Holidays in Ghisonaccia, Corsica
Perle de la Costa Serena
Tourist Attractions in Ghisonaccia
Halfway between Porto-Vecchio, the “city of salt”, and Bastia, the ancient citadel of the Genoese governors, Ghisonaccia was once the departure point for shepherds and their flocks on their annual transhumance. The village is now one of the pearls of the Costa Serena for tourists in search of sun, beach, turquoise sea and nature on the Isle of Beauty. Residents of the Perla di Mare holiday club can reach the centre of the village in just a few minutes on foot or by bike, where they will find all the shops, administrative services and amenities they need for a successful stay between the sea and the mountains. While the summer months in Ghisonaccia are usually very popular, spring and autumn are less crowded, but still offer mild temperatures and the constant spectacle of unspoilt flora and fauna.
Between land and sea, discover Ghisonaccia
Must-see sites in Ghisonaccia
In the village of Ghisonaccia itself stands the small white church of Saint-Michel, which boasts neo-Byzantine frescoes depicting biblical scenes on the ceiling of its nave. For history buffs, the A Bandera museum recounts Corsica‘s military past, while the Ghisonaccia municipal library presents temporary art exhibitions. A renowned market for local producers is held every week in the Place de la Mairie. As for the beaches, there is a succession of vast stretches of fine sand with lifeguards on duty in summer, including Vignale beach, on the edge of the Pinia forest, home to the island’s conservatory of natural areas, where Corsican deer hide amongst the holm oaks, as well as Pinia beach, Oru beach and Erba Rossa beach. Nearby, nestling in a setting of maritime pines, is the vast Urbino pond, a meeting place for pink flamingos, grey herons and other rare birds. According to the locals, this is a must for any visit to Ghisonaccia.
Landscape and nature conservation
The camping village Haute Corse is located in the heart of the Conservatoire du littoral de la Plaine Orientale, right in the centre of Ghisonaccia. This area offers unique environmental protection. The coastline stretches for fifty kilometres between the mouth of the Travu (to the south) and the mouth of the Alesani (to the north).
There are7 intervention sites, namely the mouth of the Travu, the Pinia forest, the Palu and Gradugine ponds, the Urbinu pond, the Del Sale marsh and Terrenzana. The aim is to organise the management of each of these sites on a permanent basis, to welcome the public to each site and to improve the quality of the landscape.
The Palu-Gradugine pond is regularly open to fishermen and is a real tool for environmental education. There is also a footpath for those wishing to explore the Palu peninsula.
The Etang d’Urbinu, the second largest pond in Corsica, is owned by the Conservatoire du Littoral. In the open air, interpretation panels and artefacts explain the history and characteristics of the pond. In this beautiful corner of France, the major challenge
is to enable the pond to be used in a sustainable way for fishing and shellfish farming (oysters and shellfish).
Located to the south of Aleria, adjoining the Urbinu pond, the Pinia forest is a real jewel for the region, as it is the only maritime pine forest on the Corsican coast. The maritime pines are likely to disappear over the next few years due to the arrival of disease, and so the Conservatoire du Littoral is anticipating this phenomenon by thinning out the trees to favour other forest species, in this case the oak.
A redevelopment project is underway to meet the fundamental needs of conserving the landscape and natural areas, as well as new activities such as running, mountain biking and Nordic walking.
The Travu river mouth is a landscape that changes with the seasons and the years. Thanks tothe presence of the air base nearby , the coastline has been preserved. Access remains highly restricted during operational periods.
The Marais del Sale is separated from the sea by a sandy lido that used to be wooded with maritime pines, and has been classified as a French game reserve since 1951. The main aim is to preserve the balance between fresh and salt water.
The Etang de Terrenzana is very wild and has a high level of scrubland, which is exceptional on the east coast. Coastal guards maintain the paths and offer themed tours of the site , particularly during Heritage Days. Throughout the year, you can see the “shepherd’s hut” reconstructed by the Conservatoire du Littoral using photographs and
.
Leisure activities in Ghisonaccia
land and sea activities
Jet-ski trips to Porto-Vecchio or lazy pedal-boat rides, water-skiing or scuba-diving lessons, catamaran or canoe hire are all on offer from the two watersports clubs in Ghisonaccia, close to our campsite village on the Corsican coast. Hiking along the mountain paths of Ghisonaccia will take the inveterate walker to the chapel of Saint-Antoine, the bubbling Macini waterfall or the Col de la Croix. Fans of aerial sports can choose between a first flight in a glider or a microlight flight with a panoramic view of the magnificent landscapes of this region of France. Tandem parachute jumps are reserved for the more intrepid. Unless they opt for canyoning or acrobatic treetop adventure courses in the wild valleys. For the more contemplative, Ghisonaccia offers courses in nocturnal astronomy and model-building.
Discover Corsican gastronomy in Ghisonaccia
Gastronomy and souvenir shopping
As well as the traditional restaurants and pizzerias in the village of Ghisonaccia, gourmets can sample hearty local menus washed down with local nectars in the farmhouse inns nestling in the hinterland on the banks of a river, to find out more about the delights of Corsican gastronomy. For lovers of seafood and fish, the Urbinu floating farm offers mussels, local oysters and the catch of the day, for a unique journey with iodised notes. Taste Corsican gastronomy during your stay in Ghisonaccia. Before you go back on holiday, you’ll want to do some gourmet shopping at the region’s producers of charcuterie and ewe’s milk cheeses , olive oils with the scent of the maquis and sweets made with chestnut flour. Bring back a few bottles of Cave de Saint-Antoine wine from the Vignerons de Saint Antoine vineyard from your holiday in Ghisonaccia. With its tender, flavoursome aromatic grape variety, this wine has received positive reviews from wine lovers and has won several awards. Among the souvenir gifts to bring back are the traditional olive-wood shepherd’s knife, the famous Moor’s head from the Corsican flag, surrounded by a white bandana and used as a keyring, on a T-shirt or a mug, and organic essential oils of clementine, immortelle and myrtle that will bring back memories of an enchanted interlude on the Costa Serena.
Continue your tour of the Corsican villages and discover Porto Vecchio, Calvi, Bastia, Bonifacio, Ile-Rousse, Propriano, Aleria, Sari Solenzara and Corsican gastronomy.
