Corsica & Sardinia: 1st Class Traveling in the Mediterranean's 2 Biggest Islands

Itinerary

Day 1: Discovering Calvi Town & Visiting the Scandola Nature Reserve

Stop At: Nature Reserve of Scandola, Corsica France
Our tour of Corsica starts at the popular and charming resort village of Calvi. Today we plan on doing a boat excursion to the Scandola Nature Reserve, departing the marina around noon.
Duration: 5 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 2: Exploring Bastia Town

Stop At: Bastia Cathedral, 12 rue Notre Dame, 20200 Bastia, Corsica France
Today we should be making a daytrip via a 2.5-hour drive to Bastia.

Tall and faded buildings surround a marina in what is Corsica’s principle port town. The city center consists mainly of the citadel, the Palace of the Governors, the Old Port with its surrounding neighborhood and the market place and finally, all the buildings along the Paoli Boulevard. On a side note, Bastia is also famous for its wines.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast: The very diverse cuisine alone is enough reason to visit Corsica and Sardinia and join our group tour.
Accommodation included: We are making a daytrip to Bastia from Calvi. The hotel is in Calvi.

Day 3: Walking the Streets of Both Corte Village & Ajaccio Town

Stop At: Citadelle de Corte, Haute Ville, Corte, Corsica France
Let’s relocate to the town of Ajaccio. En route, we should be making a 2-hour stopover in the mountain village of Corte. The drive from Calvi to Corte takes about 1.5 hours. The drive from Corte to Ajaccio takes a little under 2 hours.

Corte was the birthplace of Joseph Bonaparte (1768–1844). He was the eldest brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I. Sites of interest in Corte include the fortress, the Museum of Corsica, and the University of Corsica.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 4: Sightseeing in Ajaccio Town Some More

Stop At: Ajaccio Cathedral, Rue Forcioli Conti, 20000 Ajaccio, France
The birthplace of Napoléon Bonaparte and the capital of Corsica, Ajaccio is best enjoyed for its sweeping bay, historic and mellow-toned buildings and cafes in and around the marina.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 5: Swimming at the Beaches of Olmeto Plage & Porto-Vecchio

Stop At: Centre equestre La plage, La Plage Abbartello, 20113 Olmeto, Corsica France
Let’s relocate to Porto-Vecchio. En route, we should be checking out the striking beaches around Olmeto Plage, which are in the area of Propriano. The drive from Ajaccio to the village of Propriano takes about 1.5 hours. The drive from Propriano to Porto-Vecchio takes about the same, 1.5 hours.
Duration: 3 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 6: Seeing the Old Town of Porto-Vecchio

Stop At: Chapelle de la Sainte Croix de Porto Vecchio, Cour Napoléon, Angle de la rue de la Porte Genoise, 20137, Porto-Vecchio, Corsica France
Porto-Vecchio is a unique mix of idyllic and unspoiled beaches on one hand and stunning mountain scenery on the other. Porto-Vecchio boasts a picturesque old town filled with bars, restaurants, designer boutiques, hotels and a beautiful marina, attracting international yachts. Near to Porto-Vecchio are some of Corsica’s finest beaches.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 7: Checking Out Bonifacio Town & Then Boat Ride to Sardinia

Stop At: Bonifacio Citadel, Bonifacio, Corsica France
Today we should be taking a 45-minute drive to Bonifacio, explore this coastal village, then take a 1-hour boat ride to the island of Sardinia and finally take a 1-hour drive to the seaside resort that is Porto Cervo, where we should be based.

The old town of Bonifacio sits on the site of a citadel, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The fortifications extend for some distance along the chalk-white limestone cliff-tops, which are at about 70 meters (230 feet) elevation. The cliffs have been undercut by the ocean so that the buildings, which have been placed on the very lip of the precipice, appear to overhang it. The appearance from the sea is of a white city gleaming in the sun and suspended over the rough waters below.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 8: Alghero Town's Sites & Beaches & Otherwise Neptune’s Grotto

Stop At: Alghero Cathedral, Piazza Duomo, 2, 07041 Alghero SS, Italy
From Porto Cervo, we should be making a daytrip via a 2.5-hour drive to Alghero, a Catalan-influenced town popular mostly for its nearby beaches, especially the La Pelosa beach. Also nearby is a popular stalactite cave called Neptune’s Grotto.

The ancient part of Alghero shows many characteristics of Catalan medieval architecture. Locals usually refer to their city as ‘Little Barcelona’ because of its ancestry and fraternity with the Catalan capital.
Duration: 5 hours

Stop At: Grotta di Nettuno, Alghero, Sardinia Italy
Tourists visiting Neptune’s Grotto are given guided tours and are led single-file through a lit pathway. The remainder of the day should be spent swimming at La Pelosa beach.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We are making a daytrip to Alghero from Porto Cervo. The hotel is in Porto Cervo.

Day 9: Gennargentu National Park, Mount Ortobene & Cala Gonone's Beaches

Stop At: Gennargentu, 08049, Sardinia Italy
Again from Porto Cervo, we should be making another daytrip via a 2-hour drive first to the Gennargentu National Park and nearby Mount Ortobene followed by a 1-hour drive to Cala Gonone, a village popular specifically for its scenic environs and surrounding beaches. The drive from Cala Gonone back to Porto Cervo takes about 2 hours.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We are making a daytrip to the Gennargentu National Park from Porto Cervo. The hotel is in Porto Cervo.

Day 10: Costa Smeralda's Turquoise Water & Fine-Sand Beaches

Stop At: Yacht Charter Costa Smeralda and Maddalena Archipelago, Cannigione, Arzachena, Sardinia Italy
Porto Cervo sits along Costa Smeralda. This stretch of land is known for its turquoise water and fine-sand beaches. Some of the best beaches are Liscia Ruja, Cappriccioli, Piccolo Pevero, Spiaggia del Principe and Romazzino. The most frequented is probably La Cinta, with its thin strip of sand between the Tyrrhenian Sea and a lagoon which hosts a lot of migrating birds as well as pink flamingos.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 11: More Beaches Along Costa Smeralda

Stop At: Yacht Charter Costa Smeralda and Maddalena Archipelago, Cannigione, Arzachena, Sardinia Italy
Days 10 and 11 are all about enjoying some of the most beautiful beaches in all the Mediterranean.
Duration: 6 hours

Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: We finalize room bookings about 10 days before departure. We choose only quality accommodation. We'll keep you posted.

Day 12: Our Tour Ends This Morning

Stop At: Porto Cervo, Arzachena, Sardinia Italy
Porto Cervo is the final destination on our group tour of Corsica and Sardinia. You can fly out from Cagliari, Olbia or Alghero. Transportation will be arranged for you if you book for 2 or more persons. If you are traveling solo, then you can directly pay a taxi driver to take you to the airport. Feel free to ask us for assistance.
Duration: 1 minute

Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.