• Day 1: Nice - Bastia - Cap Corse - Nonza
  The ferry departs ~ 9AM and arrives 3.5 hours later. The ferry port is on the north side of Bastia, so you can head for Cap Corse and defer a visit to Bastia until the return trip. Bastia-Nonza is 93 km, and St. Florent (a more interesting place) is at least 20 km beyond that. Riding around the island in a counter-clockwise sense, you always have the best (outside) view of the coast.
  • Buildings facing the port in Nice.
  • High-speed ferry in Nice harbor.
  • View from the ferry of Cap Corse, site of the Giraglia lighthouse.
  • Heading north on D80 near Erbalunga.
  • Crossing the Col de Serra (alt: 365 m) on the D80 just before Centuri.
  • Heading south on D80 somewhere near Pino.
• Day 2: Nonza - St. Florent - Ile Rousse - Calvi
  The Desert des Agriates west of St. Florent is quite barren, with scrub vegetation and few villages. I was determined to reach Calvi, perhaps because all the "bornes" listed the distance to Calvi, but in hindsight a better idea would have to been to go inland and explore the scenic villages along the D71, such as San Antonino, Lavatoggio, etc. Maybe next time! Rounding the headlands between Ile Rousse and Calvi, I encountered an afternoon headwind which almost stopped me dead in my tracks...
  • Southwest view across the Golfe de St. Florent.
  • Port of St. Florent.
  • On the D81 descending from the plateau of the Desert des Agriates.
  • Beach scene on N197 near Lozari.
  • Lighthouse on Pietra islet in the harbor of Ile Rousse.
  • Aerial view of Calvi showing the citadel.
• Day 3: Calvi - Porto
  This was quite possibly the most scenic ride I have ever done. On a historic note, just outside Calvi on the D81B, you pass the spot where Admiral Nelson lost an eye during the bombardment of the citadel in 1794.
  • Foreign Legion commandos training in Calvi harbor.
  • Near Porto
  • Near Porto
  • Near Porto
  • Looking down on Porto
• Day 4: Porto - Ajaccio
  • View of the Calanches (rock formations) near near Piana.
• Day 5: Ajaccio - Vico - Evisa
  • Hotel de Ville in Ajaccio.
  • Looking to the harborfront from in front of Ajaccio town hall.
  • View of Evisa, the "pearl of Corsica"
• Day 6: Evisa - Corte
  • Climbing through the pines near the summit of Col de Vergio.
• Day 7: Corte - Morosaglia - Porta - Bastia
  This was a great day for serendipity. I wasn't quite sure where I was going most of the time, but found a scenic/misty climb via D39/D139/D15 to Morosaglia (birthplace of Pasqual Paoli, the Corsican patriot), then descended through La Porta, site of a famous baroque bell tower (1720), saw "able was I ere I saw" Elba and the Tuscan coast on the horizon, and finally rode along the peaceful D10 past the historic Canonica church.
  • View along D139 en route to Morosaglia.
  • Perched village of Penta-di-Cascina from D237.
  • 11th-century church of Canonica on D10 near Bastia's Poretta airport.
• Day 8: Bastia - Nice
  • View of Bastia's old port; this is also the restaurant district.
  • High-speed ferry makes crossing to Nice in 3.5 hours and costs 240-280 Francs.

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