Saint Florent, Corsica ….. an excursion on the water

September 3rd, 2022

We are staying at the Hotel Tettol, a rather unpretentious building on the outskirts of town, but the location is great and this family-run hotel is all about service. The morning is beautiful, already 24C and we opt for breakfast at the hotel on the terrace…a little expensive at 14 euros each, but also an expansive buffet featuring Corsican charcuterie, jams, and boiled eggs. As well as an array of homemade bread and cakes…very pleasant.

 

 

 

 

 

For a change, it is also nice to linger over coffee and look out over the sea...

 

After lunch, we get ready to embark on a tour of the Gulf of Saint Florent to visit various points of interest some natural and some historical. Our ride awaits:

The zodiac is full > 12 persons and the ride is smooth as the seas remain calm, first up are some interesting rock formations and grottos …

 

… from a historical perspective, we get to see several defensive towers which were part of a series of coastal defenses built by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to stem the attacks by Barbary pirates.

 

Our guide also pointed out some chapels and villages which cling to the hills above…

 

The boat then lands on Saellicia Beach reachable by a 4×4, quad, or boat….a beautiful sandy beach without services and clear water with many hues of aquamarine and warm enough that even yours truly took a swim…one hour goes by very quickly!!

Back on the boat, the guide takes us to a few more points of interest …..as the skies become cloudy we head back… the bastion below is in Saint Florent…

and we are back to the beginning (our hotel in the pic below)…

…a nice 3-hour tour, 120 Euros for us both, we had hemmed and hawed about going, but upon reflection, we are unlikely to ever return and it is better value than you can get for a similar trip (Princess Louisa Inlet Tour on the Sunshine Coast where we live).

 

The excursion ends at 17:30 so we hustle back, take a shower, and head to dinner in town hopping on the hotel’s Tuk Tuk …we are about a 20-minute walk from “downtown” Saint Florent…

What could be more appropriate than “moules” in a seaside town …

… after dinner, we walk back to the hotel in time in time to catch the sunset …

…..a great way to end an absolutely super day, tomorrow we are on the move again!