Empty coastal roads, green mountains, the sea always in view – and all of that in April: from 19 to 25 April 2026 we were out on our road bikes in Corsica . A short trip, but simply perfect for us. In five days we rode around 532 kilometres and 8,400 metres of climbing – and I can tell you: Corsica is an absolute road cycling paradise.
Our Corsica trip
- When
- 19–25 April 2026
- Riding days
- 5
- Distance
- approx. 532 km
- Elevation gain
- approx. 8,400 m
- Getting there
- VW van & ferry
- Water
- approx. 15–16 °C
Getting there: by van and ferry
We drove our VW van to Livorno and took the ferry to Bastia from there. In Bastia we swapped cars, because Tom was doing a shoot for Audi – so for the next few days we continued in a different car.
The drive from Bastia to Cargèse was the first highlight: an incredibly beautiful route, with nature so green and lush – simply impressive. 🌿
Where we stayed – and what we’d do differently
First we spent two nights in a hotel in Cargèse, then moved on to Calvi and finally to Saint-Florent. The hotels were all okay – but looking back, we’d rather book an Airbnb with a kitchen .
After the long rides, a bowl of pesto pasta would simply have been better than an expensive hotel dinner. And since Tom eats the same breakfast every morning anyway – his porridge 😄 – we don’t need a fancy hotel breakfast either.
Our 5 road bike rides
What surprised us most: not only were the views insane on every ride, but so were the roads – honestly, we hadn’t expected that. Along the way we made lots of spontaneous stops and always ate really well.
All routes on the map & as GPX
Simplified routes from our Strava recordings, elevation profile from terrain data. Distances & elevation gain according to Strava.
Day 1: Around Cargèse
🚴♀️ 107 km · ⛰️ 2,249 m elevation gain
Right at the start an amazing ride with incredibly beautiful nature. And the crazy thing: the whole day we met just four other cyclists .
Day 2: From Piana
🚴♀️ 134 km · ⛰️ 1,741 m elevation gain
Great roads and an incredibly beautiful route – exactly how you imagine road cycling in Corsica.
Day 3: Around Calvi
🚴♀️ 59 km · ⛰️ 822 m elevation gain
The views and surroundings were extremely beautiful – but on this ride we had around 15 kilometres of absolute horror tarmac. A really wild surface, plus a bit of rain on top. 🌧️
Day 4: Mountain villages around Saint-Florent
🚴♀️ 101 km · ⛰️ 1,604 m elevation gain
An amazing route through the mountain villages and along the sea – although we didn’t actually see the sea on this stretch. On the east side there was much more traffic than in the west.
Day 5: All the way around Cap Corse
🚴♀️ 131 km · ⛰️ 2,019 m elevation gain
An insanely good route! All day long we rode along the sea, with absolutely no traffic and great roads. 🤌🏽
Weather, sea & empty beaches
The weather was just perfect! We went swimming in the sea three times, and the beaches were completely empty. The water wasn’t super warm – in April the average water temperature is around 15 to 16 degrees – but for swimming and sunbathing it was great for us. ☀️
If you’re after a pure beach holiday, this isn’t the right time. But for our bike rides, April was incredible.
The best evening: sunset near Barrettali
On 24 April we swapped the car back and drove our van to the coastal road near Barrettali on Cap Corse. There we cooked in the van, ate by the cliffs and watched the sunset.
That was actually the most beautiful evening with the best view – and one of the tastiest meals of the whole trip, haha. Sometimes you just don’t need an expensive restaurant. 🌅
On 25 April we were already heading home.
Good to know
- When to go: April is perfect for road cycling – great weather and empty beaches. For a pure beach holiday, though, it’s still too early.
- Getting there: By car or van to Livorno and from there by ferry to Bastia.
- Accommodation: Our hotels were okay – but next time we’d take an Airbnb or apartment with a kitchen.
- Roads: Great almost everywhere – except around Calvi, where there’s a longer stretch of very bad tarmac.
- Traffic: Hardly any cars in the west and on Cap Corse, much more on the east side.
My verdict
Corsica totally surprised us: green mountains, dreamy coastal roads, perfect tarmac (almost always 😅) and the sea right next to it. It was a short trip, but simply perfect for us. If you have any questions about the rides, feel free to write to me!
Love,
Anna