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September 3 – Porticcio
Arrive at
Ajaccio Port by ferry either from Nice or Marseilles or at
Ajaccio Airport (Campo dell Oro) by air and transfer by van to
our hotel on the beach at Porticcio. The rest of the day can be
used to assemble bikes, visit the beach, or perhaps take a small
ferry to Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon. It is also possible
to explore the scenic Prunelli gorges by bicycle.
September 4 – Zicavo, 43mi, 4300ft, -or- 52mi, 4900ft elevation
gain
Corsica is a mountain range in the sea. We start today's ride
along the coast before climbing into the interior with its scrub
vegetation, forests, and mountain peaks. As we climb through
wooded areas, there are ever expanding views of the sea. It is
possible to detour to visit the prehistoric site of Filitosa
(about 3500 - 1400 B.C.) with carved stone menhirs. Our destination is the
small village of Zicavo, a hiking center at 2400'.
September 5 – Corte, 52mi, 4300ft
Today we head north along the mountainous spine of the island
through mountain valleys and over the Col de Verde (4200')
before dropping down to Ghisoni at 2200', for lunch.
Continuing through the forest, we climb the Col de Sorba
(4300'), where there are great views of Monte d'Oro (7800'), and
then descend to Corte, our destination for the night. Corte was
the capital of an essentially independent Corsica governed by
Pasquale Paoli from 1755 - 1769. Paoli was an enlightened
leader who established a university at Corte. The old town and
the citadel are worth visiting. If you have a few miles left in
your legs at the end of the day, then ride up the Gorges de la
Restonica as far as you like. This is a wonderful mountain
valley and many regard this as the islands most dramatic road.
September 6 – Porto, 58mi, 4800ft
Today we
have an incredible ride through gorges and mountains with
breathtaking scenery. We head north from Corte (1400') to the
Golo Valley and the Scala di Santa Regina, one of the most
famous and wild defiles in the island. This is the start of a
wonderful, gentle climb to the Col de Vergio (4850', the highest
pass in Corsica). The view of the high mountains is fantastic.
After the col, there is a 21 mile downhill run to Porto on the
coast. The road down is a corniche road with incredible views
into the Spelunca Gorges several thousand feet below. Lunch is
available at Evisa.
September 7 – Porto, Rest day, or 15mi, 1500ft –or- 64mi,
7000ft
Loop ride. Just south of Porto are the Calanches, craggy red
rocks with weird shapes, rising 1400' above the sea. The
Calanches are a major tourist attraction so it best to visit
them in the morning before the tourist buses arrive. After a
short ride south to see the Calanches and perhaps have coffee at
Piana, one can return to Porto for a rest day on the beach.
Another alternate is to cycle along the coast to the Greek town
of Cargese and then loop back to Evisa to revisit the fantastic
Spelunca gorges.
September 8 – Calvi, 51mi, 2800ft
Our
tour of Corsica has more tiny winding roads than just about any
tour anywhere, and today’s ride is no exception. The road north
from Porto is a corniche road, which climbs very gently above
the sea with stunning views. We climb to the Col de la Croix
(1300'), which is the boundary between north and south Corsica.
After Le Fango, where lunch is possible, the road hugs the coast
with more wonderful views of the sea. Calvi is a resort town
with lovely restaurants along the waterfront. The old town and
citadel, where according to legend Christopher Columbus was
born, are worth visiting.
September 9 – St Florent, 57mi, 3200ft –or- 67mi, 5000ft
Today's road is amazing. From Calvi we head to St. Florent but
instead of following the busy red road along the shore, we head
inland through a desert area to an area known as the Balange.
The Balange is an agricultural area and has many small villages
that look like transplants from Italy. The seemingly level road
clings to the side of the mountain with great views. Lunch is
available at Belgodore. This is the town where Maurice Utrillo
lived before World War I selling paintings of the surrounding
villages and churches. After lunch, we cycle through the Desert
des Agriates, a deserted dry area. Be sure your water bottles
are filled at lunch.
September 10 – Bastia, 69mi, 4600ft, -or- 55mi 4000ft
Another fantastic ride along the sea as we ride along the entire
coast of Cap Corse. The rolling cliff road along the west coast
is beautiful with great views of the sea and stunning beaches
with black sand. There are a few towns here and opportunities
for coffee. Nonza is the most interesting, a Genoese town
perched on a cliff and birthplace of Ste. Julie, patron saint of
Corsica who as a young girl refused to participate in a pagan
ritual and was crucified. After rounding the tip of the
peninsula, the road on the east coast is flat. Often there is a
wonderful tailwind helping us along for the last 22 miles.
September 11 – Bastia, rest day, or 35mi, 3700ft, -or- 14mi,
1000ft
Today we have a well-deserved rest day. Bastia was founded by
the Genoese and has an Italian flavor. It was the most
important town in Corsica until 1769 when the French took over
and made Ajaccio their center. Today Bastia is the capital of
north Corsica and a center of commerce. The old port and the
Genoese citadel are of interest. There is a good bike shop
where it may be possible to get a 'Corsica, l'Ile de Beauté'
jersey with the Moor's head symbol on it. It may also be
possible to take a ride on the 'Little Train', a slow
narrow-gauge railway that offers superb scenery as it traverses
the interior of the island.
