Ajaccio (Corsica)

This Month in Ajaccio (Corsica):

Sightseeing: Explore hidden side streets of Ajaccio and find the quirky Musée a Bandera, which offers an insight into Corsican history up until World War Two (1 Rue du Général Lévie, tel: 0495 510 734).

Ajaccio (Corsica) News & Gossip

Aquatic Odyssey

BASEL

Take the plunge on a white-water rafting trip down the Rhine River from CHF 100 (€75) per person Taking to the water is the best way to see outstanding beauty spots and pretty Swiss villages bordering the Rhine Gorge - Switzerland's own Grand Canyon. Tel: +41(0)81 911 5250, www.swissraft.ch

Hotel For fabulous views of the Rhine, stay at Hotel Hecht from €97. Book at www.hotels.easyJet.com

Drink Head to trendy open-air lounge bar Chill am Rhy for cool drinks under the shade of the imposing Münster Cathedral. Riverside, next to the cathedral

Culture When night falls, grab a beer and head to the Imfluss Festival to watch local bands play on a spectacular floating stage on the Rhine. From 27 July; 13 Rheingasse, www.imfluss.ch

AJACCIO (CORSICA)

Explore coves and brilliant azure-blue seas in a boat from €300 per day Look out for dolphins, then dive in for some snorkelling or moor up and sunbathe. Sun Boat, 46 Rue de Boniface, Porto Vecchio, www.sunboatlocation.com

Route We fly from Basel to Ajaccio on Saturdays and Sundays.

Hotel Stay at the central Napoleon, near the beautiful Gulf of Ajaccio, from €99. Book at www.hotels.easyJet.com

Beach Bask like a seal in the sun on fine white sand at Palombaggia. With beautiful pine trees and crystal-clear waters, it was voted by The Sunday Times as one of Europe's top-20 beaches. Porto Vecchio

Detox Relax and enjoy the views in a spring-fed Roman bath that boasts healing properties. Bains de Caldane, Sainte Lucie de Tallano, tel: +33 (0)4 9577 0034

OLBIA

Discover Sardinia's vibrant underwater world on a diving tour from €36 The island's marine reserves are home to shipwrecks, rare corals, and other wonders. Porto San Paolo Dive Center, 14A Via Pietro Nenni, www.portospaolodiving.it

Route Hire a car at www.easyJet.com and drive to Bonifacio, then take a high-speed Corsica Ferry to Santa Teresa in Sardinia. The journey takes an hour. www.corsica-ferries.fr

Hotel At Pozzo Sacro, every suite has breathtaking sea views, from €139.

Book at www.hotels.easyJet.com

Relax For a truly glam beach day, head to Fiat Playa for its Jacuzzi, bar, DJs and cocktails. Porto Rotondo, Punta Marana Dinner Enjoy specialities such as Catalan-style lobster on the beachfront terrace at Da Tonino, Tavolara Island. Ferries from Porto San Paolo; tel: +39 0789 58570

CAGLIARI

For a slice of paradise, relax with a sundowner at a wonderfully intimate Sardinian cove from €6 Paillote Beach Club has incredible views, plus a restaurant, bar and private beach. Viale Calamosca, Calafighera, www.lapaillote.it

Route Drive from Olbia to Cagliari. We fly from Cagliari to Basel on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Hotel Stay at Hotel Panorama overlooking the "Gulf of Angels", from €108. Book at www.hotels.easyJet.com

Dinner For traditional Sardinian pasta, seafood and meat dishes, including porcheddu (suckling pig) try Opera Prima. 9 Via Campidano, tel: +39 070 684 619

Party Sip cocktails with the hip crowd at rooftop bar Caffè degli Spiriti and enjoy spectacular views over Cagliari, then party in the nightclub. Bastione St Remy

Ajaccio (Corsica) Trivia

• May: Well-known French actor and cabaret star Tino Rossi was born in Ajaccio. He is best known for his role in Marinella and the classic French Christmas song "Petit Papa Noel".

• April: In Corscia, vendetta was a once social code, which required Corsicans to kill anyone who betrayed their family honour. Between 1821 and 1852, approximately 4,300 murders were committed on the island.

• February: Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio in 1769, and the island boasts several streets named after him, as well as statues and even a museum.

• Print page
• Email page
• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Google
• Reddit
• Technorati
• Twitter
• Yahoo!