Why this ride
Repeated coastal bends, headlands and frequent viewpoint stops. It also links naturally to Gulf of Porto.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Corsica West Coast
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 255 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 30
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Access context
Check mountain-pass openings, low-emission zones and local restrictions. Specific flag: narrow roads; seasonal traffic.
Seasonal context
Apr-Oct
Scenic road chapters
Corsica West Coast D81
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 72 km this is Corsica West Coast D81, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 72 km
- Named road
- Corsica West Coast D81
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Ajaccio
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio in 1769, a year after France bought Corsica from Genoa, and the town has never let anyone forget it. His family house is now a museum, a statue of him on horseback stands in the main square, and street names, cafés and shops all carry his name. The old town is a cluster of tall ochre houses along the harbour, with a modest cathedral where he was baptised, and the best way to feel the place is to sit at a harbourside table with a coffee and watch the ferries and fishing boats come and go.
Read the complete Ajaccio write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ajaccio sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Calvi.
2. Calvi
Calvi announces itself from a long way off, with the Genoese citadel on its rock above the bay and the mountains of the Balagne rising behind, snow-capped in spring. It is the natural end, or start, for the west coast road, the D81, which runs south towards Galéria and Porto.
Read the complete Calvi write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Calvi comes up 66 km in. Next is Bastia.
3. Bastia
Bastia has always been the working port of Corsica. Genoa made Bastia the island's capital for centuries, until 1791, and the town retains a busy, slightly rough charm that is quite unlike Calvi's polish or Ajaccio's grandeur.
Read the complete Bastia write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
255 km in you reach Bastia.