The region
Ile Rousse and Balagne
L'Ile Rousse...
Lisula Rossa, one of the most famous seaside resorts in Corsica, owes its name to the Pietra islands, an emblematic archipelago of ochre porphyry that you will see tinted red at sunset. Its many assets make it an atypical and particularly endearing town, even in a region that is not very generous with its wonders.
The old centre, founded by Pasquale Paoli in the 18th century, is a poem in itself. You will stroll with delight through this maze of narrow streets where the magic of the past seems to spring from each pavement, where excellent restaurants and typical shops abound, competing in authenticity.
U Babbu di a Patria - or at least its bust - watches over its creation from the famous square that bears its name, lined with hundred-year-old plane trees and shady terraces where it is good to refresh yourself. A few steps away, the covered market (one of the most beautiful in France, regularly cited in national rankings) invites you to discover the products of local craftsmen: fish caught on the day, farmhouse cheeses, AOC honey, traditional charcuterie, local fruit and vegetables...
And then, of course, there are the beaches. Ile Rousse has the enviable specificity of having its own beaches literally in the middle of the town. Thus, starting from the square, you will only have to walk a few metres and cross the Marinella to lay your towel on one of the finest sands in Europe.
Then splash around in the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean.
... Pearl of the Balagne
If Ile Rousse, with the other jewel that is the superb Calvi, is undoubtedly one of the centres, it is very far from exhausting the treasures of the micro-region. The Balagne, on its modest territory of 944 km2, indeed proposes a concentration of landscapes and activities that few places in the world are able to equal. Beyond its beaches, whose reputation is well established, it has something to satisfy both river bathers and hikers of all levels (with a range of routes that goes from the peaceful communal path to be walked with the family to the famous GR20 for the most athletic).
In Balagne, forest, mountain and coastline intermingle constantly, in a shimmering band where a constellation of villages among the most characteristic of Corsica sparkle from far and wide, like stars of warm stone, all presenting very different charms but bearing witness to the same tradition. From Pigna to Corbara, from Sant'Antonino to Galeria, it is an uninterrupted succession of diverse and unusual sceneries, architectural splendours and artisanal discoveries which you will never finish touring.
The Balagne region is also full of remarkable sites, such as the Bonifato forest, a haven of peace and the green lung of Corsica, the Saleccia park, which invites you to discover the endemic flora in the context of a refined garden, or the Scandola reserve, a marine sanctuary listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
So look no further and succumb to the charm of our region. Ile Rousse and Balagne offer you an ideal holiday experience, to live unique emotions that you will never forget.
