The Calanques of Piana are red. Not a polite pink, but a deep rust-orange, the granite eroded by wind and sea into spires, arches and strange figures that people have been naming for centuries, such as the heart, the dog's head and the bear. They rise hundreds of metres straight out of the sea along the western coast of Corsica, with the maquis, the dense scrub of strawberry tree, myrtle and rock rose, clinging to every ledge. The scent on a warm day is overwhelming, and the whole area is part of a UNESCO site that also covers the Gulf of Girolata and the Scandola reserve.
The D81, the coast road that threads through the calanques between Porto and Piana, is one of the great rides of the Mediterranean, and it is narrow. There are places where it is barely wide enough for two vehicles, with sheer drops and few barriers, and coaches that take the bends wide, so you will often need to stop and let them pass. Take it slowly, in daylight, and keep to your side. The best light is in the late afternoon, when the rocks glow, and the sunset from the Piana side is famous for good reason.
Corsican roads have other hazards. Cows, pigs and goats wander freely, and they love to lie on the warm tarmac around a blind bend. The mountain weather can change quickly, and in summer, wildfires are a real risk, so watch for local warnings. Fuel is scarce on this stretch, so fill up in Ajaccio before you leave, or at Porto if you are coming from the north, and do not assume that every village has a pump.
The villages here have good simple food, with charcuterie, chestnut flour cakes, goat cheese and brocciu, a fresh sheep's cheese, and you will find honest cooking in the little restaurants. Cargèse, to the south, has an interesting history, as it was settled by Greek refugees in the seventeenth century. Take a swim in the sea off the nearest cove, a cold, clear plunge, and be ready for slow, careful riding on the way back.