Noel Rochford, who has written several Landscapes guides, found the Corsicans to be the friendliest people he encountered throughout his travels. But the landscapes enchanted him as well: “No other Mediterranean island can boast such a wealth of natural beauty. Beaches to suit every taste: from long stretches of glaring white sand to pink rocky coves. Real mountains — climbers’ terrain — that reach almost 3000m/9000ft. In these mountains you stumble upon a magnificent mixture of pine forests, beech woods, chestnut groves, and coppices of evergreen oaks. Streams bound down the mountainsides; rivers cascade through awe-inspiring gorges, leaving behind blue-green pools as clear as crystal. The pink granite hills and cliffs, normally conjured up only for an artist’s canvas, are real indeed on Corsica.”