An unforgettable family holiday in Corsica

I've always imagined finding the Mediterranean paradise in my mind's eye – the cliché of golden sandy beaches and turquoise-clear water, where every day the sun shines over postcard-perfect vistas, the food's more than stimulating and the locals friendly, especially to the kids!

So to actually find myself in the La Balagne region of Corsica which realised all these daydreamed visions filled me with a feeling of intense excitement, coupled with annoyance – why hadn't we found this paradise earlier? All those holidays we've wasted in so-so places when we could've been here!

I knew the holiday was going to be special as soon as our chartered flight touched down, as I got a frisson of adrenaline just walking to the carpark. A snatched glimpse of the coastline as the plane came into land revealed miles of beaches, turquoise water and several picturesque hillside villages. We'd travelled in late September, mainly to avoid the school holiday crowds and also to escape the worst of the heat. At this time of year the climate was perfect – we enjoyed a full week of sunshine in the mid to high 20s, with not a single drop of rain.

The majority of people on our flight were in the 'mature' age group – there to hike over the rugged terrain judging by the sturdy walking boots on display. But there were also a few younger couples on a romantic excursion and then people like us – families with young children. Corsica attracts a more sophisticated traveller than most European destinations, simply because no budget airline flies directly there. You can fly to Nice or Paris and get a connecting flight, or arrive via Sardinia, but to get a direct flight from the UK to Corsica costs a little more and this means that stag weekends, groups of clubbers and the like tend to keep away. But this is a good thing!

I travelled with my husband and our two daughters (aged three, and four months). We bought a holiday package from Corsican Places which meant the price covered the direct flight from London to Calvi airport, the stress-free car rental, the toddler car seat hire and the villa rental for a full week.

The benefits of buying your holiday as a package rather than piece-by-piece are worth considering. For one, the tour operator is covered for any odd eventuality such as cancelled flights or, in our case, plumbing problems. This meant that the humble two-bedroom villa we'd originally booked ended up being upgraded days before we flew to a five-bedroom (!) luxury pad (more on that later). Another good reason is that the package is designed to run smoothly – for example, operators correspond regularly so there are no surprises, and they know the size of car you should hire for the terrain (don't skimp if you have kids – you need a lot of boot space for all that extra paraphernalia) and they provide a representative on the ground to greet you off the plane and see you onto your flight.

The rep also popped out to the house to make sure that everything was in order – from our welcome pack (food and supplies to tide us over until we could make it to the supermarket) to the finer points of the house. How many times have you sat in your villa trying to understand the instructions for the washing machine in French? This extra service made up for any quibbling about saving a few pounds by booking the separate components of the holiday ourselves.

On to the nitty gritty – we stayed near Lumio, a charming rustic hillside town 10 minutes' drive from Calvi airport. Our road snaked down the hillside all the way to the sea. It was at the end of this road that we arrived on our first night as the sun was setting, and fortunately the place was all but deserted. We walked along the warm golden sand as the sky turned orangy pink and marvelled at the sparkly lights of Calvi across the harbour.

By the time the sun had hit the horizon we were hungry so ventured into the Mata Hari restaurant perched on the beach. First impressions - it looked like a traditional beach hut with a thatched roof and cabanas lined up outside, but the white tablecloths were a clue to the quite-fantastic fare on offer. Hubby and I had decided on the three-course set menu at a reasonable €22… but then the specials board came out. Loaded with delights from Japanese tuna to grilled fresh sea bass and traditional dishes including sardines stuffed with the local cheese, we decided to throw caution to the wind.

This meal was indicative of all the food we enjoyed in Corsica – all of it featuring a huge selection of delicious seafood, and a reasonably priced wine list. What's more, everywhere we went was child friendly. Most places had full kids' menus and those that didn't were happy to accommodate us – the Mata Hari gave our three-year-old the most delicious penne ever to pass her lips, simply done with very fine olive oil.

We had recommendations from friends and the latest edition of the 'Rough Guide to Corsica' so we did a few touristy things, but not nearly enough! In fact, after a week of being there we'd spent less than €20 on diesel. We did manage a trip to the undercover market in Ille Rousse (open daily until about 1pm – good for cheap wine, cheese and fresh fruit and veg), as well as a trip to Algajola to see the beach (wow – such clear, warm water!) and have lunch at U Castellu - go on a clear day and dine outside in the courtyard next to the picture-perfect castello (which is sadly closed to the public).

There were lots of wineries we didn't frequent as the supermarkets had plenty of drinkable local bottles for only a few euros. A few hours spent wandering around the charming town of Calvi felt magical – the restaurants dotted along the harbour all looked inviting, but we found plenty of great establishments in the back streets as well and ended up having a superb three-course lunch at La Santa Maria in the little square next to the church, for less than €20 each.

Most of our time was spent enjoying our fantastic holiday home which featured five bedrooms, a 32in widescreen TV, six toilets, an infinity pool and a built-in barbecue. Even the food we cooked on the barbecue tasted incredible – marinated prawns, grilled mackerel and sea bass, sticky ribs, all washed down with gallons of the local rosé and Pietra beer. Normally when I go on holiday I tend to live out of my suitcase, but this villa was so fantastic I wanted to make it home and immediately unpacked everything into the wardrobes (floor to ceiling height in every bedroom - loads of space - most of them fully mirrored too).

Both the kids loved swimming every day and then splashing about in the enormous bathtub in one of the en suites. The sunsets were jaw dropping, and we got to enjoy them from every aspect of the house as the view was west-facing across the harbour.

In all I can't wait to go back next summer – hopefully we can manage two weeks next time so we can spend time exploring more of Corsica!

Find out more
Kay travelled with leading independent specialist Corsican Places. Seven nights at Villa Horatio in Lumio starts from £733 per person, based on eight sharing and includes return flights from Gatwick, car hire and a superior welcome hamper.

For more information please call the experienced Reservations team on 0845 330 2059 or visit www.corsica.co.uk/travel

Additional London and regional departures are available. Please ask reservations for more details.

Originally published in 2007; updated in 2009

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