flying or taking the ferry with a new sailboat route between mainland France and Corsica. It's a long, slow and expensive adventure, but it's the greenest way to get there. Aurore Cloé Dupuis and Alexandra Renard tested "slow travelling" for us in this edition of Down to Earth.
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
What is chikungunya? How to avoid debilitating virus while on holiday as cases rise in France
Health officials are warning travellers of a mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain, after cases emerged in areas of France. While the virus known as chikungunya is more commonly found in tropical areas of the world, cases have now been appeared in France, a popular holiday destination for Brits, especially during the summer months. This year so far, France has reported 14 cases of chikungunya virus, on the mainland and the French island of Corsica. While Europe is not currently experiencing a severe outbreak, health officials on the continent are making travellers aware of the virus as well as the rollout of a new vaccine in the UK. We have rounded up what travellers need to know about the virus, plus advice from a specialist travel doctor on how to best prepare for travelling overseas. What is chikungunya and how is it spread? Chikungunya virus disease is a mosquito-borne disease that is found across tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is spread to humans by a bite from an infected mosquito. It cannot be passed from human to human. Most cases have been found in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Brazil has the most cases, with over 141,000, followed by Argentina with over 2,500 so far in 2025. In total, there have been approximately 220,000 chikungunya cases and 80 related deaths across 14 countries/territories since the beginning of the year. Réunion and Mayotte, two French islands off the east coast of Africa, have ongoing outbreaks of chikungunya, with the former recording 51,000 cases as of May 2025. Mayotte has seen 560 cases, with the island moved to the epidemic phase, which indicates intense and widespread transmission of the virus throughout the territory. The transmission of dengue and chikungunya virus in mainland Europe has been linked by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to travellers who have caught the virus outside the region, then gone to countries within Europe with mosquitoes that are able to carry the virus after biting the person. 'The risk of locally acquired chikungunya and dengue virus transmissions is therefore increasing,' the ECDC said. What are the symptoms? 'Chikungunya' comes from a word used by the Makonde people in Tanzania, where the disease was first discovered in the 1950s, which means 'that which bends up'. This describes the contorted posture of infected people who experience severe joint pain. Alongside joint pain, people can also experience an abrupt onset of fever, joint swelling, muscle pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue and rashes. The joint pain can be debilitating and usually lasts for a few days, but it has been known to last for weeks, months or even years. If an infected person does not experience joint pain, the symptoms will be mild and can go unrecognised as chikungunya. Most people will recover fully from the infection. There have been some occasional cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications, while newborns and older people with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of severe disease. Patients with severe disease should be hospitalised because of the risk of organ damage or death. Once someone has recovered from chikungunya, they are likely to be immune to future chikungunya infections. Is there a vaccine? The UK government has approved a vaccine against chikungunya disease, containing a form of the virus that has been weakened so it cannot multiply. The vaccine works by training the immune system to recognise the virus, which will then produce specific antibodies to attack it. It can only be obtained via a prescription and given to those who plan to travel abroad where the virus is present. Last month, the government released a further announcement to say that the Commission on Human Medicines has temporarily restricted the use of the vaccine in people aged 65 and over as a precautionary measure. To prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the World Health Organisation advises using insecticides; wearing clothing that minimises skin exposure; using window and door screens, and insecticide-treated mosquito nets; and applying certain repellants to skin and clothing. A travel doctor's guide on being prepared Dr Richard Dawood, a travel medical specialist at Fleet Street Clinic, explained to The Independent how the vaccination can help travellers prevent getting sick from the chikungunya virus. He said: 'This is a new situation for us. Until a very short time ago, we had no vaccine, and the only approach to prevention was to make careful use of insect repellents and insect precautions. 'So now we've got this extra tool in the armoury, and because the vaccine gives long-lasting protection, it's something that could be considered if you are planning to travel over a period of time. 'It's a fairly expensive vaccine, but if you're going to be travelling over a period of years to Southern Europe and beyond, it may be something that could be considered.' When asked about getting the vaccination for a trip to France, Mr Dawood advised to look at the decision in terms of where you will be travelling over the next few years rather than in the context of a single trip. 'The risk from a one-off short trip to France is probably very small,' he said. 'There's been only a very small number of cases so far. So statistically, you're not very likely to, but over time, as somebody who loves to travel and loves going to hot countries, then I would probably want to be protected against it in the long term.' Wherever you are travelling, Mr Dawood advised holidaymakers to 'do your homework'. He said: 'If there's an actual outbreak at your destination, then I would say no hesitation, definitely have the vaccine. 'Taking a bit of time and getting some really focused travel health advice for your particular trip is very worthwhile because it can save you from getting a vaccine that you don't need or that may not be sensible for you, and it can help prioritise the really important things for your trip.