September 12 – Piedicroce, 44mi, 2200ft, -or- 64mi, 3300ft
We return
to the mountains today. The ride starts by cycling through
downtown Bastia and then along a narrow strip of land between
the Mediterranean and the Etang de Biguglia. We ride past la
Canonica, site of a Roman colony. We return to the mountains at
Cervione and enter the Castagniccia ("small chestnut grove")
area. The road from Cervione to Piedicroce is another wonderful
corniche road that hugs the mountainside and climbs very
gently. There is not much between Cervione and Pedicroce so be
sure to fill your water bottles and buy supplies earlier. Our
destination, the Hotel le Refuge, is a family-owned hotel that
features wonderful dishes made from chestnuts.
September 13 – Corte, 48mi, 3300ft, -or- 73mi, 6000ft
At
Piedicroce, be sure to visit the Eglise St Pierre et St. Paul, a
baroque church dating from 1761 with a magnificent interior.
Its organ is oldest pipe organ in Corsica. We descend past the
Couvent d'Orrezza, where Paoli and Napoleon met in 1790, and
Morosaglia, birthplace of Paoli. As the crow flies, Corte is
only 13 miles from Piedicroce so that should give you an idea of
how winding and circuitous our 48-mile route is. We spend most
of the day on twisting, gently graded, small roads traversing
the rugged mountainsides with plenty of great views.
September 14 – Solenzara, 53mi, 3500ft
It's back
to the coast today; again most of the riding will be on the
usual small winding roads. After some early morning climbing,
most of the rest of the day will be a long gradual downhill
descending to the coastal plain. Lunch is available at a
hotel-restaurant in Abbazia. Solenzara was only recently a
sleepy fishing village, but the tourist trade has been attracted
to its beautiful setting, rocky coastline and beautiful sandy
beaches. Now it is a full service tourist village, but still
beautiful.
September 15 – Porto-Vecchio, 50mi, 5100ft
Today's ride is the biggest climb of the tour and perhaps the
best ride. We climb to the Col de Bavella at 4100' . The
scenery is the most spectacular of the tour with granite needles
that tower above the road. The Michelin Green Guide gives the
Bavella its highest rating - three stars - and they are well
deserved. Lunch is available at the Auberge de Bavella or in
Zonza on the way down. The descent is spectacular - relatively
gentle with wonderful views of the sea and cork forests. Our
destination, Porto Vecchio, is a seaside resort with a wonderful
harbor.
September 16 – Porto-Vecchio, rest day, or 43mi, 1100ft
This is
another rest day with many options. It is possible to ride to
Bonifacio , which is a great destination for lunch. It has a
fantastic harbor and is the place described in the Odyssey
where Ulysses made landfall. The old town and citadel are
perched high above the harbor on dramatic limestone cliffs. The
French Foreign Legion has a garrison at the citadel and there is
a monument to the Foreign Legion. There are wonderful places
for lunch both along the harbor and in the old town high above
the sea. However, Porto Vecchio is a great place to rest and
relax, do some shopping, or hit the beach
September 17 – Porto Pollo, 55mi, 4100ft
Today we leave the coast and climb inland. We visit the
beautiful village of Sainte Lucie de Tallano, with its
distinctive roofscape. This was the domain of a Corsican clan
chief, Rinuccio della Rocca, who amassed an impressive
collection of Renaissance art, with most of it donated to the
local church. This is an area of fruit trees and vineyards.
After Propriano, a major boating center, we cycle along the
coast and through olive and fig groves to Porto Pollo, a small
seaside resort.
September 18 – Porticcio, 30mi, 100ft, -or- 50mi, 3500ft
This is the last day of our tour and one can return to Porticcio
either along the coast or inland through the wooded hills and
then along the coast.. The prehistoric site of Filitosa is
definitely worth a visit if you take the longer route. There
will be plenty of time for lunch overlooking the beach and to
pack bicycles prior to departure.
September 19 – Departure
Van transportation is provided to the Ajaccio airport or
ferry
COST $2900.00 per person based on Double Occupancy
$500.00 Single room supplement
INCLUDES:
·2-4 star Hotel Accommodations
·Breakfast daily (except arrival day)
·Dinner daily (except for two nights and arrival/departure days)
·Airport transfers from/to Ajaccio airport
·Bike mechanic and van
support with cellular phone
·Ground transportation for all passengers, luggage & bikes
·Regional map plus detailed daily route maps & cue sheets
NOT INCLUDED:
·International airfare
·Tips, gratuities, laundry, telephone, & items of a personal
nature.
·Lunches and alcoholic beverages (a supplemental fee will be
charged for those who want wine with dinner, and can be prepaid
before departure)
PRE-TRIP PLANNING
Our informative 'Tour Guide' booklet will be sent upon receipt of your secondary deposit
of $500.00, due by March 1, containing information on what to bring, how to pack your bike for flying, equipment list, and changing currencies. All participants must possess a current passport.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Erickson Cycle Tours strongly recommends purchasing insurance for trip cancellation, injury, illness & loss of effects. A traveler’s insurance brochure will be included with your confirmation letter.
AIRFARE
We offer the services of
our travel agent, Rogue Travel, in obtaining economical,
expedient air reservations, and we are happy to assist with pre-
and post-tour accommodations. Please contact Shannon or
Steven for flight information:
800.443.9216 or shannon@mind.net
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