YOUR NEXT GREAT RIDE

CORSICA

FRANCE IS PACKED with brilliant places for the touring motorcyclist. The Alps, the Pyrenees, the Vosges, the Tarn Gorges, the volcanoes of the Auvergne, the wooded hills of the Morvan, Ardennes and Limousin, the rugged coast of Brittany and the sandy shores of Normandy. They all have great scenery and even better roads. But they all pale in comparison with Corsica.

France’s largest island is chock full of contrasts. Wide, sandy beaches, rocky coves and towering cliffs, wooded hills and tall, grey-tipped mountains. There are bustling towns and cities and large expanses of empty wilderness (nearly half its 3350 square miles is given over to nature reserves). And then there are the roads. Some are smooth as race tracks, others are rough and neglected. But all of them wind their way across this island in gloriously serpentine curls with million-dollar views.

While sportier machines may need to pick their routes with a little care to keep to the smoother roads, it’s adventurebike heaven. It’s some of the finest riding in Europe, from the towering mountains of central and southern Corsica to the coast-hugging rollercoaster of the D80 around Cap Corse — the raised finger on the fist of the island — and the astonishing coastal run between red-rock spires from Piana to Porto.

WHEN TO GO Avoid August: too hot, too busy. Early summer or autumn are best. Corsica’s first bike festival is in Galeria fishing port on June 3-5. HOW TO GET THERE By boat, from Toulon or Nice in France or Livorno or Genoa in Italy. So it’s a good ride just to get to the port. WHERE TO STAY Avoid the cities. There are lots of hotels but few budget ones. WHERE TO RIDE We have a complete tour at www.ride.co.uk/tour2015