Times
10-07-2025
- Times
26 of the best things to do in Corsica
When a place is nicknamed 'the isle of beauty', expectations are set high. Luckily, Corsica rises to the challenge, with platinum beaches, cerulean waters, wave-carved cliffs, hilltop villages, plunging gorges and miles of wild, scented maquis shrubland. Southeast of the Cote d'Azur and north of Sardinia, Corsica's culture, cuisine and language have dual influences — Balzac called it a 'French island basking in the Italian sun' — but more than anything it's fiercely independent, with a strong sense of local identity and pride. The fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean remains a little under-the-radar for UK visitors, so whether you come to bask on sandy Rondinara beach, taste Patrimonio wine, wander the backstreets of historic Bonifacio or hike the rugged GR20 trail, you won't hear huge numbers of other British accents. Here's a taste of what to do. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue The Ospedale Forest feels wilder than it should, considering it's about half an hour's drive from Porto-Vecchio. Hike through pine and beech glades, among dramatic granite boulders and under a waterfall tumbling 70 metres from a rock face, then swim in the limpid lake. When night falls, you needn't head back to habitation if you've booked a stay at Cocoon Village, an off-grid glamping site where the suspended bubble tents feature comfortable double beds. Each feels entirely remote — one is accessed by a via ferrata with a zipline for the way down — so you'll hear only birdsong and enjoy starry skies with little light mostly uninhabited Lavezzi Islands in southeastern Corsica show off some of the island's finest beaches and offer superb snorkelling opportunities. At the reefs here, schools of rainbow wrasse will swim up to inspect you. Among Bonifacio's various boat tours, SPMB's shuttles are the most flexible. After a 30-minute journey, you can board any hourly voyage back following a quick circuit of private Cavallo. There are ample coves on the main stop, Lavezzi itself, ensuring reasonable space for early arrivals. Don't forget to bring supplies and your snorkelling ferrata, rafting, hydrofoiling and paragliding are available around the island, but the most established high-octane sport here is canyoning. Take an expert-led adventure in the pine-perfumed Verghellu Canyon south of Corte where you will navigate rope courses, zoom along a long zip line, slide over chutes, abseil down rock faces and leap off into transparent plunge pools. There are great views along the way, and full safety equipment is provided. Pause to admire Gustave Eiffel's impressively minimal, train-carrying Pont du Vecchio viaduct, which towers 84m above the river. • Discover our full guide to FranceThe Agriates Desert represents Corsica at its wildest — the air carries the sweet scent of the maquis shrub, while rocky scrublands give way to Castaway-style coves, some of them pristine white and eerily empty. Boats from Saint-Florent can take you to the western coves, but those further east often require a challenging hike, horseback ride, or a rugged 4×4 journey. Guided day trips from Calvi also offer this adventure, including stops at caves and abandoned villages before a four-hour visit to Ghignu Beach, where couples may find themselves leaving the first footprints in the sand. Embark on a half-day boat trip from Marine de Porto or Ajaccio and encounter three unforgettable sights. First, marvel at the Calanches de Piana, where peaks and pinnacles in russet-red hues take on a pinkish shade in sunlight — a Unesco World Heritage Site. Although visible from cars, the charming coastal village of Girolata is accessible only by boat or on foot. After a 30-minute stop there, continue to the osprey-patrolled Scandola Nature Reserve, where coastal caves and sea stacks dot the landscape. On the return journey, keep an eye on the shoreline for passing pods of serves as an excellent starting point for many island breaks and is less touristy compared to its charming rival, Ajaccio. This ensures an authentic experience, despite there being plenty to see. You can arrange a walking tour led by a local guide and customise what is included. This could involve exploring the mazy Old Town nestled along the harbour, taking breaks at cafés, visiting the twin-towered Church of St Jean-Baptiste, or ascending to the citadel above. Of particular interest is Bastia's wine scene — ask your guide to take you to a specialist bar or shop for a fully immersive has several striking beaches, but none can quite compare to Rondinara, often hailed as one of Europe's most beautiful. As you snake along the access road, you'll gasp in awe at the tantalising glimpse of the white sand and crystal-clear waters. Rondinara's twin headlands curve dramatically towards one another to form a perfect horseshoe. Once in situ you'll find that such shelter from the ocean yields calm, lagoon-like turquoise water whose shallowness suits families. Arrive before 10am to enjoy thinner crowds and the shadiest parking spaces. Loungers and parasols can be hired and there's a good trails litter the Col de Bavella in southern Corsica, offering incredible views of its jagged, needle-like outcrops. Some trails are gruelling and tough, while others are more leisurely. During a guided half-day climb, you can ascend, escaping