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September 7 – 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 8 – 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 2400ft altitude.
September 9 – 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 10 – 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 11 – 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 12 – 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 13 – 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 14 – 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 15 – 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 16 – 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 17 – 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 18 – 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 19 – 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 la 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 plenty of twists and turns and
wonderful views of the sea. Our destination, Porto Vecchio, is
a seaside resort with a wonderful harbor and a great hilltop
village.
September 20 – Olmeto - 55mi, 5500ft
Today we leave the coast and climb inland, back
up the beautiful descent of yesterday to Zonza. Here we begin a
very long , gradual downhill run. 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 too our
wonderfully situated hotel. Dinner will be served on the patio
overlooking the Mediterranean and Propriano in the distance.
September 21 – Olmeto - Rest day or loop ride,
20mi, 2400ft
Our hotel sits on a cliff above the sea, so the
views are immense. There is a walkway down to a private beach
where the sun is hot and the water is warm, perfect for a
relaxing afternoon of swimming and sunbathing. Our ride for the
day is to Fillitosa, Corsica’s most famous prehistoric site.
The ride will easily get us back to the hotel for some serious
afternoon relaxing at the beach.
September 22 – Porticcio - 32mi, 2000ft, -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 our farewell dinner tonight.
September 23 – Departure
Van transportation is provided to the Ajaccio
airport or ferry
COST:
$3525 per person based on double occupancy
$550 single room
supplement
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 |
