YOU don’t need to travel all the way to the Caribbean to experience some of the world’s best beaches.
Exotic sun-soaked shores framed by mountains are just a couple of hours flying time, on Corsica.
Our family enjoyed an unforgettable summer camping trip on a tropical beach — a dead ringer for the best of Barbados — at just a fraction of the cost.
Picture soft sand between your toes, palm trees swaying in the cool breeze, warm waves lapping at the shore . . . and a pina colada in your hand for sunset. Heavenly!
The French island hits the mark for both sun-seekers and adventure-lovers.
Sweeping beaches, historic coastal forts, mountains, rocky gorges, rich forests and a lively marina in Bonifacio in the south.
SPARKLING-BLUE LAGOON POOL
The Med is perfect for snorkelling, while a short drive inland is a wilderness of secluded swimming holes, hiking trails and craggy gorges that seem built for canyoning adventures.
Myself, my husband Felipe and our sons Rafael, four, and Benicio, one, stayed at Marina D’Erba Rossa, a Eurocamp site on the south of the island near the town of Ghisonaccia.
Eurocamp is budget-friendly but that doesn’t mean roughing it.
We were staying in a two-bedroom campervan with air conditioning, a bathroom and a kitchen, which suited us better than a traditional tent given our two young boys.
Friendly reps greet guests on arrival with keys and the lowdown on camp life as well as priceless information about the surrounding area.
The site’s layout and location rival the very best of all-inclusive hotels.
A sparkling-blue lagoon pool sits behind a row of leafy trees that frame a luxurious stretch of pale golden sand.
Parents will appreciate all the little touches like a free stash of kids’ toys, inflatables and snorkels. Both of our sons were entranced by the miniature zoo. Each morning Rafael and I would walk to the bakery to pick up warm baguettes and pastries for our al fresco breakfast, strolling past large ostriches in the fenced-off fields behind our campervan.
As we sat enjoying the morning sun, peacocks meandered around us.
Off the western coast of Italy, the mountainous island of Corsica was ruled by the city states of Pisa and then Genoa, followed by a brief period of independence before the French seized control in 1768.
GO: CORSICA
GETTING THERE: Flights from Gatwick to Bastia are from £125pp return. See easyjet.com/en.
STAYING THERE: Seven nights at Marina D’Erba Rossa with Eurocamp in a two bedroom classic economy campervan with air conditioning, based two adults and two children sharing, is from £857.
For details, and to book, See eurocamp.co.uk.
There is still a Franco-Italian fusion of culture — and nowhere more so than in the mouthwatering pan-mediterranean cuisine.
The menu at campsite restaurant Le Nemo was full of family favourites such as pizza, which our little ones loved, plus indulgent plates of steak and seafood. The surrounding towns have plenty of appetising eateries too, whether you want pasta at La Gazelle in Ghisonaccia or moules frites on the shore of lake Etang d’Urbino at the aptly named Restaurant d’Urbino.
It was a dream family holiday . . . and sadly, at the moment that is all it can be. But once we are free to pack our bags and travel again, this mountainous island in the Med will be top of our list for a repeat performance.
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