A Balagna

With views of rugged mountains and the village church from your glorious terrace, it's easy to see why Corsica is known as l'ile de beaute.

In the heart of Balagne, just on the edge of a characterful village, A Balagna is an architect's house, designed with style and flair whilst making the most of the beautiful scenery. With air-conditioning throughout, four en suite bedrooms and a vast open-plan living-dining room with its contemporary kitchen, this holiday home is all about smart modern living in rustic surroundings. Gaze at the typical Balagne landscapes from the picture-book windows that flood light into the superb and spacious living room.

In the morning you can wander to the boulangerie in the village for pastries to enjoy with your morning coffee on the vast terrace with mountain and valley views, listening to the birds sing in this idyllic setting. Relax in the sun or dip into the heated swimming pool, followed by long al-fresco lunches in the shade of the covered terrace.

The local village also has a grocery store and a couple of small restaurants, including one at the villa owner's hotel, a charming 19th-century family'palazzu' where evening meals are served on the summer poolside terrace with panoramic views. Wine-lovers can also sample some of the owner's excellent and well-regarded wines at their winery in the village.

In the very heart of the incredible Balagne, drive to other enchanting villages such as Speloncato, Pigna and Sant'Antonino (one of France's ‘Plus Beaux Villages'), discover many magnificent hiking trails and head to the beautiful coastline with the sandy beaches between L'Ile-Rousse and Calvi so near. Even in the heart of the mountains, the crystal-clear Mediterranean is never far away in this wonderful part of northern Corsica.

Features

Villa Interiors (164m2, one level)

• Open-plan living and dining space with doors leading to terrace and swimming pool
• Open-plan kitchen, well-equipped including dishwasher, fridge-freezer, gas hobs, electric oven, microwave, cafetiere and coffee maker, toaster, mixer and kettle
• Bedroom with king size bed (160cm) and en suite shower room. Access to pool terrace
• Bedroom with king size bed (160cm) and en suite shower room. Access to pool terrace
• Bedroom with twin beds (90cm each, can be joined as a double) with en suite shower room (no WC)
• Bedroom with twin beds (90cm each, can be joined as a double) with en suite shower room (no WC)
• Separate WC
  Outside Grounds
• Heated swimming pool (4x3m, depth: 1.5m) with retractable safety cover. Heated April, May, June, September and October
• Covered al-fresco dining area
• Charcoal BBQ
• Enclosed and private parking
• Electric gate
• Grounds below the villa (via open-sided steps from terrace)

Facilities

• Wi-Fi
• Air-conditioning
• Heating
• Cable TV
• DVD player
• Safe
• Hairdryer
• Washing machine and dryer

Location

A Balagna is set on the edge of a mountain village in northern Corsica, with other houses dotted nearby, surrounded by wonderful landscapes of rugged peaks, trees and pretty Balagne villages. This region is often referred to as the ‘Garden of Corsica' with good reason.

You can walk into the village where you will find a small grocery store, a bakery and two small village restaurants, including one which belongs to the owner's hotel where you can dine out on the terrace by the hotel's pool. There's also an authentic osteria serving traditional Corsican fare on the edge of the village.

As well as the owner's lovely hotel in the village, a 19th-century palazzu (ask for a tour of some of the original features), you can also visit the family winery which produces a delicious red, white and rose wine, all of which are highly regarded in the area, part of the Vin de Corse-Calvi AOC.

You are incredibly well placed to visit other beautiful villages of the Balagne. Start with Speloncato (7km), dating back to Neolithic times, with its incredible views then wind back to Pigna (14km) with its ceramic and music traditions and Aregno (11km) with its pretty churches and annual almond festival.

Spend time exploring the old village of Sant'Antonino (12km), one of France's ‘Plus Beaux Villages' with steep narrow lanes and beautiful buildings. It's a lovely place to stop for lunch with a couple of restaurants making the most of the glorious views towards the sea.
There are many walking trails across this region, some leading from A Balagna's local village itself and others which link Balagne's hilltop villages. One such example is the trail between Lumio (17km) and the abandoned village of Occi where you are rewarded with spectacular views over the countryside and sea.

The Balagne region also offers activities such as rock-climbing, canyoning, paragliding and horse-riding or even donkey treks around Sant'Antonino. There is also a superb golf course around twenty minutes away, Golf Reginu. You can of course find a wide range of watersports along the coast with the main centres in Calvi and Algajola offering jet-ski, kayaks, paddle boarding, sailing, snorkelling, diving and more.

Indeed, it's only about 25 minutes to reach the coast where you will find beautiful sandy beaches and crystal-clear seas. Plage de Bodri (18km) is a lovely spot, as is Sant Ambroggio and the sandy beach with its watersports at Algajola, with many smaller coves and beaches backed by maquis and pine trees dotted inbetween. Heading east, the wild and remote Plage de L'Ostriconi enjoys a glorious setting at the beginning of the Desert des Agriates.

The nearest town, L'Ile-Rousse (16km), is a charming seaside port where you can watch old men play boules on the main square, enjoy the town's traditional or beachside cafes and restaurants and take a pleasant walk along the waterfront to the lighthouse. There's always a lovely ambience in the town and it's a great place to pick up produce from the covered market or shop in larger supermarkets.
There's also the charming little train, U Trinichellu, which runs between Calvi and L'Ile-Rousse via Algajola, stopping off at lovely beaches on the way.

Calvi (27km) is another wonderful town to visit for the day with its marina, beach, lovely old town and citadel and many pleasant restaurants and atmospheric bars. From the marina you can take boat excursions to visit the protected Scandola Reserve on the dramatic west coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.