The Insiders' Guide to St. Barths: long overdue Corsica trip report

Spent about nine days in Corsica this summer as part of an extended trip to France/Italy. It was an incredible place. For everyone that bemoans changes in SBH, this place is worth a look. Even in the height of the August high season over there it was lively but not overcrowded with food and lodging generally a very good value.

We flew business class from IAD for not much more than it costs to go in first to SBH and charter with St. Barth Commuter. With the time changes, we left DC at dinner time and were having lunch on Corsica the next day.

We split our time between Calvi in the north and Bonafacio in the south. Both great destinations. There is a great mix of incredible scenery, history and the french food, culture and attitude that everyone loves in SBH. The arrival by water in Bonafacio is incredible. The town is hidden amongst limestone cliffs. Beaches in the south are amazing. White sand and water color tat would rival the Caribbean

We have spent considerable time along the coast of mainland france (St. Tropez, Cannes, Monaco etc.... This place is different. Far fewer Americans. Very little english spoken among visitors. Plenty of big yachts, but less of a see and be seen sort of vibe. Love it or hate it, not a Nikki Beach to be seen.

I will say, that if you ever doubt the authenticity of SBH, when you go to coastal france and the islands you see the same stores, same products and same presentation.

Food was uniformly amazing. Lots of local products and very earthy in composition and presentation. Wonderful grilled meats, seafood and fresh produce.

We found the experience to very much like SBH with more history culture and better value. The value is my issue right now with SBH. I don't worry so much about casinos or restaurants coming and going. The last few trips to SBH the value in the dining, lodging and overall service was not consistent with the pricing. We had no such experience in Corsica.

As an aside, we spent the remainder of the trip on the italian riviera which is equally interesting. If you are looking for an alternative beach/water french oriented vacation, Corsica is worth a look.