Porto-Vecchio sits on a deep bay in the south-east of Corsica, and it is one of the island's most prosperous and cheerful towns. The Genoese founded it in 1539 on a hill above the sea, building a walled citadel to defend a harbour whose marshy shores bred malaria, and for centuries, it was a lonely, unhealthy outpost. Now the swamps are drained, the old town is lively with restaurants and shops, and the surrounding coast has some of the best beaches in the Mediterranean. Palombaggia and Santa Giulia, a short ride south, have white sand, turquoise water and pine trees, and they get very crowded in July and August.
The hinterland tells a different story. Corsica's famous maquis, the thick scrub of myrtle, arbutus, rock rose and wild herbs, covers the hills behind town, and in warm weather the whole island smells of it. Napoleon is said to have declared he could recognise Corsica blindfold by that scent. Cork oaks, stripped of bark every nine years or so, grow in the valleys, and the trunks, red where recently stripped, are a striking sight. Beyond them rise the granite peaks of the Bavella massif, with their jagged, needle-like pinnacles.
The Bavella route is the reason to be here. From Porto-Vecchio, the road runs inland through Zonza, a mountain village of about nineteen hundred people, and climbs to the Col de Bavella, at roughly 1,200 metres, where the Aiguilles de Bavella tower above the pass like a stone cathedral. Corners are tight, the surface can be rough with gravel and rockfall, and the road is narrow, so go slowly and be ready for pigs, cows and goats, which wander freely and do not give way. In July and August, the traffic is heavy and the road warm, so an early start is best. Snow can close the high section in winter.
Fuel is a point to remember. Porto-Vecchio has all you need, including several stations on the main road, but the mountains do not, so fill up before you leave and again as soon as you are back. A ferry connects the port with the French mainland, and the airport at Figari lies to the west. Take time for a drink on the old town's square, and try figatellu, a spicy Corsican sausage.