Reading time: 5 minutes
OUR TRIP: 2 days on site: 20-22 July 2020
WHY GO THERE? For its wine estates, its olive groves, its restaurants featuring local producers.
ACCESSIBILITY: Find all our addresses on our Mapstr map!
Before discovering the beaches of the south, we make a gastronomic (and a bit sportive) stop in Aléria in the heart of Eastern Corsica. Here, it is another conception of tourism which is at work. The various actors are grouped around a newly created Ecotourism charter to put forward the local.
Craftsmen not to be missed
Eastern Corsica is home to many vineyards and olive groves, not to mention the many goats that make excellent cheeses. We tell you about our experiences with some of them!
Marquiliani Estate
At the end of a road in the heart of olive groves, you'll come upon an old building nearly 200 years old. Go through a door and enter the tasting room. Here you can taste rosé, almonds and, above all, oil! They have no less than 6 different types, from the sweetest to the most full-bodied, not forgetting the flavored.
Fromagerie Xavier Baldovini
In the hollow of a bend, between two parades, is the Fromagerie Baldovini. Xavier is a former shepherd and has decided to devote himself to the production of 6 types of cheese for a few years.
Tasting is normally possible but due to the health crisis, it is suspended for the moment.
The cheese factory also offers a cabin, A Casetta di u BandituIt is inaccessible for wheelchairs and each night is 115€ per night.
Mavela Estate
If you're looking for a place to buy Corsican liqueurs, this is it. The Mavela estate has taken over production of the famous Cap Corse in its original bottle - a must! For whisky lovers, the one and onlyP&M Corsican whisky is made on site.
Marquiliani Estate Wine and olive oil tasting. Possibility of a tour of the property. Contact : 04 95 56 64 02 Accessibility : 0/5
Fromagerie Baldovini: Small accessible store. Accessibility : 5/5
Domaine Mavela: Distillery and sales store. It is possible to park right in front of the entrance for our readers in wheelchair. Accessible : 5/5
Eating well is (very) important
These local producers and craftsmen are also suppliers of restaurants in the area. As we have said from the start, eastern Corsica does not leave our palates untouched!
Urbino Restaurant
We arrive just in time to enjoy the sunset. Here, we eat fish, fish and fish! They are caught right next door and the oysters come straight from the Diane pond.
Chez Marie in Corsica
Pascal and Sergio welcome you to this restaurant that doesn't look like much from the outside. Take a look inside and nothing will ever be the same again! Sergio, the Italian chef, works only with local and organic products to help you rediscover the best Italian recipes.
If ever the meal leaves you wanting more, which we assure you it won't, the grocery shop will fill you with happiness! We left with a few souvenirs!
It is also possible to sleep on site (rooms between 60 and 109€). Unfortunately, the rooms are upstairs and not accessible.
U Spurtinu
In the heart of Aléria, enjoy delicious dishes in a setting based around the barrel! The road is completely forgotten and all our attention is focused on the gustatory discovery.
If you wish, they offer picnic baskets to take to the beach! To respect the environment, no plastic bags but wooden baskets.
Urbino's restaurant: Set on stilts above the pond. A unique moment at sunset! Accessibility : 5/5
Chez Marie in Corsica: Good food in an intimate setting... Perfect! Accessibility : 3/5 (the toilets are not accessible)
U Spurtinu: A calm and jazzy atmosphere where our taste buds wake up ! Accessibility 2/5 (we enter on the side of the terrace to avoid the steps of the entrance)
Nature, such an important asset
Etang d'Urbino
A few kilometres south of Aléria, the Urbino pond is one of the largest saltwater ponds in Corsica. Come and enjoy it at sunrise or sunset, the surface of the water is adorned with a thousand colours. In the distance, the peaks of Bavella point the end of their nose, incredible!
Aléria Yacht Club
In the centre of Aléria, a stone's throw from the hotel L'Atrachjata, Denis welcomes you in a good mood at the Centre Nautique d'Aléria. Rent a kayak and go up the Tavignone from west to east. If you are lucky, you will see cistude turtles and bee-eater birds!
Pond of Urbino: A whole course has been laid out along the shore. Accessibility: 5/5
Club Nautique d'Aléria: Single or double kayak rental. Denis will be happy to help you get into the kayak. Price : 30€ for 1h30. Accessibility : 0/5.
A hotel to regain strength
To recover from all these emotions, we found a hotel in the heart of Aléria. Its terrace is perfect for enjoying breakfast and fresh fruit. Unfortunately, it has not signed the ecotourism charter. We tried to find a more responsible accommodation but without success.
Hotel Atrachjata: The hotel has an accessible room equipped with a bathtub. Rate: 69€ per night. Accessibility : 3/5
We leave the east coast and head south south with its heavenly beaches and the citadel of Bonifacio overlooking the sea.
