Forget France and Italy... here are three Mediterranean islands to try
If you dream of sailing around Italy and France, then
explore Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily – a trio of islands that
sparkle with life in the Tyrrhenian Sea
Lapping against Italy’s west coast,
the Tyrrhenian Sea is a world of big
skies and even bigger dreams. It’s
also where the African and Eurasian
plates collide; a place of natural
drama and human intrigue.
Its main islands – Corsica, Sardinia and Sicily – are
united by a history woven by the Greeks and Romans.
Yet all three remain defiantly, deliciously unique, with
cultures, cuisines and political systems quite distinct
from neighbouring Italy and France.
CORSICA The Greeks knew they were on to a good thing with Corsica, dubbing it the ‘most beautiful isle’. Over the millennia, everyone from the Carthaginians to the Romans coveted this strategic island between France and Italy, with the Romans lending the land its dialect.
France ultimately seized control in 1768, yet the region remains fiercely independent in spirit – with its own assembly and bilingual street signs. Taxi driver Paul extols its virtues. “We have it all,” he says. “We are Corsican number one, but the island is like France, Italy and Africa too."
You feel that everywhere, from up at an old Genoese watchtower and the city’s
bastions. For a unique insight into the former
French commander and emperor Napoleon
Bonaparte, visit his birthplace.
Now a museum, its most intriguing exhibit is a trapdoor he used to escape from supporters of the military leader
Pasquale Paoli. But Ajaccio is more than just
Napoleon. See its mighty Citadel, then make time to explore Palais Fesch, which houses
masterpieces by Botticelli, Michelangelo and Titian.
Inland, a spine of kilometre-high mountains makes Corsica feel like a Leviathan bursting from the Garden of Eden. Most visitors hug the coast, but in this craggy hinterland, chocolate-box pretty hill towns await discovery.
In the heart of the island, Corte is home to the Museum of Corsica, which showcases Corsican culture and the struggle to preserve the island’s identity while part of France. Meanwhile, its lofty fortress – nicknamed Eagle’s Nest – affords views of the surrounding mountains that are as impressive as any of the museum’s displays. It’s a window into the wilder side of an isle split between mountain and sea.
In the south, the historic town of Bonifacio is set atop limestone cliffs that peer across a marine reserve. The old town rambles over crags in a tight warren of stone streets while restaurants entice, offering grandstand views to accompany the seafood.
Corsica’s white-sand beaches dazzle as brightly
as any in the Caribbean, weaving around the
rugged coastline like an ivory necklace. Ostriconi
in the north attracts those looking for seclusion,
while Lonely Planet voted Rondinara, in the south, the finest beach in France.
You can also swim
and snorkel off Petit Sperone, a gorgeous inlet
just out of sight of Bonifacio’s most popular
beaches. Alternatively, just slip into the local
pastime of gazing out over the Mediterranean
towards the Lavezzi Isles, which are nestled
between Corsica and Sardinia.
SARDINIASardinia’s history is bathed in Roman and
Byzantine intrigue, with later incursions by
the Vandals and Arabs, who first raided Sardinia
in 711. The French had a go at snatching the island,
which was also coveted by Austria and Spain, but
by the time Victor Emmanuel II became king in
1861, Italy held sway.
This rich history is reflected in a smorgasbord
of intriguing architecture, language and culture.
In DH Lawrence’s Sea and Sardinia, the author
swooned over the isle. “Sardinia is something
else. Enchanting spaces and distances to travel,
nothing finished, nothing definitive. It is like
freedom itself.”
This is an island adrift in the
Med, blessed with vaulting skies, bountiful
beaches and seas as clear as an aquarium; an island for writers and dreamers. “We have the world’s best beaches,” he says.
“You’ll find them all over. No one can resist our
Costa Smeralda.”
It’s hard to argue as there are
holiday brochure contenders dappled around
2,000km of coastline. The highlights of Costa
Smeralda in the north include Capriccioli and
Principe beaches and the 700m-long expanse
of Liscia Ruja. For calmer waters, head to the
far southeast tip and Cape Carbonara, home to
Simius and Riso beaches.
