Isula Rossa

About this property

It’s not only the location of Isula Rossa that will impress you. In the heart of the incredibly charming seaside town of L'Île-Rousse in northern Corsica, this contemporary air-conditioned apartment has been beautifully styled to create a smart abode with a terrace looking out towards the mountains and glistening sea.

You’ll find Isula Rossa in an old building down a lovely pedestrianised lane, just a few seconds from little restaurants and pretty shops. Wander up the narrow stairs and through the door on the second floor and a striking glass spiral staircase will take you up to your home. A king-size bedroom sits alongside a sumptuous bathroom with a huge walk-in shower and an elegant freestanding bath. On the next floor an open living-dining space and perfectly equipped kitchen await you. Step out on to your very own terrace for a glass of Corsican rosé and gaze over the colourful rooftops towards the Mediterranean.

Pick up freshly baked croissants at a local boulangerie each morning or wander to the owner’s hotel for their award-winning buffet breakfast, perhaps on their terrace overlooking the sea. Pick up some delicious local delights from the daily covered market in L'Île-Rousse, watch locals play boules on the village square with a coffee under the plane trees and enjoy some freshly caught seafood in one of the beachside restaurants for lunch. In the evening L'Île-Rousse is a delight to explore as you come across charming restaurants serving all sorts of island specialities from wild boar and chestnuts to brocciu with Corsican mint.

Catch the delightful little train, U Trinichellu, which winds around the coast as far as Calvi, stopping off at glorious beaches with white sand and crystal-clear seas, some with a wealth of watersports, others simply backed by pine trees and maquis.

Hire a car and head inland to the enchanting Balagne villages where the vistas of mare e monti are incredible. Places not to miss include Pigna, Speloncato and Sant'Antonino, one of France’s ‘Plus Beaux Villages’. The landscapes of the Balagne are especially wonderful for keen walkers with many beautiful trails to follow.

As the sun sets on L'Île-Rousse at the end of the day, turning the town’s rocky islets an especially deep shade of red, you’ll realise what a magical place this is in one of Corsica’s most lovable and authentic towns.

Isula Rossa is in the very heart of L'Île-Rousse in a characterful building down a lovely pedestrianised lane. It’s about a 5 to 10-minute walk to the owner’s hotel where you can pay extra to enjoy their award-winning buffet breakfast if you wish or swim in the hotel's swimming pool. There’s also space to park your car at the hotel or you may prefer to try and find a public space nearer to the apartment.

There’s a little supermarket within a minute’s walk as well as a choice of charming restaurants, pretty shops and cafes. There’s a small covered market every morning in L'Île-Rousse selling lots of lovely local produce such as honey, cheeses, seafood and charcuterie and there’s also a large supermarket on the edge of town, just a five-minute walk away.

Within 200m you are in the main square, watching old men play boules, perhaps drinking a coffee or chestnut beer in the shade of the plane trees. The town beach is also great, backed by a handful of good restaurants with wonderful sea views. Walk a little further around the town to another small beach with summer watersports such as yachting, stand-up paddle boards, jet-ski and pedalos plus a diving school a little further.

There’s a lovely walk all the way up L'Île-Rousse’s lighthouse with mesmerising views all around you. Keen hikers could also walk from L'Île-Rousse up towards the Balagne countryside inland, following a path up the hill to Santa Reperata and Monticello where you can enjoy stunning views down towards the coast. Hire a car and explore some of the other magical villages of this region such as Speloncato, Feliceto, Pigna and Sant'Antonino, one of France’s ‘Plus Beaux Villages’. The perched villages of this region are full of history, charm and spectacular scenery of sea, forests and rugged mountains.

You can also catch the U Trinichellu, Corsica’s characterful little train, which runs between Calvi and L'Île-Rousse (with one or two daily trains continuing onwards to Bastia or Corte and Ajaccio). It stops at various points along the coast including Bodri where you can walk down to the beautiful sandy bay or the beaches of Sant Ambroggio and Algajola, both with a great choice of watersports. The small train can get very busy in the summer months but it’s a charming way to travel.

There are a number of beaches along this coastline, accessible by car then foot, where you will find little beachside shacks serving the freshest sea-food, white sandy shores and crystal clear seas that shelve gently and are wonderful for swimming. Wander through the maquis, seek shade under the pine trees or find a rocky shore; you are sure to discover your own piece of paradise along the Balagne coast. Heading east, the rather remote Plage de l'Ostriconi is also spectacular at the start of the incredible Desert des Agriates.

Calvi is also a lovely place to visit for the day, either by train or it’s half an hour by car. Enjoy lunch on one of the terraces in the old-town, explore the narrow lanes in the historic citadel with amazing views out to sea or laze on the town’s beach, also home to a variety of watersports. You can also pick up a boat trip which will take you on a tour of the Scandola Nature Reserve on the west coast, now a unesco World Heritage site and home to awe-inspiring scenery as well as rare and protected wildlife.

Accommodation

Apartment Interior (three levels, 80m2)

2nd Floor

-    Entrance to apartment

3rd Floor (via a glass, spiral, open-tread staircase)

-    Bedroom with large double bed (200cm)
-    Large bathroom with free-standing bath, walk-in shower and double sink
-    Separate WC with Japanese style bidet seat

4th Floor (via glass, spiral, open-tread staircase)

-    Open-plan living-dining room and well-equipped kitchen. Doors out to a sea view terrace

Facilities

-    Access to shared pool at owner's hotel (500m away)