Corsica – General info

Corsica – General information

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and a region of France. The island is located west of Italy at the height of Abruzzo, north of the Italian island of Sardinia and southeast of France.

Her Corsican name is Corsica, her French Corse.

The island is very mountainous: about 86% of the island is mountainous, only 14% coastal lowlands. In Corsica, around 50 two-thousand-metre peaks rise into the sky. The highest mountain is Monte Cinto at 2,706 m, which is only 25 km from the sea.

Size and administration With an area of 8,680 km², Corsica is the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean. The island forms an independent French region (Collectivité de Corse) and is territorially divided into two departments: Haute-Corse (prefecture of Bastia, approx. 45,000 inhabitants) and Corse-du-Sud (prefecture of Ajaccio, approx. 70,000 inhabitants). Ajaccio is also the capital of Corsica.

Location and extent The island is located in the Mediterranean Sea between the 41st and 43rd degrees north latitude and the 8th and 10th degrees east longitude. It measures 183 km from north to south and 83 km from east to west. The varied coastline is about 1,000 km long. The distance to Nice (France) is about 180 km, to Livorno (Italy) about 85 km and to the neighboring island of Sardinia only about 12 km.

Population Around 355,000 inhabitants live on the island (as of 2023, latest official census available), which corresponds to a population density of approx. 41 inhabitants/km². This means that Corsica continues to be one of the most sparsely populated regions in France. Around 40% of the population lives in and around the two large cities of Ajaccio and Bastia; about a third live in the mountainous interior. The average age is higher than the French mainland – around one in five Corsicans is over 65 years old.

Language: Corsican and French; The official and lingua franca is French. According to estimates, Corsican is still actively spoken by around 60,000 to 100,000 people; there is no official recognition as the second official language of the island so far.

Currency: Since Corsica belongs to France, the valid currency is the Euro.

Information: Official tourism information on Corsica and France in general can be found at Atout France, the French state tourism development agency (successor organisation to the former “Maison de la France”), online at france.fr and via the island’s official tourism website, visit-corsica.com.

Corsica – Climate

In the western Mediterranean, summers are warm and rainless, while winters are mild and comparatively rainy.

In midsummer, temperatures above 30 °C are the norm on the coast at noon, the water temperature then rises to around 25 °C; the average temperature in August is around 24 °C.

In winter, the water temperature of the salt-rich Mediterranean Sea hardly drops below 10 °C; the average temperature in January is around 9 °C.

Corsica can be roughly divided into three climate zones: The Mediterranean climate zone ends at about 500 m altitude. Above this is a Mediterranean transition zone up to about 1,000 m altitude, which can reach over 1,500 m in summer. Above this zone, the alpine climate zone of the Corsican high mountains begins.

Corsica – Fauna

Corsica is mainly home to wild boars, which, together with semi-wild domestic pigs, inhabit the macchia and forest areas of the island. In addition, foxes, hares and wild rabbits are native.

The Corsican heraldic animal, the mouflon (wild sheep), has become rare: the population of this climbing artist is estimated at 500 to 800 animals, which are still found almost exclusively in protected high mountain regions – including in the Corse Regional Park, where active conservation programs are running.

Bird species include blackbirds, thrushes, finches, woodpeckers, nightingales, kingfishers and various species of crows. The picture is complemented by birds of prey such as buzzards, sparrowhawks, kites, Eleonora’s falcons as well as golden eagles and ospreys.

Insects (grasshoppers, cicadas, bees), mountain newts, lizards, fire salamanders, geckos and tortoises are also common. The island’s waters are home to eels, trout, mullets, sea bass and oysters; off the coast, dolphins and fin whales can also be spotted.

Corsica – Flora

The forest area of Corsica is estimated at 150,000 to 250,000 hectares, which corresponds to about a third of the total area of the island. Since the boundary between forest and maquis cannot be drawn exactly, this figure varies depending on the source. The main tree species include black and maritime pine, beech and holm and cork oak.

In the south, extensive cork oak forests dominate, whose reddish-brown trunks are particularly noticeable after peeling. In the east, eucalyptus stands are more common. In the plains and on terraced crops, the olive tree is widespread, traditionally harvested with trapping nets.

