BALAGNA TOURIST REGION

L'ÎLE ROUSSE BALAGNE TOURIST OFFICE

Why plan this destination?

-          Proximity to the sea and mountains in less than an hour.

-          Rich heritage and culture: crafts, cultural centres, producers, etc.

-          Strategic location for visiting Balagne and travelling throughout Upper Corsica (Ih from Saint Florent and Cap Corse - 1h from Central Corsica - 2h30 for Western Corsica).

-          A full range of outdoor activities: hikes, certified mountain bike trails and the Corsica Bike Festival, an independent site for trail riding.

-          Protected wild beaches with white sand and turquoise waters, including in the town centre.

Its strengths

-          Great ease of access with its commercial port, the 3rd largest in Corsica with annual lines to the mainland and Italy; 30mn from Calvi airport and 1h from Bastia Poretta airport; station in the town centre (Balagne tramway and main lines); public transport lines in the town centre and to the villages.

-          A multi-faceted destination that can welcome and offer a quality stay to family customers, couples, young people or senior citizens and sports enthusiasts.

-          The expertise of our Production and Marketing department, with 10 years' experience in organising and managing seminars for 10 to almost 300 people and sporting events: Corsican Windfoil Cup, Corsica Bike Festival.

-          A complete range of activities for tailor-made holidays: cultural, sporting, outdoor and water activities. A single point of contact from the inception of the holiday or event right through to its implementation, with no administration fees.

The essentials

-          Traditional villages (religious, musical, heritage) in the hinterland.

-          Saleccia Park.

-          Protected sites of Otsriconi and Losari.

-          Ghjunsani and Tartagine Melaghja national forest.

-          The first shores of the Agriate.

Its hidden gems

-          The land side of Ostriconi

-          Losari inland

-          Pigna and its anecdotes

Key experiences

-          Gastronomic visit to Domaine Maestracci. Visit to the estate with the owner: tour of the vines, the winemaking facilities through to bottling, tasting of the estate's best grape varieties.

-          Gastronomic rendez-vous at the Pistorozzi pork butcher's: meet a traditional Balinese pork butcher. The visit begins with a tour of the farm, followed by a tasting of a plank of charcuterie accompanied by the star products of the region's cuisine.

-          A gourmet encounter with olives: visitors can discover olives in all their forms on an old-fashioned olive farm. Accompanied by the owner, visitors prepare a tasty olive aperitif using produce from the vegetable garden.

-          Children's treasure hunt tour of L'Île-Rousse. Accompanied by a tour guide and at least one parent, children can explore the town through riddles and fun games while learning about the history of the paoline town.

-          A Papina workshops for children: accompanied by a parent or on their own, youngsters can discover a key Corsican product such as olives, chestnuts, brocciu and then cook a recipe that showcases this product, so they can savour it with pleasure.

-          Sunset hike at Ostriconi: forget the beautiful sandy beach and set off to discover this unspoilt site. Accompanied by a mountain guide who is also a coastguard, you will enter the lands of Ostriconi and discover its history, fauna and flora, all in the magic of an unforgettable sunset.

Useful services

-          Tour of L'lle-Rousse (French, English, German).

-          Village of Pigna: an intimate tour of places usually closed to the public - same for languages.

-          Accompanied walks with a mountain guide on the Balagne trails.

Accommodation profiles

-          5* hotels :2

-          4* hotels:11 3* hotels: 19

-          4* Tourist Residences: 4

-          3* Tourist Residences: 8

-          5* furnished accommodation :7⁃ 4* furnished accommodation :12

-          3* furnished accommodation:14

Group accommodation

Detailed catalogue of offers welcoming groups from 1 to 100 people at your disposal.

Professional contact

SYLVIE RONGICONI

resa@ileroussetourisme.com

+33(0)4 95 60 80 14

CALVI TOURISM OFFICE

Why plan this destination?

-          Accessibility: Sainte Catherine airport (6 km from Calvi), L'île Rousse commercial port (25 km from Calvi), train (from Bastia and Ajaccio), marinas (Calvi, Sant'Ambroggio-Lumio), road network with bus service.

-          A wide range of quality accommodation.

-          Activities and leisure facilities: water sports, outdoor activities, mountain activities, well-being, experiential workshops, gastronomy, etc.

-          Diversity of the region's landscapes: sea, hinterland, easily accessible mountains.

-          Wealth of local produce: Local know-how route of Balagne, the Authentic Senses Route, the Wine Route.

Highlights

-          Accessibility: boat, plane, train.

-          Beauty and diversity of landscapes: sea, hinterland, easily accessible mountains.

-          All types of accommodation to suit all budgets.

-          A wide range of activities (water sports, outdoor activities, mountain activities, well-being, experiential workshops, gastronomy, etc.).

-          A wealth of local produce: the Balagne know-how route, the authentic senses route, as well as the wine route.

-          A wide range of events: concerts, festivals, sporting events including some of international renown: Rencontres de Chants Polyphoniques, Calvi on the Rocks, etc.

Must-sees

-          The Calvi Citadel.

-          Natural maritime sites: Revellata peninsula, Scandola nature reserve.

-          Remarkable natural sites: Fango Valley, Bonifato forest.

-          The old villages of Calvi- Balagne, including Sant'Antonino, listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

-          Our beaches, most of which are accessible by train.

Its hidden gems

-          Chickadees trail (Manso).

-          Baie de CROVANI and its pebble beach.

-          Argentella site (Road to Ajaccio by the coast).

Its flagship events

Online diary listing all types of events (concerts, festivals, fairs, sporting events, etc.), most of which can be booked online and at reception.

Interesting services

In 2020, the Calvi Balagne Tourist Office set up a receptive service to meet the ever-increasing demand from tour organisers and coordinators. As experts and ambassadors for our destination, we are committed to providing advice tailored to demand, and the experiences we offer are in keeping with the area.

We work closely with our network of partners to help our customers create their ideal holiday. We also offer them the convenience of having a single point of contact, which makes collaboration particularly efficient.

We also offer an online booking and sales service (accommodation, activities, tickets for shows and guided tours, e-shop).

Accommodation profiles

The destination offers a wide choice of accommodation across all categories, with a growing range of superior and luxury categories.

Groups

Many establishments welcome groups.

Contact pro

LORETTA RISPOLI

Reservations department

04 95 65 92 90

receptif@calvi-tourisme.corsica