Story of My Life in Geneva: Holiday in Corsica

We have just returned from a fabulous vacation in Calvi, Corsica. Before May, we did not know much about Corisca. It was never on our list of places we wanted travel, but our friends, Ashley and Lucasz were planning a trip there, so we decided to tag along. Corsica is an absolutely beautiful island in the Mediterranean Sea, 100 miles South of France and 50 miles West of Italy. It is a part of France and shares the French culture. It was a perfect travel destination for us because it offered kid-friendly beaches, an abundance of hiking trails in the mountains, and amazing weather.

We were there for six days and spent most of our time at the beach, hiking, and in the pool at the house we stayed in. The family we traveled with have two young boys and the kids got along so well. They absolutely loved the beach. They loved playing in the sand and riding the waves. The beaches we visited in Calvi were very shallow- about 100 feet out it was still only four feet deep. A perfect depth for the kids to play in and feel safe.

Calvi Beach Coastline

They had a kid area out in the sea- Adalyn and Jonah loved it!

Playing in the sand-

Some mornings we spent time at the beach, other mornings we went for hikes. The first hike we went on was to visit the Chapelle de Notre Dame de la Serra. The Chapel was rebuilt in the 19th century on the ruins of an earlier sanctuary destroyed during the Siege of Calvi in 1740.

A statue of the Virgin Mary standing on a rock protects the city.

View from the Chapel overlooking Calvi

Hiking buddies-

Our second hike we did was to Village d'Occi. This is a small abandoned village high up in the mountains overlooking Calvi. It was deserted by its inhabitants in the nineteenth century. People are unsure why it was abandoned, but theories are that they either ran out of water or ants drove them out of the village. There were a lot of ants, but I am guessing it was lack of water. There is a church in the village that was restored and during festivals and holidays people still go there to celebrate.

Rocky hiking path-

Enjoying a snack above the sea!

Village d'Occi

Between the beach and hikes, we spent a lot of time in the pool. We were able to find an amazing villa with a pool - which was perfect for relaxing afternoons.

Adalyn and Jonah swimming-

One night, we were able to get a babysitter, and just the adults were able to go out to dinner. We ate at a restaurant in the middle of nature amongst the most beautiful scenery, U Nichjaretu. It was an intense thirty minute drive through the mountains to get there, winding through the mountains with one side a cliff leading to the sea, but once we got there it was definitely worth the scary ride.