The coastal vegetation is characterized by plane trees, pines, agaves, opuntias and palm trees. The sweet chestnut is not missing either: it grows mainly in the transitional stage around 1,000 m altitude, especially in the Castagniccia region with around 15,000 hectares of chestnut forests.

The maquis, a typical Mediterranean vegetation form of thorny, prickly and hard-leaved plants, trees, bushes and grasses, characterises large parts of the island. Typical plants are cistus, lime tree, strawberry tree, myrtle, broom, buckthorn, thyme and lavender. Some stands reach heights of up to 10 m and also run through wooded areas. Many of these plants protect themselves from drying out with oily, rubbery or resinous secretions, which are responsible for the characteristic, intense scent of the maquis – you can smell the island from the sea when there is no wind.

Corsica – History

Only a few epochs of Corsican’s eventful history brought the islanders lasting peaceful times. Since prehistoric times, the Corsicans have learned to protect themselves from attacks by retreating into the mountains – whether by foreign troops, pirates or their own, often exploitative island nobility.

Around 3,500 years ago, the indigenous people of Corsica fortified their settlements. When the Romans conquered the island, even the mountains helped only to a limited extent: the troops advanced inland, crushed the resistance and decimated the population considerably.

The Migration Period brought Corsica one of the most turbulent phases in its history, marked by the changing influence of Vandal, Ostrogothic, Byzantine and Lombard rulers. Even the transition to papal supremacy did not bring lasting peace – raids by Moorish sailors continued, sometimes with permanent settlements.

The division of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Corsica between the city republics of Pisa and Genoa, decreed by the Pope in 1133, transferred their rivalry to the island and divided the population into hostile camps for centuries. In 1284, the Pisans were finally defeated in the decisive battle of Meloria; until 1729, the Genoese remained sole rulers of Corsica.

Comparatively little is known about the culture and way of life of the indigenous people. The oldest surviving buildings in Corsica date back to the fourth millennium BC; dolmens and menhirs bear witness to a pronounced death cult of the megalithic culture. Around 1600 BC, monumental menhir statues with human facial features, some with depicted weapons, were created, up to 4 meters high.

Around 560 BC, Greek settlers founded the city of Alalia (later Aleria) on the east coast; it was not until 259 BC that the Romans broke Greek trade supremacy.

In 1729, the revolt against Genoese rule broke out. In 1736, the Corsicans gave themselves their own constitution and briefly proclaimed the German adventurer Theodor von Neuhoff king of Corsica – but he had to leave the island in the same year. In 1755, Pasquale Paoli was proclaimed general of the Corsican nation; he made Corsica a temporarily independent state with Corte as its capital – remarkable, among other things, for a constitution that was progressive for its time.

In 1768, Genoa sold its rights to Corsica to France; after the defeat of the Corsican army in 1769, the island became a French province. On August 15 of the same year, Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio – to this day one of the island’s most famous sons.

The Corsica conflict and current political developments

From the late 1950s onwards, the French state intensified its economic and tourist development of the island, which gave many Corsicans the impression that they were disadvantaged compared to investors who had moved in and returnees from Algeria, which had become independent. From the 1960s onwards, this discontent developed into a Corsican autonomy and independence movement, from which the paramilitary underground organisation FLNC (Fronte di Liberazione Naziunale Corsu) emerged in 1976. Between the 1970s and the 2010s, there were repeated bomb attacks in Corsica, most of which were directed against institutions and representatives of the French state as well as against holiday resorts; according to current knowledge, tourists were never harmed.

Since 2014, the FLNC has officially ceased its armed campaign. At the same time, moderate Corsican nationalists and regionalists have gained significant political weight: since 2015, they have been the strongest force in the Corsican regional parliament. After violent protests following the death of the imprisoned assassin Yvan Colonna in 2022, President Emmanuel Macron held out the prospect of extended autonomy status for the island in 2023. A corresponding draft constitutional reform passed the first reading in the French National Assembly in June 2026, but still has to pass through the Senate and a qualified majority in Congress (or a referendum) for final adoption – the outcome and timeline of this process were still open at the time of research. Isolated violent incidents continue to occur in the vicinity of rival groups of the former underground movement, but these are not directed against tourists.