Sardinia is blessed with remarkable prehistory too. The Nuragic people occupied island between 1600BCE and 1200BCE, leaving behind 7,000 mysterious conical towers known as nuraghe. A guided tour is the best way to learn about the myriad theories swirling around their creation.
Elegant, Catalan-tinged Alghero is Sardinia’s urban star in the north, known as ‘Little Barcelona’ with its bilingual street signs and Spanish architectural influences, most noticeably in its cathedral. Ambling around cobbled streets, past stone houses topped with wrought-iron balconies, feels like sifting through the pages of a dusty novel.
As dinner approaches, the aroma of Catalan lobster and hearty porceddu (roast suckling piglet) wafts from traditional trattorias. Follow your nose to Michelin recommended La Saletta and order a bottle of Vermentino, the local white wine, which is the perfect accompaniment with its zingy citrus and grapefruit flavours and its New World punch. The restaurant’s proprietor, Gian Luca Chessa, says: “Sardinia is an island of balance and our wines perfectly balance our food.”
Sardinia was known as the Island of Wine in
the 16th century, and it still has more than 20
wine-growing regions. Sella & Mosca is one of
Europe’s largest wineries, its vines spread over
650 hectares or more than four times the area of
London’s Hyde Park. While Vermentino is similar
to Sauvignon Blanc, Sardinian Cannonau is a
cousin of Grenache – and a Mirto digestif, made
from the purple berries of the myrtle bush,
will definitely put hairs on your chest.
Sardinia’s cheese is a reminder that the island is
home to far more sheep than people. The creamy
and sweet local milk conjures up the trademark
Pecorino, best enjoyed when it’s soft and fresh.
Cheese spiced with myrtle is delicious, while
Casu Martzu – sheep’s cheese infested with live
maggot larvae – is more of an acquired taste.
Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari, swaps Barcelona’s laidback swagger for the frenetic action of Naples. For superb value shopping with a mixture of brands and bijou boutiques, head down Via Roma, or rejoice in the ocean breeze as you devour seafood on the waterfront.
South-facing in its wide Mediterranean bay,
Cagliari is a criminally unheralded city. But it’s
an underdog whose charms are as varied as its signature pizza, a flaky pastry stuffed with
vegetables and salami. Waiter Paolo says, “We’re
like our pizzetta sfoglia – rich and very mixed up.”
Mixed up in a good way, though, as you’ll discover
in the medieval city’s Castello district, a collage of
churches where all roads lead to the Romanesque
Cathedral of Santa Maria.
If you’re fascinated by history, the Roman ruins
of Nora lie just 45 minutes’ drive west of the city.
Here you can stroll on stones once smoothed by
Roman sandals around the amphitheatre, baths and Temple of Aesculapius.
But what makes Nora unique is the chance to literally dive below
Roman history. Scuba divers follow a Roman road
into the Mediterranean to discover Porto Nord
Occidentale, an underwater world still littered
with Roman amphorae (storage jars).
Sardinia’s interior is as compelling as its coast. While shoreside rambles tempt, hiking routes on old shepherds’ trails climb 2,000m into the heavens. Gennargentu National Park is a Mecca for outdoor fanatics, and the island is home to two more national parks and a sprinkling of nature reserves.
A more leisurely way to explore Sardinia’s wild side is on the Little Green Train which sets off at cycling pace from Bosa, just south of Alghero. Take a pew beside DH Lawrence on the stately old- world adventure he adored. Lawrence hailed the solitude and insight into the wilder, less inhabited side of Sardinia. You will too.
SICILY
After more than 10,000 years of human
occupation, Sicily’s archaeological legacies
demonstrate just how pivotal this island – and
former island state – has been in the historic
tapestry of the Med. The Greeks made their
statement with a cluster of temples, then the
Romans left their imprint too, while the Arabs
conquered the land in 965, quickly followed by the Normans.
