a shower and multi-course evening meal at the end of a day’s trekking. The gîtes offer good basic accommodation – usually 4–6 bed dormitories with comfortable bunk beds – along with shared bathroom facilities. Guests take meals together, often at long trestle tables which make for a great atmosphere. Servings are unfailingly generous and some establishments even include wine at no extra charge. Prices start at around €15 for bed only, up to the €28–32 range for demi pension or half board, which means accommodation plus a full dinner then continental breakfast. This is generally a bowl of café au lait, thé or chocolat (milky coffee, tea or hot chocolate), served with pain, beurre and confiture (bread, butter and jam).
Refuge de Ciottulu i Mori (Walk 8)
In addition, unless otherwise indicated in walk descriptions, all of the gîtes d’étape listed have self-cooking facilities (coin cuisine), for which a small fee applies. A panier-repas, or packed picnic lunch, is another possibility if you ask ahead.
The only drawback occasionally encountered at the gîtes d’étape is late opening in the morning. Should you require petit-déjeuner (breakfast) before the official time, don’t hesitate to ask, as some helpful places will lay out the food beforehand and leave you to make your own hot drink. In any case it’s always good practice to settle your bill in the evening to save precious time the day after.
You’ll need a sleeping sheet (though they can occasionally be rented) and your own towel – hot showers are always available. Book at least one day ahead (phone numbers are given in each walk description), more at peak holiday time. Most places are family-run affairs and they need due warning in order to be able to plan meals. A smattering of French will go a long way, especially when booking accommodation on the phone. (Italian won’t go amiss either, as it is similar to the Corsican language itself.) Don’t arrive too early as doors may not be opened until around 4pm. Some gîtes even offer to transport rucksacks for groups to villages ahead at a modest price.
Carry plentiful cash (euros) with you on the long-distance routes as the gîtes normally do not accept credit cards (not that they are widely accepted in the island’s hotels or restaurants, for that matter). Eurocheques are not smiled upon either as they entail a hefty surcharge. ATMs are plentiful in tourist towns, mostly on the coast, but are rare as hen’s teeth in the inland villages – as are banks. Be warned!
Before you set out it’s also a good idea to purchase a prepaid phone card as the public telephones no longer accept coins. Most villages have a public phone, though a shop selling cards may be harder to find.
Modest hotels abound in tourist spots and have been listed where relevant to walks. After many nights in the communal hostels you may feel the need to treat yourself to some luxury.
Dotted along the high mountain paths are also refuge huts run by the PNRC, Corsica’s Park Authority. They are open year-round, but manned only from June to October, when there is radio contact for emergencies. They charge a fee for dormitory-style accommodation, shared cooking (fully equipped kitchen) and washing facilities (WC and solar-heated shower), and wood-fuelled heating, but provide no meals or bedding. Basic food supplies are sometimes on sale. Refuges operate on a first-in first-served basis. Several are touched on during the itineraries in this guide and details given.
If you don’t mind the extra weight, a tent and sleeping bag can spell a really cheap holiday. Wild camping is not permitted along any of the long-distance routes or in the realms of the National Park, but for a modest fee you can pitch in the immediate vicinity of both the gîtes d’étape and refuges, and have full use of the facilities. Corsica also has a multitude of camping grounds dotted around the island. Contact the local tourist offices listed for details.
Food and Drink
The island’s cooking is basically French in the main tourist centres, but has retained its local flavour in the mountain villages and out-of-the-way places. On the coast you’ll hopefully be offered the taste sensation soupe de poisson (fish soup), a delicate smooth seafood mixture served with croutons which are to be rubbed with fresh garlic and floated with a mayonnaise-mustard sauce, topped with grated cheese. Civet de sanglier or boar stew needs to be tasted at least once. The island’s unusual cheeses are many and varied. Invariably tangy, either the richer ewe’s milk brebis, smothered in dried maquis herbs, or the drier fromage de chèvre (goat) are must-try experiences. They may be served with fig conserve and even walnuts to cut the saltiness. Another cheese variety is soft white brocciu, flavoured with wild mint, which is melted in pastries or cannelloni.
The islanders have made some commendable adaptations to French paté, with the well-sung paté de merle traditionally made with blackbirds – though supposedly outlawed nowadays. In the charcuterie range, figatellu or pork liver sausage should be on your list too.
Most villages have drinking fountains
Vegetarians will have a little trouble, as the majority of Corsican dishes are meat-based. However, try asking ‘Est-ce qu’il ya quelque chose sans viande?’ (‘is there anything without meat?’) or tell them ‘Je suis végétarien’ (végétarienne if female). Crudités will get you a plate of fresh vegetables; otherwise omelettes are regular fare. Corsican soupe is another good bet, invariably a hearty garlic-laden bean and vegetable number.
Sweet-toothers will enjoy the delicate dry canistrelli biscuits with aniseed. Many desserts incorporate châtaignes or chestnuts, the flour used effectively in concocting luscious crèmes. One unusual speciality is confiture d’arbousier, jam made from the fruit of the strawberry tree, which grows abundantly in the island’s maquis.
Tap water all over the island can be drunk safely (potable), unless you feel the urge to fork out for eau minérale. Some great beer is brewed on Corsica these days, otherwise there is no shortage of French brands. Wine on the other hand is either imported from the mainland or hails from the modest but interesting coastal vineyards. Wine growing was launched in the 1960s with the arrival of skilled labourers from Algeria, which had just won its independence from France. ‘Appellation Contrôlée’ is a guarantee of quality.
Food supply points for walkers on the long-distance routes are listed in the appropriate place in the route descriptions and shown on the summaries at the end of the book. Sometimes the gîte d’étape sells basics, however it’s always a good idea to have durable reserves say of crackers, cheese and sweet biscuits to carry you over in case the awaited shops are closed. Many out-of-the-way villages without grocery stores are served by enterprising travelling bakers and greengrocers who announce their arrival in the main square with plenty of horn blowing. While they are unpredictable, they do mean a great opportunity to stock up on fresh fruit and bread, not to mention unfailingly luscious pastries.
Contacts
The Tourist Offices (Office de Tourisme or Syndicat d’Initiative) in the principal towns are:
Ajaccio
Bastia
Bonifacio
Calvi
Corte
Porto
Porto-Vecchio
Propriano