In practise it wasn’t as easy as we thought it would be. The flight from Stanstead London to Algehero with Ryanair went without a hitch. The cost for the two of us the princely amount of £72 return.

We caught a bus from the Airport to Alghero town. You purchase a ticket at the café in the airport, and when getting on the bus don’t forget to validate the ticket by punching it in the onboard machine. The bus stops at the square in Alghero, and if you manage to look suitably lost, several men will appear from nowhere and ask if you would like to rent an apartment. Don’t be afraid! We found them to be very polite and helpful, and the apartments although basic were clean and adequate.We rented one of these apartments in the old town, for about £28 for the night.

The next morning we set off at 8.30 am to travel from Alghero to the ferry terminal at St Tereasa Di Gallura on the north coast, a distance of about 75 miles. We caught a bus to Sassari and then planned to get a connection to St Tereasa Di Gallura. The bus arrived on time and after an uneventful journey dropped us off at the bus station on the outskirts of Sasarri. It was from now on that the journey started to go wrong. First the 11.30am bus never arrived until 1.25pm (local people in the queue assured us it would be coming but the times were approximado), and then the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere.

We finally arrived at our destination, St Teresa Di Gallura at 4.55. Our ferry was due to leave at 5.00. So with large rucksacks on our backs we had to run the final half a mile leg from the bus stop to the ferry terminal. We made it just as the crew were lifting the gangplank to leave. My wife begged the ships steward to let us on board and luckily as with most Italian men they can’t resist a pretty woman. So the gangplank was replaced down to the quay and we exhaustedly climbed on board.

We were absolutely starving as we had nothing to eat all day (we were unable to leave the bus station at Sassari to get food, as we were afraid to miss the bus), but never mind, now we could get something to eat on board. This was our second mistake, they had one stale cheese roll, and six people were queuing up for it. We were the unlucky ones!

BONIFACIO

The crossing to Corsica took about one hour. It is a pleasant trip, with the approach into Bonifacio being one of the most spectacular sea approaches anywhere in the world. You enter into a deep cleft between dazzling white limestone cliffs that tower above you. Just as you think the ship will never make it through, you suddenly appear into a wonderful natural harbour with the Genoese town and castle high on the hill.

We phoned direct and rented a Renault Kangoo, which was the ideal car to use on the mountain roads of Corsica, and we even got a better deal than they were offering in the UK.

Trying to find any reasonable cost accommodation in Bonifacio is nearly impossible. Most of the hotels are either full to bursting or they cost an arm and a leg. For our first night in Corsica we headed up the N196 west coast road and found a rooms to let in the village of Monacia St Aullien. This village is not the most friendly (there was a vendetta killing the previous month at the bar where we asked for accommodation) but we did have a nice clean and large room with ensuite bathroom for the reasonable charge of £30 for the two of us.

SARTENE.

The German writer Gregorovius described Sartene as " a town peopled by demons" so we just had to visit this Middle-aged fortress town. It’s setting high on a mountain just in from the coast was the ideal location to protect it’s people from marauding pirates and French politicians. Even today it still has that air of a town where time has passed it by.

The heart of the town is located in a wonderfully preserved medieval square, surrounded by tall grim granite fortress houses. Every evening from 4p.m to7p.m this square comes to life with local children playing, overseen by wealthy godfather types and their beautiful wives, whilst taking a coffee and a glass of wine. We found this town to be full of charm and the local, everyday people to be friendly and helpful, so much so that we used Sartene as our base for the rest of our holiday.

Accommodation is quite sparse in Sartene due to the local Mayor’s dislike of tourists. His redeeming feature though is his extreme dislike for anything new in the town, which to his credit has kept Sartene in pristine condition, by keeping out the dreaded concrete structures and Burger King.

We were lucky to find a charming one bed roomed apartment to rent on the edge of town with Paula and Antoine Cianfarani. The views across the valley and the town were stunning and the fresh produce supplied from Pierre’s garden tasted wonderful. Our only regret was that we were unable to except the gift of 5 litres of Pierre’s wonderful olive oil, due to no room in our rucksack. Anyone wanting to stay with Paula and Pierre Cianfarani can write to them at Quarter Casabianca, F-20100, Sartene, Corsica. Paula and Pierre don’t speak English, but their daughter in law Valerian is an interpreter and can speak most languages. They are a lovely family and will make you most welcome.

COAST SAVAGE

Head west out of Sartene on the road to Propriano and very soon you can take a fork left along the winding coast road to the small village of Portigliolo. Now you are entering the wonderful Coast Savage, a wild area of unspoilt beaches, windswept cliffs, rugged maquis covered slopes and very few roads. Five tortuous miles further along this road you enter the fishing village of Campomro. This is well worth a visit with its Genoese watch tower, and charming cottages scattered along a good stretch of sand. The thirty-mile rugged coast path starts here and heads south to Tizzano. This path should not to be taken lightly for you will have to cross one of the wildest and least inhabited areas in Europe. Take plenty of provisions and be prepared to sleep wild for the night. The whole area is criss-crossed with tracks and footpaths that can be explored with the use of the 1:25000 Propriano Top 25 map that is available from the very good bookshop in Sartene. You could definitely walk in this area for years and still never discover all of it’s secrets.

ALTA ROCCA & BAVELLA

Take the D69 north out of Sartene on the winding road that heads ever upwards into the mountains. Within a few miles you reach the area know as the Alta Rocca. An evocative area of delightful villages and stark mountain peaks, the highest of these being the craggy Col de Bavella at 1611 meters. A few miles before the Col de Bavella set at a crossroads is the village of Zonza. With a backdrop of the often snow-dusted Bavella massif, Zona makes an excellent starting point for many of the hikes in and around this area. Along its small main street are a few small shops selling every thing you need, from a can of corned beef, maps and even the rucksack to stow all the things you bought. The place bustles with hikers, climbers and cyclists. The latter stagger sweaty from their lightweight machines to rest at the roadside café’s. It’s an ideal place to start your day at the local café, soak up the sun, plan your route and watch the world go by. It will take all your willpower to drag yourself out of your seat and head out on your next hike. After watching all the other patrons sitting around Zonza, this town seems to have that effect on every one.

During our stay in Corsica, we did many walks based from Sartene. We will most certainly be returning to Corsica in the future as the walking is spectacular, the scenery fantastic and the place is interesting to say the least. For the very fit and enthusiastic there is the GR20 which is reputed to be one of the most difficult and hard long distance path. If you are looking for somewhere different to go, then Corsica should certainly be on your list.