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Corsica and Sardinia

5 days · ~9 h 50 ·Islands, Coast

Day by day

Driving times are approximate, from OpenStreetMap roads without traffic; long legs are rougher estimates. The Google Maps links give up-to-date times.

  1. Day 1

    ~1 h 30 · 2 h

    An eagle's nest village in the Balagne

    1. Bastia Airport
    2. ~1 h 30 · 86 km
      Sant'AntoninoCorsica

      Leave your car at the gate and walk into Sant'Antonino, perched like an eagle's nest above the Balagne. Follow the lanes and pass under the vaults, then find a spot with a view of the sea on one side and mountains on the other. Stay the night here.

    3. Overnight in Sant'Antonino

  2. Day 2

    ~1 h 45 · 2 h

    Red granite cliffs above the Gulf of Porto

    1. ~1 h 45 · 99 km
      PianaCorsica

      Piana looks out over the red granite spires of the Calanques de Piana. Take the winding D81 road through the rocks, then follow the coast towards Capu Rossu and its Genoese tower. Spend the night here, looking out over the Gulf of Porto.

    2. Overnight in Piana

  3. Day 3

    ~2 h 50 · 6 h

    Over in Sardinia: granite towns and a castle by the sea

    1. Ferry or flight needed
      Tempio PausaniaSardinia

      Over in Sardinia, Tempio Pausania is built of grey granite. Stroll along Via Roma and Corso Matteotti to the cathedral of San Pietro, and look at the granite front of the Oratorio del Rosario. Pause for a glass of Vermentino di Gallura before heading for the coast at Castelsardo.

    2. ~50 min · 50 km
      CastelsardoSardinia

      Castelsardo rises on its rocky headland above the Gulf of Asinara. Climb to the Castello dei Doria and its basketwork museum, then look across the water towards Corsica. Have spider crab for lunch, then on to Bosa.

    3. ~2 h · 121 km
      BosaSardinia

      Bosa's pastel houses rise up Sa Costa hill, topped by the Malaspina castle, with the Temo river below. Follow the river to the old tanneries and the Museo delle Conce. Stay the night here, with a glass of Malvasia di Bosa at dusk.

    4. Overnight in Bosa

  4. Day 4

    ~1 h 35 · 2 h

    A painters' village in the Sardinian hills

    1. ~1 h 35 · 93 km
      AtzaraSardinia

      Atzara drew painters from Spain and Sardinia a century ago. See their work in the Museo d'arte moderna e contemporanea Antonio Ortiz Echague, then wander among the granite houses and look in at the Aragonese Gothic church of Sant'Antioco. Stay the night here or nearby, with a glass of Atzara wine at dinner.

    2. Overnight in Atzara

  5. Day 5

    ~2 h 10 · 2 h

    Caves and waterfalls, then south to Cagliari

    1. ~50 min · 55 km
      SadaliSardinia

      Your last morning is in Sadali, a village of springs, waterfalls and caves. Visit the Is Janas caves, then go on to the San Valentino waterfall. Stop for lunch on culurgionis, the filled pasta the village celebrates with a feast in August, then head south to Cagliari.

    2. ~1 h 20 · 89 km
      Cagliari Airport

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What you'll eat

What each stop is known for, and the dishes its region is famous for.

Tempio Pausania

  • Vermentino di Gallura DOCG (IT)Wine
  • Moscato di Tempio DOCWine
  • Frisgioli longhiSweetFritters handed out at Carnival, ideally fried in lentisk oil

Castelsardo

  • Lobster alla castellaneseDishSpiny lobster with a sauce made from its eggs
  • Spider crabLocal produce
  • Sea urchinsLocal produce

Bosa

  • Malvasia di Bosa DOC (IT)WineWhite wine, dry or sweet, also in a fortified style
  • AssianirCynara cardunculus - spineCC BY-SA 3.0
    Sardinian spiny artichoke PDO (IT)Local produce
  • Sardegna PDO olive oilOlive oilFrom the Bosana olive variety
  • Sa fae a landinuDishCarnival dish of broad beans, meats and wild fennel
  • S'azada alla bosanaDishRay or dogfish in a sauce of oil, garlic, parsley, tomato and vinegar
  • Sos culunzones de regotuBread and pastaRavioli filled with ricotta and spinach

Atzara

  • Atzara winesWineBlends of Cannonau, Monica and Bovale Sardo grapes

Sadali

Also typical of Corsica

Adapted from Wikipedia (Tempio Pausania, Castelsardo, Bosa, Atzara, Sadali, Cuisine of Corsica, Cuisine corse). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Where you'll sleep

The village where each night falls, with the places to stay mapped within 3 km.

Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Thermal baths along the way

Spas and hot springs near your stops, the closest by road first.

  • Fordongianus hot spring · ~36 min by car from Atzara
  • Terme Is Bangius · ~37 min by car from Atzara

Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Soundtrack for this trip

Corsican and Sardinian voices: polyphony, folk song and the launeddas pipes, with jazz and pop-rock.

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