the crowds and venturing into valleys blanketed with Laricio pines. A scenic picnic spot provides a marvellous viewpoint, offering glimpses of Sardinia and a chance to spot Corsican mouflon sheep, with their lean brown bodies and distinctive curving horns — the island's most emblematic of Corsica's tipples hail from the Patrimonio region of Cap Corse — a spindly peninsula that extends 25 miles north of Bastia and St Florent. Vineyards are just one reason to visit: you'll also discover pretty ports, Nonza's black-pebble beaches and especially well-preserved Genoese watchtowers. Devote a day to lazily driving the Cap's wiggly roads, stopping whenever you wish, and proceed anticlockwise from Bastia to enjoy the sun's gaze on both on Corsica can fire up the imagination quite like Bonifacio. Built in AD828 to deter pirates, its citadel overlooks the sea from a narrow ledge atop precipitous white bluffs. Take a private personalised walking tour with a local and check out the shop and café-lined lanes, the busy marina below, various viewpoints and the white-walled tombs of Campu Santu on the cliff edge — as beautiful a graveyard as you'll ever see. Descents down (and back up) the rock-carved King of Aragon's Staircase, whose steps finish almost at sea level, are Sartène being five miles inland, its history is full of pirates. After an attack by Barbary corsairs in 1583, in which 400 people were kidnapped and enslaved, the red-roofed hill town suffered constantly from the same foes' hands for centuries. Learn more in the town's Musée Départemental de Préhistoire, which, true to its name, also has artefacts from prehistory as well as the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. After, wander through Sartène's tangle of shopping streets and admire glorious views over southwestern Corsica before lunch on the focal Place de la Libération. • Best small-ship Mediterranean cruise lines• Best no-fly holidaysTake a boat trip from Bonifacio to explore the picturesque grottos lining this limestone coast in either direction. Right by southern Corsica's tip, the Saint-Antoine Grotto is memorably shaped exactly like Napoleon's bicorne hat; west of Bonifacio, the Sdragonato Grotto abounds with white stalactites, while its vivid green waters are full of fish. Allowing for their illuminate is an opening said to mimic the island's shape precisely. Boats will expertly enter right inside, with ample time taken so everyone can capture a zillion photographs. You'll also pass the King of Aragon's Pasquale Paoli's short-lived Corsican republic, Corte served as the capital. It's easy to understand why when visiting: aloft on pinnacle and fortified for more than 2,000 years, what remains of its original stronghold is regally circled by high peaks. The Musée de la Corse up there has more history, while things are far mellower in the newer, still-nationalist below, connected via steep stairways and cobbled alleys. It's where you'll find Corsica's only university (founded by Paoli and reopened in the 1980s), craft shops and hundreds of hikers, bikers and rock climbers every there's excellent grilled seafood to be devoured around the coast, Corsica's true cuisine is the meatier, more wholesome fare found inland. The most totemic dish is civet de sanglier (wild boar stew), the succulent, nutty meat usually slow-cooked with carrots, chestnuts, fennel and lots of red wine. Mountain restaurants and many in Corte, such as À Casa di L'Orsu, usually serve it. For pudding, see if fiadone — a lemony cheesecake minus the biscuit base, made with ricotta-like brocciu — is on the to those Corsican wines. The island's sunny, dry climate and constant range of altitudes make for optimum viticulture across nine designated AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) areas. That may come as a surprise: with relatively few getting exported, the excellent wines here have something of an under-the-radar vibe. The vermentino grape dominates fruity, dry whites at Lumio's hangar-sized Clos Culombu — one of a few in La Balagne — alongside earthier, unoaked reds. Explore that Patrimonio region, and buy from Ajaccio's La Cave du Cardinal wild, the 1,500m-high Coscione Plateau is a little-visited mesa of rocks and spongy, flower-filled grass in central Corsica. Numerous streams crisscross it to form distinctive shallow pools known as pozzines. Adding to the winsome vibe are herds of free-ranging pigs, goats, cows and, most commonly, amiable wild horses. A rutted road leads from Quenza to a car park at the Bucchinera refuge, and from there several walking trails can be followed, each very gentle and free of people. Those coming on guided tours can leave navigation to an are more than 100 Grand Randonnée hiking trails in Europe and the GR20 in Corsica is reputedly one of the toughest. Covering 180km, the 16-stage trail follows the granite spine of the island from Conca in the south-east to Calanzana in the north-west (or vice versa), with lots of exposed ridges and steep ascents and descents along the way. The reward is ravishing mountain scenery, from the needle-like peaks of the Aiguilles de Bavella to the glacial Lac de Nino, limpid in grassy meadows. Tackle it in late June or early September, sleeping and eating in mountain refuges or carrying your own tent and food. From October to May the refugios are not manned and in winter the path can be