Corsica family holiday
| country: | France |
| location: | Corsica |
| departures: | 2008: 17 Aug |
| price: | From £895 - £1195 (8 days) per adult and from £845 - £945 per child including flights from the UK. This trip can also be booked without flights. Price depends activities & accommodation chosen. Recommended minimum age is 8 years |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Corsica family holiday: Corsicans are intent on retaining their culture, identity and tradition and with good reason. This is an island of wonderful contrasts with the spectacular mountains of the interior just a 45 minute drive from the dazzling coastline. We combine both sea and mountains to ensure you experience as much as possible of this fabulous island.
This holiday is based in the secluded Restonica Valley but is only a short drive to Corte, the capital of Haute-Corse where you will find bars, restaurants and all the amenities you might need on holiday.
Accommodation: We feature two hotels situated amidst the pine forests and rocky crags of the Restonica Valley in the very heart of Corsica’s mountainous interior. The valley is an idyllic base for rest, relaxation and exploring the island. The hotels are approximately 200 metres apart with an excellent restaurant situated between the two. You will find eateries of every description from pizza to haute cuisine just 5 minutes drive away in Corte.
Les Jardins de la Glaciere is a 2-star hotel with large en-suite bedrooms all of which are air-conditioned, tastefully furnished and include satellite TV. There is a swimming pool and jacuzzi as well as a riverside terrace. Family rooms are available on request.
Hotel Dominique Colonna is a hugely popular 3-star hotel which books up extremely quickly. The large en-suite and air-conditioned bedrooms are superbly decorated and furnished and have either a terrace or balcony. The hotel has a heated swimming pool and a riverside terrace which is the ideal spot for enjoying breakfast and relaxing evening drinks.
This holiday is based in the secluded Restonica Valley but is only a short drive to Corte, the capital of Haute-Corse where you will find bars, restaurants and all the amenities you might need on holiday.
Accommodation: We feature two hotels situated amidst the pine forests and rocky crags of the Restonica Valley in the very heart of Corsica’s mountainous interior. The valley is an idyllic base for rest, relaxation and exploring the island. The hotels are approximately 200 metres apart with an excellent restaurant situated between the two. You will find eateries of every description from pizza to haute cuisine just 5 minutes drive away in Corte.
Les Jardins de la Glaciere is a 2-star hotel with large en-suite bedrooms all of which are air-conditioned, tastefully furnished and include satellite TV. There is a swimming pool and jacuzzi as well as a riverside terrace. Family rooms are available on request.
Hotel Dominique Colonna is a hugely popular 3-star hotel which books up extremely quickly. The large en-suite and air-conditioned bedrooms are superbly decorated and furnished and have either a terrace or balcony. The hotel has a heated swimming pool and a riverside terrace which is the ideal spot for enjoying breakfast and relaxing evening drinks.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Flights, arrival and welcome. On arrival in Corsica, you will collect your hire car and drive to your accommodation. This evening we have an introductory meal in a local restaurant. |
| Day 2: | Canyon discovery. The Massif du Monte Cinto offers some excellent canyoning opportunities. Ours is family friendly and after a 20 minute walk it’s fun all the way down as we jump, swim, dive, slide and abseil downstream. |
| Day 3: | Sea kayaking. Corsica’s coastline is just as stunning as its interior and today you drive to the watersports base at Lozari. After initial instruction, we take to our kayaks and follow the coast exploring the bays and inlets along the way. It may also be possible to try catamaran sailing but strong winds last year meant we had to cancel this activity for safety reasons on a number of occasions. Picnic lunch. |
| Day 4: | Adventure park. Our activity partners in Corsica have built one of the best adventure parks we have come across on our travels. We negotiate more than 30 absorbing tasks designed to test us both mentally and physically. |
| Day 5: | Free day. Explore the island, or try additional activities locally. |
| Day 6: | Picnic trek. The route of our picnic trek may vary depending on the general fitness of the group and our guide will recommend accordingly. So, we may end up on the GR20 or we may take a gentle stroll through the lovely Restonica Valley. Whichever route we follow, one thing is certain, we will see some marvellous scenery. Picnic lunch. |
| Day 7: | Via ferrata and tyrotrekking. Using a series of ladders, cables and bridges (via ferrata) we climb to the summit of a steep rock face. To descend, we use a series of 6 zip wires totalling well over a kilometre of sheer fun and adrenaline. Picnic lunch. |
| Day 8: | Depart or extend your stay. You will head back to the aiport for your return flights or we can arrange longer flight and car hire durations. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Corsica is determined to retain its identity and heritage. Hence, a certain American fast food chain is not permitted to open any outlets anywhere on the island. And, this is a philosophy that is adhered to by our local providers on this stunning island. Tourism is well established on the Corsican Coast but in the less-visited mountainous areas, the economy is weaker and jobs harder to come by.
We work with local providers who want to help redress this imbalance. Indeed, when our local activity suppliers informed local officials of their plans to operate in the mountainous interior, they were told that there was no tourism infrastructure and that the valley could not alter the population drift, especially amongst the younger generations, to the cities and coast. Undetered, our partners perservered and now provide year round employment for a number of guides and other staff as well as facilitating the introduction of environmentally respectful tourists into the little visited, yet stunningly beautiful Asco Valley. The benefit is not just felt by activity providers of course. Local restaurants, bars, shops and accommodation providers are all feeling the economic benefit of increased tourism spend and hence, additional employment opportunities are created. Despite, the increased tourism numbers, our Corsican partners remain fiercely proud of their culture, heritage and natural environment and considerable emphasis is placed on nature’s fragility and the ecology of sensitive areas. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |