|
Calvi:
Centuries ago the ever smart romans allready discovered, that the Golfe de Calvi (gulf of Calvi) and itīs peninsula at the northwest is a very nice place to stay. A long and exciting history left a nice historic town at a beautifull stretch of beach. The uptown with itīs citadelle was until recently occupied by the french legion. Now You can stroll through the nice narrow streets and when You climb the walls of the fortress You have a fantastic view over downtown with itīs busy harbour, the wide bay and the mountainous hinterland with the highest peak of corsica. From winter far into spring the than snow covered Monte Cinto gives a stunning contrast to the deep blue of the bay and the splendid green of the hills around the bay.
Down town has all the things that tourists need. Lotīs of cafeīs at the seaside promenade offer a comfortable view at the marina and the going and comming of the ferries serving the route Corsica - continent (Marseille, Toulon, Nizza, Genova). Bars, shops and restaurants in the old town give plenty of distraction.
Around the historic part of town are plenty of campgrounds, small hotels and holiday villages, so the infrastructure is perfect and makes Calvi a very good basecamp for exploring the region.
The beaches of the Golfe the Calvi are of fine sand. The only “hazard” is the historic train, which rolls very slow on the rails just behind the beach. The bay close to Calvi is sheltered from sometimes stormy winds from the west and northwest (Mistral). Further east in the bay there is more exposure to wind and waves but itīs still comfortable compared to the rocky coast around Algajola to the east or the westcoast which get the full furor of winter storms.
windsurfing: dominant winds from the southwest, west and northwest (Mistral) can get pretty solid but they come over land so the bay than offers more comfortable conditions with little to no waves. Good for beginner and intermediate sailors as long as the winds donīt get too strong (what they sometimes do!). Northeast brings cool to cold air, sun and fun wavesailing conditions in easy waves. The perfect sideshore (from the right) orientation of this wind direction is good for jumping and little frontside waveslashing.
kiteboarding: the wide beaches and small waves give excellent fun kiting conditions. Summer breazes are usually strong enough for an afternoon session with the big kites.
surfing: the eastern part of the bay gets some of the west / northwest swell. Northeast brings small waves all over the bay. If Youīre allready here and have a longboard it might make sens to get wet. If You want real waves, You have to explore the region around Algajola
other activities: sailing, diving, mountainbiking, hiking, horseriding, there is plenty to do when the winds and waves do not cooperate.
More pictures in the gallery. Basic data on the weather and seasons at the info board.
|