Sicily’s golden age came when it
was one half of a kingdom with Naples. In 1861 the
island was incorporated into Italy, though since
1947 it has enjoyed a degree of regional autonomy.
If you love the way Mediterranean port cities assault the senses, you’ll adore Sicily’s northwestern capital. Naples gets the fame but Palermo is the destination of choice for savvy visitors. It’s the sort of city where people whizz around on mopeds with their families, savouring lunch as they go – outdoing the pace of Naples.
Waitress Isabella works on a palm-fringed
terrace at the A-list bolthole Villa Igiea. “Palermo
never stops and neither do we Sicilians,” she
says. “This is an island you have to dive into
with passion and we’ll share it with you.”
Naples has pizza; Palermo has arancini. At
Arancinado these lightly fried risotto balls are
a moist, flavoursome thing of beauty that melts
in the mouth. Palermo has many markets but
Mercato del Capo is the best – the restaurant
Sit & Mancia specialises in calamari in a
light Sicilian lemon-infused batter, it’s a quintessentially Sicilian experience. This is
an island where seafood reigns supreme.
Palermo excels with sightseeing too. Palermo Cathedral is the star attraction – built in 1184 by the Normans on the site of a Muslim mosque – but stroll around and you’ll discover other Norman churches next to overblown Renaissance edifices, all connected by little squares with fountains and greenery. One sobering spot is the No Mafia Memorial, with its gallery depicting the violence that shook Sicily until all too recently.
Many visitors head to the well-known Greek relics of Agrigento in the south; few to the fishing town of Sciacca, home to delicious red prawns and historic treasures. Walk through the Renaissance portal of the old Santa Margherita Hospital and the hulking 14th-century gate, Porta San Salvatore, and delve into a slice of Italy that feels effortlessly cinematic. Luna Castle even has its own Romeo and Juliet story, thanks to the feuding Luna and Perollo families.
Sciacca’s ‘5 Sensi’ initiative brings together a web of independent local artisans, showcasing Sicily’s cultural side. Jeweller Giuseppe Conti’s love of the volcanic corals from the 1831 eruption off Sciacca is clear. He says, “We have a passion for detail and heritage and you can take a permanent slice of that away with you.” A few streets away, fine ceramics await at Maioliche Gurreri, where the owner explains, “Everything we do is built on tradition. It’s very Sicilian.”
Pushing east along the coast, you may be the only person around. Sicily’s symbol, Mt Etna, showers the isle with lava on occasion, although it also gives it superb mineral-laden wine. Everywhere is a potential city break, from the working town of Catania to the historic site of Syracuse where the Archaeological Park offers a Roman amphitheatre, a Greek auditorium and the Orecchio di Dionisio, a limestone cave in the form of a human ear.
With its unbeatable volcano views, Taormina is most dramatic of all. You won’t forget peering across to Etna from the well-preserved Greek amphitheatre. Afterwards, shop on Corso Umberto I for souvenirs made from Etna lava and pottery from Caltagirone city, or swish fashion from the likes of Armani, Gucci and Prada.
Messina is less renowned but a popular cruise destination and a pleasure in its own right. The city sits on the Messina Strait, with mainland Italy tantalisingly close. Spires crowd the sky above the old town, where it’s a joy to wander among churches whose beauty will linger in your mind long after their saintly names have drifted away.
From Messina, Italy may blink back across waters once sailed by Greeks and Romans, but few visitors to Sicily would rather be anywhere else.
GET ON BOARD
Nicko Cruises’ seven-night Islands of the
Western Mediterranean cruise aboard
Vasco da Gama, from Mallorca to Malta
via Menorca, Ajaccio, Olbia, Cagliari
and Catania, departs on 25 September
2024. From £1,595 including flights
Celebrity Cruises’ nine-night Italian Riviera and France cruise aboard Celebrity Ascent, from Barcelona to Rome via Nice, Ajaccio, Cagliari, Valletta, Messina and Naples, departs on October 5, 2024. From £1,505.
