Corsica looks compact on a map, yet its mountainous interior changes how a journey feels. A drive between nearby-looking places can involve slow, winding roads rather than a quick coastal hop. Plan around realistic journey times and a few regional bases instead of trying to cross the island every day.
The island belongs to France and sits in the Mediterranean between the French mainland and Italy, just north of Sardinia. Its contrasts are close together but not interchangeable: harbours and citadels face the sea, chestnut-covered inland slopes lead toward high ridges, and the south opens onto limestone cliffs and coves. Aerial views compress these landscapes into one frame; on the ground, each change of terrain reshapes the route, weather and pace of a visit.
