Corsica - The Scented Isle

Tour Code: FRA04

An 8-day holiday of birdwatching and botanical walks in the spectacular landscapes of northern Corsica.

8 days from
£2,095 (Inc flights)
Land only price from
£1,895
book now

Highlights

Summary

Summary

There can be no Mediterranean island as spectacular as Corsica. The wild and rugged landscape is wholly dominated by huge, snow-capped granitic mountains. Accessible only via winding roads, or pretty mountain trails, Corsica provides a near perfect Naturetrek destination, its wealth of endemic wildlife species ensuring its appeal to the naturalist. The riot of colour presented each spring by a profusion of blossoming plants, the lush green meadows and forests, the towering snow-capped peaks, and the deep blue sea and sky, all provide a memorable backdrop to one of our most popular wildlife holidays.

  • Enjoy daily wildlife walks amongst spectacular mountains & gorges
  • See the endemic Corsican Nuthatch & endemic race of Crossbill & Corsican Finch
  • Experience the island’s scented & colourful maquis
  • Discover a rich flora, including many orchids & endemics
  • Sample characterful accommodation amidst stunning scenery & tasty cuisine!
  • Learn from our expert Naturetrek leader

Grading

B. Day walks only. Between 300 and 1,830 metres.

There can be no Mediterranean island so spectacular as Corsica. There can be no island anywhere, as mountainous. It is truly a green mountain in a turquoise sea. Further, and what is so remarkable, is that an island so well-deserving of its ancient Greek name, Kaliste (the most beautiful), is so delightfully free of tourists and tourist development. Corsica’s wild and rugged landscape is wholly dominated by the huge granitic mountains which soar to nearly 2,740 metres and form a giant spine that runs the length of the island. Accessible only via tortuous winding roads, or pretty mountain trails, Corsica provides a near perfect Naturetrek destination, its numerous endemic plant and bird species ensuring its appeal to the naturalist. On this holiday we will be staying in two simple but comfortable mountain hotels, both situated in fabulous settings. From them we will be exploring the island’s wealth of natural history, wherever possible on foot. 

Corsica is by far the greenest of the Mediterranean islands, in part because it is the least populated of the larger islands, but also because it is so remarkably well covered with unspoiled natural forest and maquis. The riot of colour presented each spring by the profusion of blossoming plants, the lush green meadows and forests, the towering snow-capped peaks, and the deep blue sea and sky will undoubtedly provide one of the great memories of this holiday. It is Corsica’s isolation from mainland Europe, being 160 kilometres from the coast of southern France, and 80 kilometres from the Italian mainland, together with its exceptional topography, that give the island its unique cultural blend, and cause the high degree of endemism amongst its flora and fauna (although many of the endemics are shared with neighbouring Sardinia, just 12 kilometres away). The endemic Corsican Nuthatch occurs in the island’s high pine forests, as do endemic races of the Corsican Finch and Crossbill, amongst others. The acidic nature of Corsica’s rock does slightly limit the variety of plants, but amongst the many endemics we will hope to see are Pinguicula corsica Crocus, corsicus Leucojum longifolium, Corsican Pine and Corsican Hellebore, plus a wonderful range of orchids.

We begin our holiday by flying to Bastia in the north of the island. From here we will drive south-west through the scented air of the maquis to Evisa, taking the scenic route that winds through the rugged and almost uninhabited hills that rise abruptly from the island’s coastline.  

This is one of the most beautiful and peaceful corners of the island, with its extensive maquis and Holm Oak forest providing cover for many bird species, including Woodchat Shrike, Marmora’s, Subalpine and Dartford Warblers, and Bee-eaters. Overhead fly Alpine and Pallid Swifts.  

Driving on, we will reach Evisa, a beautiful hilltop village in one of Corsica’s finest settings. High in the mountains, yet overlooking the sea and the spectacular Spelunca Gorge, the view from our hotel terrace is breath taking. From this base, we will spend the first part of our holiday looking for Corsican Nuthatches in the Forest of Aitone, enjoying the fabulous scenery and flowers of the Spelunca Gorge, and looking at the exceptional variety of coastal and wetland birds and plants to be found on the Liamone Estuary and the dunes of the Golfe de Sagone.  

Crossing the Col de Verghio and driving through the extensive forests of Aitone and Valdo-Niello, we will descend to the historic town of Corte, Corsica’s ancient capital. Nearby is the beautiful valley of La Restonica, in the heart of the Corsican National Park. This is a long, narrow and spectacular valley, with numerous walking opportunities and an interesting range of birds and plants. To explore the region, we will spend the second part of our holiday in a comfortable auberge near the Restonica valley itself, an ideal base for our birding and botanical walks in the area. In the Gorge de la Restonica and the beautiful high alpine meadows of the Asco Valley we will look for Cyclamen repandum and Leucojum longifolium , Lammergeier, Golden Eagle, Alpine Accentor, Alpine Chough and Water Pipit. In the forest of Corsican Pines near Vizzavona we have our best chance of finding Corsican Nuthatches, Crossbills and Corsican Finches, whilst in the nearby Verghello Valley, that sits between the giant summits of Monte Cinto and Monte d’Oro, a range of differing vegetation provides a corresponding diversity of bird and plant species.  