Filitosa, a hillside site north of Propriano, you'll find a plethora of granite standing stones — some thought to date back to the 6th millennium BC and virtually unchanged except for minor weathering. However, it's the stones from the Bronze Age that will truly amaze you at Corsica's pre-eminent historical site. These stones feature intricately detailed faces and depictions of weapons, believed to honour notable individuals. Guided tours in English are available and afterwards you're free to explore the adjacent museum. Corsica's most chichi town is undoubtedly Porto-Vecchio. In another walled citadel, its old town lanes are full of natty clothing shops and restaurants built into the ramparts, each with a candlelit sea vista better than the last. Shoes clack on stony floors and noise emanates from the central piazza, almost every inch covered by café terraces and a great place in which to while away a few hours. So too is the old defensive Bastion de France's rooftop; its views are the best of all. Below sparkles one of Europe's foremost yacht harbours. Known to all as the Trinichellu (Little Train), Corsica's limited Chemins de fer de la Corse rail network impressively traverses its rugged interior. Most scenic is the two-hour ascent from Ajaccio to Corte — a riot of soaring views, chestnut forests, Gustave Eiffel's viaduct and the Bridal Veil waterfall. If heading north, sit on the left for the best scenery. After Corte, the line to Ponte Leccia bisects flatter mountain valleys; continue to Calvi and you'll pass river rapids and eventually follow sandy beaches right into town. Sant'Antonino has quite the CV. Not only has its good looks earned membership of the Most Beautiful Villages of France association, but this hilltop hamlet is one of Corsica's oldest inhabited settlements. Here in the Balagne region most neighbouring villages are equally handsome and well situated, especially Lumio, where lemon trees abound, and pottery-making Pigna. Explore at your own pace astride an ebike, hiring one in L'Île-Rousse, or sign up for an all-day driving tour from there or Calvi, which concludes with a Mediterranean swim. Ajaccio was where it all began for the Little Corporal. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the capital's Rue Saint-Charles in 1769, living there with his Republican family for almost a decade and briefly returning years later. A large and austere residence, his old house is now Corsica's national museum, with its most famous son the understandable focus. Visitors can enter what is thought to have been Napoleon's bedroom and see a trapdoor through which he supposedly reached the port in 1799. Reservations are compulsory; the site is closed on Mondays. In central Corsica, nestled among picturesque valleys like Spelunca and Tavignano, is the small town of Corte. Here, the Restonica river winds through forested gorges, perfect for exploring by both road and foot. The river's shallow, blue-green pools are especially enjoyable on hot days. Smooth grey granite boulders provide spots to leave your clothes or bask in the sun, while pine trees and green-flowering hellebores add fragrance and shade. Just remember to keep your shoes on to avoid slipping. The haunting sound of a Corsican lament or lullaby, sung in a mountain village or ancient stone church, is one you're unlikely to forget. Traditionally performed a capella by groups of four to six men, the indigenous folk music was in danger of dying out until the 1970s, when it was revived alongside the independence movement. In the decades that followed, the vogue for World Music (especially Bulgarian chanting) brought it to the attention of an international audience, while groups such Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses, A Filetta and I Muvrini — who recorded a version of Fields of Gold with Sting — popularised it for modern tastes. The art form is celebrated every September at the Polyphonic Song Festival in the Calvi citadel, which brings together musicians from home and abroad. Blame the Genoans who, when they governed Corsica in the 16th century, decreed that each family should plant four trees annually, one of them a chestnut. Three centuries later, the hilly region southwest of Bastia was covered in the majestic trees, primarily producing flour to make bread. Emigration, war and chestnut blight changed all that, and today Castagniccia ('chestnut grove') has a fraction of its former population. With its winding lanes and charming villages, however, it is a gift to slow travellers, and chestnuts are still harvested in October and November to make cakes and other delicacies. Head to the Fiera di a Castagna in Bocognano in December to taste them and other Corsican treats, from olive oil to wine and jams, ewe's cheeses and cured ham from chestnut-fed pigs. To see the island's oldest woman, head to the Musee de l'Alta Rocca in the pretty mountain village of Levie. Dedicated to the island's rich archaeological heritage, its most famous exhibit is the Mesolithic Dame de Bonifacio, a roughly 9,000-year-old skeleton found in a rock shelter near the town. You can also see the remains of extinct animals which once roamed the island, plus Stone Age tools and Iron Age jewellery. Nearby, take a short circular hike to see Bronze Age hill forts of Cucuruzzu and Capula. • Best places for summer sun• Best family-friendly villas in France
