Corsica

The most attractive island in the Mediterranean is also one of the highest since more than half the land is above 400 metres. Corsica's perched villages were originally built on small hillocks to withstand the onslaught of enemy invasions, led first by the Byzantines and subsequently by the Moors and the Genoese.
The area will hold special appeal for amateur archaeologists, who will be eager to study the menhirs in Filitosa, the monoliths in Pallagiu and the Roman ruins in Aléria, not to mention the stone towers testifying to five centuries of Genoese domination.
If you choose to visit Corsica via the coast, before starting out, you should make a point of heading for the scorching Agriates Desert near Saint Florent. Then your peregrinations will take you to the Calvi citadel, Scandola, the finest reserve for marine fauna in the whole of Europe, the Porto golf course, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the rocky creeks at Piano, basking in the golden sunlight. Approaching the southern tip of the island, you will discover the imposing cliffs of Bonifacio before reaching Porto-Vecchio and its heavenly beaches dotted with small inlets ideal for sunbathing. Heading north, you will admire the wild coastline that echoes the contours of Cap Corse. All along your route, you will be guided by the intoxicating fragrance of Mediterranean flowers - lavender, arbutus, myrtle and oleander, to name but a few.
If you decide to venture inland, do not fail to visit the olive groves in Haute Balagne, the old sheepfolds at Niolo, Aitone Forest or the Aiguilles de Bavella. And you may expect to see some unusual road companions in the form of wild pigs! Take time to stop in a small mountain village and settle beneath a centuries-old plane tree to tuck into jugged wild boar, a delicious selection of cheeses and a traditional dessert made with chestnut flour.