Corsica Landmarks and Monuments

(Corsica, France)

The landmarks of the island of Corsica are surely the mountain ranges running through its centre and the stunning seascapes, towering cliffs, lakes and spectacular bays and beaches along its coastline.

Huge areas of the island are under protective covenants, and while there are many historic and heritage buildings and sights to be seen, Corsica's unspoilt natural beauty is its most impressive monument to its long history.

Monte Cinto

Address: central Corsica, France, FR
Monte Cinto is the highest mountain in Corsica, at just over 2,700 metres / 8,860 feet, and sits in its massif surrounded by 20 more high peaks. Various glacial lakes run in south-easterly to north-westerly directions, towards the centre of the countryside. Visible from all over the island, the Cinto massif attracts trekkers, climbers and adventure tourists to both its lower and its high peaks.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Calanche (Les Calanques de Piana)

Address: Piana, Corsica, France, FR
A stunning geological rarity situated just outside of Piana, the Calanche is a massive maze of fissured granite rocks tinted an amazing red colour, with naturally eroded spurs and pinnacles rising to a height of some 300 metres / 1,000 feet above the deep blue of Porto Vecchio Bay. Surrounding forests of mature chestnut and pine trees contrast greatly with these stunning rocks.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Cap Corse

Address: Near Bastia, Corsica, France, FR
Cap Corse is the island's northernmost peninsula, some 40 km / 25 miles long and around 15 km / 9 miles across, being scattered with windmills and ruined Genoese watchtowers. Ancient fishing villages nestle along the coastline, a mountain ridge gives great hiking, nature reserves are full of bird song, and isolated coves invite swimmers to stay a while. Villages in the Cap Corse area include Barcaggio, Canari, Erbalunga, Macinaggio, Nonza, Pietracorbara, Pino, Sisco and St. Florent, while regular buses connect the neighbouring town of Bastia.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Filitosa Menhirs

Address: between Bonifacio and Ajaccio, Corsica, France, FR
The Filitosa Menhirs are both island landmarks and 7,000 year-old monuments to its very early inhabitants. Attractively arranged and carved with weird weathered faces, the 12 standing stones have watched in silence for millennia. Filitosa's megaliths and menhirs stand approximately 25 km / 16 miles to the north-west of Propriano and are shaded by a series of ancient olive trees. A small onsite museum adds further interest and displays some significant local relics.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Genoese Towers

Address: Corsica, France, FR
Defensive towers or their ruins are to be found all along Corsica's coastline, built by the island's Genoese rulers in the 16th century as protection against the pirates of the Barbary Coast. Today they stand as monuments to the island's chequered and often violent history. Particularly impressive is the Genoese tower presiding over the port of Ile Rousse, and the watchtowers standing on the Pointe de Cargese and the Pointe d'Omigna, overlooking the Plage de Pero.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Roman Aleria

Address: Aleria, Corsica, France, FR
Between Bastia and Porto on Corsica's eastern coast lies the hill town of Aleria. Here you will discover an excavated Roman town, a villa and necropolis, and a 16th-century Genoese fort. The site has been inhabited for over 8,000 years, and impressive Greek and Etruscan treasures have also been uncovered here. Roman Aleria serves as something of a monument to the island's long millennia of human habitation.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Gorges de Spelunca (Spelunca Gorge)

Address: Corsica, France, FR
Many years ago, this important trail started out life as a simple mule track, connecting Porto with the villages in the highlands. Today, the Gorges de Spelunca links Ota with Evisa and remains in a reasonable state of repair, being partly paved and offering some of the best possible views of the Corsican coastline. Those walking along this pathway will pass alongside the River Porto, towering cliffs, giant rock formations and the ancient Genoese bridge, the Pont de Zaglia. A return trek will generally take in the region of five hours.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free