Finally, by way of a contrast from the island’s dominating mountain habitats, we will visit one of Corsica’s few good wetlands, the coastal lake of Biguglia. Here, a good variety of wetland birds may be supplemented by such specialities as Red-footed Falcon, Osprey or Audouin’s Gull — a final treat, perhaps, from a truly special destination!  

DETAILED INFORMATION
Itinerary

Outline Itinerary

Day 1
Fly Bastia and transfer Evisa
Day 2/3
Evisa
Day 4/7
Venaco
Day 8
Fly London
cloud_downloadDownload Full Itinerary
What's Included

What's Included?

  • Flights
  • Accommodation: A two-centre holiday using characterful and well situated mountain hotels with private facilities.
  • Food: All included in the price.
Reviews
Dates & Prices

Dates & Prices

2025

Departures Availability Cost
Tue 20th May – Tue 27th May 5 £2,095
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,895
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295
Tour Leader:
Please note that, whilst we assign leaders to particular tours well in advance, we reserve the right to make changes if necessary
David Tattersfield
TL David Tattersfield

Tour Leader: David Tattersfield

David graduated in Botany and went on to do research in upland ecology. During a career with the Nature Conservancy Council and as a horticulturist with the National Trust for Scotland, he gained an extensive knowledge of the world's mountain floras. He is an energetic, experienced field botanist and photographer, and his love of mountains and wilderness has taken him to five continents. Above all, he enjoys sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world with others and has led trips for Naturetrek to a variety of destinations in Europe, north and south Africa and central Asia. Between tours David is based in Kirkmichael in highland Perthshire, where he works as a horticultural and ecological consultant and lectures on his travels.

2026

Departures Availability Cost
Tue 19th May – Tue 26th May SPACES £2,095
Book Tour Show Details
Flights:
Most Naturetrek tours include flight costs ex-UK. If flights are not included, we indicate that here.
Flights are included in the tour cost
Land only cost:
The "Land Only" cost is the tour price you will pay if you choose to arrange your own flights/transport.
£1,895
Single Room Supplement:
Single Room Supplement.
£295 
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Botanical Tours – See Wild Flowers with our Expert Botanical Guides


There are few more pleasing sights in the natural world than a meadow filled with wildflowers. Seeing plants in their native habitat is always exciting and our flower tours offer you an incredible choice, from dazzling tropical blooms and the thrill of finding elusive orchids or delicate alpines, to seeing island endemics or British flora. Our tours range from week-long holidays focusing on the ‘Alpine flowers of the Swiss Alps’, the ‘Italian Dolomites’ and the ‘Alpine Flowers of Slovenia’s Julian Alps’, to orchid-hunting on Italy’s Gargano Peninsula and searching for the Autumn Plants of Greece’s Peloponnese. We also visit more remote areas of the world in search of plant-life, from the Tien Shan Mountains of Kazakhstan where we look for wild tulips, to the rainforests and spiny deserts of Madagascar where over 80% of the flora is endemic.  


Many of us want to know more about the plants we see around us. Whether inspired by an appreciation of the aesthetic appeal of flowers, or a more focused desire to identify individual species, everyone with an interest in botany will derive pleasure from joining one of Naturetrek’s flower tours.


Why choose Naturetrek’s botanical holidays?


    

  • All our botanical holidays are led by expert botanist guides
    • 

  • All levels of interest and expertise are catered for, from hobby gardeners and complete beginners to keen botanists who wish to explore a new area with the help of a knowledgeable leader
    • 

  • We keep the overall focus on flora, though expert guidance is also given on other wildlife
    • 



What can I expect on a typical Naturetrek botanical holiday?


    

  • Travel with a group of like-minded people
    • 

  • Stay at a comfortable hotel or lodge, close to an area of outstanding botanical interest
    • 

  • Enjoy a series of leisurely day excursions with ample time to appreciate the local flora
    • 



In addition to our dedicated flower tours, we also offer holidays with a wider theme to encompass birds, butterflies and other aspects of natural history as well as the flora. Our spring tours to 'Crete' and ‘The Island of Cyprus’ are both timed to allow us to enjoy the botanical highlights as well as the spring bird migration, whilst ‘Croatia and Slovenia – Spring in Istria’ also allows time to enjoy a little of the local culture. ‘Romania – the Wildlife of Transylvania’ combines an appreciation of the flora of the Carpathian Mountains with birding, butterflying and a trip to look for Brown Bears from a purpose built hide, and our holidays in both the ‘French Pyrenees’ and the ‘Spanish Pyrenees’ combine birds, butterflies and botany throughout the week.  




Our specialist recommends...






"I'd recommend 'Wengen – Alpine Flowers of the Swiss Alps', 'Crete' and 'The French Pyrenees', which all offer some fascinating European botany, along with plenty of wider natural history and some stunning scenery. If you’re keen to travel a little further afield, I’d suggest joining us in South Africa for our 'Wild Flowers of the Cape & Namaqualand' tour” 

David Tattersfield - Tour Leader




All Botany Tours

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Prefer to Travel in a Private Group?

For any interested natural history club or society, we can arrange for a private departure of this tour.

Enquire
Why Naturetrek?

Why Naturetrek?

At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:

  • The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
  • Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
  • Outstanding value and exceptional customer service

Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!

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