Woke up stupid early today ’cause Corsica’s beaches ain’t gonna visit themselves. Chugged some espresso, slathered on sunscreen that smelled like coconuts gone wrong, and threw my busted-up beach bag in the trunk. Headed south from Ajaccio – windows down, salty air already slapping my face. Mission: find those top spots everyone yaps about.
First Stop: Palombaggia
Heard this place is postcard perfect. Pulled up and damn, it kinda is. Crazy clear water like someone dropped blue food dye in it. Parked right near the pine trees, stumbled over rocks like a drunk penguin to find a spot. Sand? Felt like powdered sugar between my toes. Didn’t just sit there though. Paddled out past the first few waves, floated on my back staring at weirdly red rocks sticking out. Saw people doing dumb Instagram poses. Avoided them. Drank half my water bottle already. Rookie mistake.
Second Wind: Santa Giulia
Drove maybe fifteen minutes? Felt longer with sandy feet sticking to the pedals. Santa Giulia looked like a giant bathtub. Seriously. Water so calm you could see baby fish nibbling your toes. Found a shack renting paddleboards. Figured why not? Paid the dude, wobbled onto the board like a newborn giraffe. Fell off. Twice. Finally got my balance, paddled towards those little islands everyone points at. Didn’t drown. Victory. Swam after, feeling smug. Ate stale crackers from my bag. Should’ve packed lunch.
Midday Grub Hunt
Stomach started growling like a bear. Rolled into Porto Vecchio town sweating sunscreen. Found some back alley place smelling like fried fish heaven. Ordered whatever the old lady pointed at – turned out to be brocciu cheese and lemon pie thing? Ate it leaning against a hot stone wall. Drank a huge bottle of water. Way better than crackers.
Post-Lunch Adventure
Bellies full, headed for Rondinara. This place is a sandy horseshoe. Parked way up top. Walked down a steep dusty path, kicked up clouds like I was in a western movie. Water’s shallow for miles. Perfect for standing around being lazy. Saw a kid build a terrible sandcastle. Felt inspired? Dug a stupidly deep hole with my hands. Buried my legs. Sand stuck everywhere. Was sticky but weirdly satisfied.
Late Afternoon Push
Sun starting to cook. Hit the west coast.
- Saletta: Got lost down tiny farm roads. Felt like trespassing. Parked illegally probably. Beach was small, hidden, packed with locals smoking. Swam fast. Rocky, so put my stupid beach shoes on. Worth it.
- Arone: Found a rocky cliff trail. Slid down on my butt half the time. Secluded tiny cove. Jumped off a rock into dark blue water. Shallow landing? Got lucky.
- Ostriconi: Almost gave up driving through scrubland. River cuts through sand dunes? Wild. Walked forever. Found people camping wild. Beach felt like the moon with weird sand shapes. Watched sunset turn the sand pink. Drank my last warm water.
Heading Back: Smelling Like Sea
Sunburned places I forgot to reapply (shoulders: toast). Trunk full of sand. Hair crunchy. Drank the bottle of warm water rolling around the car floor. Felt like I wrestled the ocean and sorta won. Saw spots from busy postcard traps to hidden rocky patches. My top seven? Itchy. Tired. Stuck peeling later. Helluva beach day.
