Calvi – active beach holidays in Corsica

It’s been nine years since we celebrated our graduation on the gently sloping sandy beach of Calvi, drenched in euphoria. 12 years of schooling and countless exams finally “over and out”. In front of us is the freedom and uncertainty of adulthood. For me, this return to Corsica is a mental journey through the last nine years. It’s crazy how fast time flies. It’s somehow reassuring that at least the citadel city has hardly changed against the impressive backdrop of high peaks and azure bays.

Of stubborn donkeys and the love of Corsica

Authenticity and consistency are two great strengths of Corsica and so it is actually logical that in the holiday village built by Austrians “zum störrischen Esel” German is consistently spoken to this day. Mountaineer Willi Doderer from the Dornbirn Alpine Club laid the foundation for the success story of the holiday village. Fascinated by the contrasting landscape of the Mediterranean island, he decided to come back with a small group after a trip to Corsica. Word got around about Corsica’s versatility and so an ever-growing holiday camp developed in the pine forest at the gates of Calvi. Grete and Kurt Müller were involved from the very beginning. How the community-organized tent settlement developed into a popular holiday village with over 400 beds is an almost unbelievable story. Even more unbelievable is the fact that Kurt Müller never gave up his teaching profession in Austria during all this time.

“A holiday village is something between a campsite and a hotel,” Kurt Müller explains to us over a Cap Corse in the holiday village’s bar. The bungalows are sparsely furnished. There is no TV and the Wi-Fi reception only works around the garden area of the bar. “For us, it’s all about being together,” says Kurt Müller, explaining the philosophy. The guests of the stubborn donkey are active. The bungalow is only for the night’s rest. During the day, you can scramble over steep rock faces, cycle through the Balagne villages or explore the coast on foot. The beautiful sandy beach is a five-minute walk away, and the colourful flowered gardens offer sun loungers for a siesta.

“Where does the name come from?” we want to know from Kurt Müller. In the early years, the idea arose to buy a donkey as a mascot for the holiday village. No sooner said than done. But the joy was short-lived. Out of sheer homesickness for the mountain village of Sant’Antonino, the donkey screamed all night long. This scared off the mood of the guests. The donkey was returned, but the name remained. Today, guests are greeted by a donkey statue at the entrance gate.

Hiking along the coast

The holiday village offers its guests a varied programme of guided hikes, mountain tours and bike tours every day. Particularly popular is the coastal hike, on which you can explore the natural bays between Sant’Ambrogio and Calvi on foot. The maquis is beguilingly fragrant in the months of May and June. Among the plants growing here is the yellow-flowered Mediterranean immortelle, which is highly coveted by perfume manufacturers. The myrtle is also typical. Particularly popular in liquid form as a liqueur specialty. The open bush landscape, the salty air and the beautiful sandy beaches make the hike a special experience.

In addition to enough water, the backpack also includes the bathing suit. Here, one lonely dream bay follows the next. A hike that is suitable for beginners as well as hiking experts. The starting point in Sant’Ambrogio can be reached with the “fiery Elijah”. The coastal train chugs at a leisurely pace through the coastal landscape to Ile Rousse.

Well-deserved beach time

In Calvi there is the Fünfer and the Weggli – beach holidays in the mountains. What could be better than ending the afternoon on the beach after a sweaty day in Balagne? The wide sandy beach is open to the public. Shady spots are sparse and sought after. However, it is possible to rent a deckchair including a parasol. Bury your feet in the sand, build sandcastles, read an exciting book and listen to the gentle sound of the sea. In between, the holiday idyll is abruptly interrupted by the loud roar of the jet skis. Nine years ago, they didn’t exist. Jänu.

 

Calvi – Citadel city with flair

It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the village to Calvi. You can either walk along the beach, take the wooden walkway that runs parallel to the railway track or walk along the main road to the city centre. Corsica’s fourth-largest city boasts a picturesque harbour and the mighty citadel, which can be seen from afar. For a 360-degree view over the bay and the steeply rising hilltops behind it, it’s best to go up to the citadel first. Up here is also said to be the property where Christopher Columbus was born. How much truth there is in this legend is still unclear. At the time, Calvi was Genoese – and Columbus, who was born in Calvese, would be a Genoese – but there are other cities in the Mediterranean that want to make a name for themselves as the birthplace of the discoverer of America.

Delicious Corsican cuisine

After the strenuous ascent to the citadel, you deserve a cool refreshment at the port of Calvi. Right behind it are the “shopping alleys”. Hidden between the usual tourist shops is an Eldorado for gourmets. The Corsican speciality shop Annie Traiteur offers all kinds of delicacies from wild boar sausage to goat cheese and chestnut jam.

And if your growling stomach is starting to cry out for a meal, then I can recommend a detour to the restaurant U Fanale (Quartier Mozello, Route de Porto). It’s just outside the centre, but serves fantastic dishes including sunset views. Best of all, this is where the locals eat.

I was invited to this trip by the Corsica specialist Rhomberg-Reisen. Thank you very much for this! – As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.