The ancient Greeks called Corsica 'Kalliste' - the most beautiful - and today this compliment still rings true thanks to a unique and dramatic landscape of forests, cliffs and mountains that fringe the clear waters and inviting soft white sands running along the coast.

The Coast

Corsica's coastline offers almost 1,000 kilometres of natural beauty and here you will find some of the most wonderful beaches in the Mediterranean. From tiny coves hide between granite bluffs and wide, white sand beaches backed by umbrella pines, to the plunging red granite pinnacles on the west coast and the tortured white cliffs in the far south, a more diverse coastline is certainly hard to find.

The Interior

Perhaps the most elemental sight in Corsica are the mountains; running as a spine down the length of the island. Rising to 2,000 metres (7,000 feet), the highest peaks keep their snow cover until late summer, a dramatic contrast to the sun-lit beaches below. Flanked by deep gorges, echoing with tumbling streams, the higher slopes carry deep, fragrant pine forests, edging down in places to dense chestnut woods and, towards the coast, olive groves and stands of umbrella pines.

The Maquis

The scent of Corsica is the maquis, a scrubland tangle of myrtle, juniper, rosemary, tree heathers, strawberry tree and others. Quick to colonise any uncultivated land, and often virtually impenetrable, the maquis blankets the lower slopes of the hills, its heady scent perfuming the days and nights. Pink and white blooms on the cistus bushes give colour in early summer, while at night it echoes to the plaintive calls of owls.

Corsican Flora & Fauna

Flora and fauna is abundant in Corsica. The Parc Naturel Regional de la Corse, established in 1972, now covers a third of Corsica. This includes sites such a Scandola, the Restonica Valley, the Finocchiarola Isles in the north and the Iles Lavezzi in the south.

The rugged heartland is home to butterflies, dragonflies and hummingbird hawk moths that play over the flowers in gardens and countryside, while lizards and the odd gecko dart in and out of view and unseen cicadas rasp their almost constant chorus. In spring and early summer wild flowers bloom everywhere and the forests host dainty wild cyclamen, with wild orchids scattered here and there.

In the high mountains, you will catch sight of eagles and wild sheep, while elsewhere in the hills pigs and cattle roam free. The ospreys in the world-class marine reserve at Scandola on the west coast require a special expedition.