The Balagna

Balagna used to be the island’s granary but the economic activity now concentrates on the coastline. This region is the closest to the coasts of Provence and took advantage of this geographic situation to offer holidaymakers top-market quality accommodation and services.

People bought and had second homes built - and indeed Calvi, Sant'Ambroggio, Algajola, Davia, l'Île-Rousse have become a Mecca for summer tourism. The perched villages of the Balagna coast road and Belgodère add a touch of exoticism to the site. This trip, starting from Ile-Rousse, explores a wealthy and picturesque region, rich with farming and pastoral traditions. You’ll come across a mountain cirque around a large fertile plain, and beautiful villages perched on its slopes

Typical villages

Set off from Ile-Rousse, take the N197 heading north until you reach Lozari, where we recommend you take a stroll on the beautiful beach and swim a while. Take then the N2197 to Belgodere, a perched hanging village from where you can admire a panoramic view on the Reginu valley below. Take the D71 through Costa, where you’ll find one of the loveliest baroque churches in the region. On leaving the village, don’t forget to visit the old Tuani convent.

Then drive up to Speloncato, an aerie set high up more than 600 meters high, at the border between Balagna and Giunssani. You’ll revel at this charming and well-preserved village and at the idyllic landscape it is set in. The ruins of the Malapensa Castles seem to be watching over this imposing village crossed with paved lanes and built with large mansions.

You can then drive up the D63 to the Battaglia Pass and take a picture of the entire Balagna region from the 1100-high panoramic viewpoint. Then the road makes its way into the Giunssani, a micro green region made up of four villages in the Tartagine valley. The natural pool will provide you with a moment’s peace and coolness before you get back on the road.

Back on the D71 you drive to Nessa, a village overlooked by high mountain tops that should arouse the interest of rock climbing lovers, and you can visit the baroque church and its splendid triptych. The next village, Feliceto, is renowned for its olive oil, and its wine and glass-blower’s workshop. For the next stopover, Muro will please you, what with the gorgeous façade of its baroque church, the organ designed by Pagnigni, and the vast mansions adorned with archways. On Good Friday evening, an imposing procession walks the streets of the village, like the Catenacciu in Sartene.

A Rich Culture

Then, you reach Cateri, where you can enjoy a stroll in the narrow lanes bordered with high granite houses to the Medieval-looking Saint Cesaire Church. In Modria and Marcu, you’ll come across archaeological sites and the Marcasso convent, built on the ruins of the castle.

Take the D151 and then the D413 to pay a visit to San’Antonino, a village set 500 meters high that moulds the round curves of the hill. This tiny village is a photographers’ favourite in Balagna. A must for all visitors, it’s really worth the trip. A real aerie, the village offers one of the most beautiful viewpoints on the Reginu and Aregno plains. The entire village has been renovated, and walking in its paved alleys is a real marvel. Many craftsmen’s boutiques and restaurants with panoramic terraces will incite you to prolong your stay.

There’s no forgetting the Pigna site that overlooks Algajola Bay. This village offers a perfect example of a typical Balanina architecture, where each space is colonized by culture. Since many craftsmen and village dwellers devote themselves wholly to local life, Pigna has become one of the main living centres of Corsica craftsmanship and music creation. The village was beautifully renovated and is very lively today, with a dozen craftsmen’s workshops, stringed-instrument makers, potters, cabinetmakers and engravers… Let us not forget the Estivoce festival in which, since 1991, music lovers have been able to enjoy the loveliest voices in the world.

The last village we come across along this trip was built like a watch tower above Ile-Rousse, and boasts chapels, fountains, a rich history and famous characters. You ought to visit St Dominique Convent, a must for spiritual retreats; the Annonciation Church, a pure baroque gem and the tiny Guy Savelli museum.

Before heading back to Ile-Rousse, enjoy a moment’s pure happiness and take a swim from Bodri beach, a quiet white sand beach caressed by limpid waters that can only be reached thanks to a secret entry situated in the scrub.