For travellers, Corsica remains a peaceful and safe destination; the political disputes primarily concern domestic political issues between Ajaccio and Paris and are practically imperceptible in everyday tourist life.

Corsica – Food & Drink

In Corsica, there are excellent sausage and ham specialties (saucisse and saucisson), which are usually served as an appetizer (hors d’œuvres), but also make an excellent sandwich topping.

Among the special specialties are Coppa and Lonzu, both ham specialties: Lonzu is made in natural casing from seasoned pork tenderloin, Coppa is a rolled-roast-like preparation of streaky pork neck. The Prizuttu is a raw, buttery and tender ham, excellent for the “casse-croûte”, sandwiches. Figatelli is the name of the dark pork liver sausages that are fried or eaten pure with bread. Salsiccia is another type of sausage, usually strongly seasoned.

Fish and crustaceans are comparatively expensive in Corsica; due to declining catches, imports are increasing. Spiny lobsters (Corsican “arigosta”) are considered a delicacy by tourists, real Corsican langoustines are most likely to be found at Cap Corse or in Bonifacio. Sea urchins (Oursins) are eaten raw or prepared as an omelet, oysters and mussels often come from the lagoons (étangs) of the east coast.

At markets or in fish shops (poissonneries) you can find daurade (sea bream) and rouget (red mullet), usually served grilled. A delicacy is the rather expensive loup (sea bass). Two fish soups are also well-known: the “soupe de poisson” with grated, toasted bread and the – not to be confused – aziminu, the Corsican version of bouillabaisse.

Meat dishes are dominated by the leg of lamb (Gigot d’Agneau), as well as lamb chops and roasts as well as kid. Wild boar (Sanglier) is on the menus from the beginning of the hunting season in autumn as a roast, ragout or terrine; Marcassin refers to the youngster. Rabbit is common in the interior.

There is a wide selection of cheeses in Corsica, including numerous sheep’s (brebis) and goat’s cheeses (chèvre), mostly spicy and hearty in taste. The speciality is the brocciu, a spicy, creamy cream cheese (not to be confused with the brousse made from dried milk), which is traditionally only available from October to June.

Miscellaneous: Fruit is available in Corsica in abundance and at a reasonable price. Bread is mainly available as white bread in the usual forms in France – baguette, double loaf, flûte or breadcrumb; wholemeal bread can be found in supermarkets. Honey (miel) is a popular souvenir and is offered in many regional flavours, from strong, bitter chestnut honey to mild honey from Balagne. Gâteaux Corse is a biscuit-like pastry that varies according to each baker’s individual recipes.

In Corsica, as in the rest of France, wine is traditionally part of the meal. The range of Corsican wines is diverse, supplemented by French and Italian wines. Muscat, a white wine with a liqueur-like taste and around 15% alcohol content, is particularly popular. In remote restaurants, pastis, a 45 percent anise schnapps diluted with water and drunk on ice, is one of the cheapest drinks, along with water.

Corsica – Accommodation

Corsica has so far been largely spared from the large-scale package tourism of many other Mediterranean destinations. The range of hotels and holiday resorts is comparatively limited, and the price level is correspondingly high – comparable to that of the Côte d’Azur.

Depending on the location and season, you should expect four-digit weekly prices for holiday apartments by the sea, and even more in upscale locations and in the high season; campsites are also not cheap for families during the high season. If you want to spend your holiday on the island in the high season (July/August), you should look for accommodation early on – regardless of whether you want a hotel, holiday apartment or campsite. It is cheaper to travel in the early and late season (May/June or September/October), when the climate is pleasant and the crowds are lower.

Ferry and flight: Ferry and flight connections to the island depend heavily on travel dates, departure airports and individual preferences, so it is not possible to make general statements here. There are seasonal direct flights from several European airports to the Corsican airports of Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari, often with low-cost providers in the summer season; outside the high season, connections with transfers via the French mainland (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice) are more common. Ferry connections are available from Nice, Marseille, Toulon as well as from several Italian ports (including Livorno, Genoa, Savona) and from Sardinia. Current information on flight and ferry connections can be obtained directly from any qualified travel agency or the respective airlines and shipping companies.

Note: All information on population figures, political situation and prices is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date travel and safety advice, it is advisable to take a look at the website of the Federal Foreign Office and visit-corsica.com before travelling.