Calvi

Calvi's citadel sits on a promontory above the port, built by the Genoese who held the town as a loyal base; an inscription on the wall reads that the town was always faithful to Genoa. Inside are stepped lanes, a cathedral and barracks still used by the Foreign Legion, whose parachute regiment is based here. A ruined house in the citadel is claimed as Christopher Columbus's birthplace, a claim made locally since the nineteenth century and not accepted by historians, who place him in Genoa. Below, a beach of about six kilometres runs into pine forest, with the snow-topped Balagne mountains behind it into late spring.

What you actually see

• The Genoese citadel - stepped lanes and walls above the harbour.
• The Columbus claim - a ruined house presented as his birthplace.
• The long beach - about six kilometres of sand backed by pines.
• The mountain backdrop - Balagne peaks holding snow into spring.

When to go

May to June and September; July and August are busy and hot. A jazz festival runs in June and a polyphonic music festival in September. The Balagne train links the coast villages.

Honest expectations

The Columbus birthplace claim is not supported by evidence and the house is a ruin. Legion facilities inside the citadel are closed. Summer prices and crowds are high.

Nearby

Ile-Rousse lies east; the Agriates desert and Saleccia are further along.