Corsican secrets

The island of Corsica has sunshine, stunning beaches and scenery in abundance – but it’s still an unknown place to most Brits, says Gillian Thornton

Our meal in a Corsican mountain village inn was superb value at £14 – traditional cold meats; casseroled wild boar with fresh pasta, and a generous slice of caramelised apple tart. The panoramic view came free.

From the terrace of L’Auberge du Sanglier – The Wild Boar Inn – we gazed over a broad sweep of granite mountains and green valleys, dominated by the needle-sharp peaks of the Aiguilles de Bavella. Behind us lay the narrow streets that feed into the village square at Zonza.

This pretty village in southern Corsica makes a great day out from the chic east coast resort of Porto Vecchio. The road winds up through the Ospedale Forest giving spectacular glimpses of the Mediterranean. By the time you arrive, you’re more than ready for lunch.

It’s hard to imagine on a hot June day that places like Zonza can be cut off by deep snow in winter, the only supplies deliverable by helicopter. And that’s one good reason why our amiable waiter – born and raised in the village – didn’t live there full-time any more. He was just there for the summer to see his family, he explained. Come autumn, he’d be back home.

And where was home? Highgate in North London. He drove a black cab – he once picked up Mel Gibson for a fare – but, much though he loved the buzz of England’s capital, he still wanted to be in sleepy Zonza in the summertime. And it wasn’t hard to see why.

Zonza may be small, but its idyllic mountain setting makes it a wonderful place to live in – or visit. It’s a popular centre for walking, mountain biking and horse riding. Or sitting under the lime trees in the square, soaking up the spectacular surroundings.

Talk to any British holidaymakers who have sampled Corsica and they’ll rave about its fabulous mountain scenery and fine beaches, its historic towns and traditional cuisine. Yet, despite being a long-time favourite with the French and Italians – not to mention a flotilla of Mediterranean cruise ships – Corsica has remained largely undiscovered by British visitors.