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Calvi, Corsica Guide | |
| This delightful seaside resort on Corsica's northwest side is easy to get to, but difficult to leave once you've experienced its beauty and pleasure. | ||
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Calvi, 113 km (70 miles, 2-hour drive) southwest of Bastia (map), is among Corsica's prettiest and most fun seaside destinations. The people here boast that Calvi was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), when the town was governed by the Republic of Genoa. (Like Napoléon, another Corsican by birth, Columbus may not have been proud of his provincial birth and may have downplayed it.) What to See & DoWater sports are Calvi's strong suit: swimming, boating, sailing, diving, etc. At the end of the day, install yourself at an outdoor table along the seafront for drinks, conversation and dinner. The giant Citadelle is the big site in Calvi, a virtual village-in-itself, constructed that way by the Republic of Genoa in 1278 and 1491, when this part of Corsica was Genoese. Some citizens of Calvi still live in the Citadelle, which is also the home of the French Foreign Legion's 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment. Also have a look at the Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste within the Citadelle's mighty walls.
TransportAs a popular seaside resort, Calvi is easy to reach by plane, train, road and ship. FlightsThe Aéroport de Calvi - Sainte-Catherine is 7 km (4.4 miles) southeast of the harbor and town center of Calvi (map). It serves Air Corsica, Air France, Eurowings, Hop!, and other flights from Brussels, Bodeaux, Cologne, Geneva, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse and several other European cities. TrainTrains of the Chemins de fer de la Corse connect Calvi with Île-Rousse and Ponte-Leccia, where you can connect with the main line serving Bastia, Corte, Ajaccio and numerous smaller towns along the routes. More... BusCorsica Bus connects Calvi with Île-Rousse, Ponte Leccia, Bastia and points along the way. More... CarYou can easily hire/rent a car in Calvi or at the airport. Remember that Corsica is mostly mountainous, and driving between two towns is not at all as the crow flies. For example, the 113-km (70-mile) journey by car between Calvi and Bastia takes at least two hours (average speed of 55 to 60 km/hr; 35 mph). Where to StayCalvi has dozens of good hotels. Find yours using the Hotel Search Box to the right—>.
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