corsica...

flamite
flamite Posts: 269
edited March 2010 in Tour & expedition
Anyone know any good cycle routes/maps round north of corsica, looking to do bastia to calvi then down west coast...

cheers!

Comments

  • cycladelic
    cycladelic Posts: 641
    Go to the online Michelin site and have a butcher's hook. When I went last year I just used photocopied pages from the big AA Atlas of France - the detail is pretty good. The Michelin one is the same - I think. You can get them for about a tenner.

    Corsica is fab. You can't really go wrong.

    We went from Bastia, up the Cap and down the west coast, doing a loop back to Bastia via small roads running up the island's centre.

    Click here and zoom in after typing in a couple of main Corsican towns...

    http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Itineraires
    It's an uphill climb to the bottom
  • cycladelic
    cycladelic Posts: 641
    This might give you some idea.... (not my tour, though)

    http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=R ... =2307&v=8w
    It's an uphill climb to the bottom
  • andymiller
    andymiller Posts: 2,856
    As cycladelic says check out viaMichelin (although bear in mind that Corsica is very mountainous so you may also want to check out the maps on geoportail.fr (I think that's the address).

    I was about to say that for most of the route you want to do there is only one road. HOWEVER I would advise:

    - don't by pass Centuri it's one of the few villages where you can still see working fishermen (and eat what they catch);

    - do take the higher road through Canari;

    - do go through Patrimonio. Yes the route involves more climbing but it's worth it;

    - beyond the Desert des Agriates there is one of the most beautiful beaches in Corsica - so definitely something special. It's bikeable (but definitely not on a road bike) or walkable. There's a campsite near the beach - if you can get to it;

    - I would definitely detour away from the route nationale through Ile Rousse but head into the mountains and the haute Balagne. Speloncato is a wonderful village I'd definitely recommend staying in the hotel there (La Spelunca???)eating in the cafe (the guy who runs it is a real character and very friendly) as well as visiting the church;

    - Galeria is a nice place to spend the night, and there is a bridge over the Fango which is well worth the short detour;

    - if you have the option, don't stay in Porto but climb up to Piana to spend the night (or push on);

    - you could decide to sail into Bastia and out of Ajaccio. But if you decide to sail back out of Bastia then I would recommend going up to Piana (definitely DO NOT miss the Calanches de Piana) then turn around and head for Ota, and then Evisa and then Corte (attention it's a long climb). It's worth considering stopping in Evisa or Ota to walk the Gorges de Spelunca. The cascades in the Forêt Aitone are definitely not to be missed.
    Italy Cycling Guide
  • ralex
    ralex Posts: 85
    There's not really any need to recommend or suggest routes in Corsica, because it is all superb! Just have a look at a map and pick the likeliest looking roads and you won't be disappointed. You will, however, want to go back, again and again!
  • andymiller
    andymiller Posts: 2,856
    ralex wrote:
    There's not really any need to recommend or suggest routes in Corsica, because it is all superb! Just have a look at a map and pick the likeliest looking roads and you won't be disappointed. You will, however, want to go back, again and again!

    Erm just to take one example, the route nationale along the east coast is really dull and some of the places it passes through are far from superb: there are much better, but less obvious alternatives. It's also worth bearing in mind the altitude gain - a 'likely looking road can involve a thousand metres of climbing. So it's worth doing a bit of planning and research.
    Italy Cycling Guide
  • cycladelic
    cycladelic Posts: 641
    Yes, Centuri. Aaaahhh... (sigh) I thought it was only me who knew about that place! We dropped down to it late on our first day, as we were told it has a couple of small hotels. We got a simple room and the restaurant downstairs cooked some great seafood - it was adjecant to the rustic quay. As Andy says, a super spot; a place that isn't frequented by tour groups. I think there is a camp site near it, if you are going to take a tent.
    It's an uphill climb to the bottom
  • andymiller
    andymiller Posts: 2,856
    You can download an accommodation list (including campsites) from here:

    http://www.visit-corsica.com/en/Brochures
    Italy Cycling Guide
  • ralex
    ralex Posts: 85
    andymiller wrote:
    ralex wrote:
    There's not really any need to recommend or suggest routes in Corsica, because it is all superb! Just have a look at a map and pick the likeliest looking roads and you won't be disappointed. You will, however, want to go back, again and again!

    Erm just to take one example, the route nationale along the east coast is really dull and some of the places it passes through are far from superb: there are much better, but less obvious alternatives. It's also worth bearing in mind the altitude gain - a 'likely looking road can involve a thousand metres of climbing. So it's worth doing a bit of planning and research.

    Well, the southern half of the east coast road is a perfectly nice route, I haven't been on the northern half of the east coast road.
    I did say to have a look at a map (and pick the likeliest looking roads), which would give an indication of any climbing and also of any possible main roads/less interesting roads to avoid.
    A thousand metres of climbing would be a good reason to take a road!

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