​​​ Lost Paradises Travels - Europe  

​FRANCE - Corsica

Balagne Region - L'Isle Rousse

L'Île-Rousse is located on the west coast. The city was founded in 1758 by Pasquale Paoli to create a port that would not be in the hands of the Genoese like Calvi. As Italian was until 1848 the administrative language of Corsica, the town was originally named Isola Rossa (Red Island) from the ochre colour of a rocky islet that served as a natural harbour.

Around L'Île Rousse, you can visit the famous villages like Pigna, Corbara, Monticello et Santa Reparata. The village of Sant’Antonino is very famous and looks like an eagle’s nest clinging to a granite peak at an altitude of nearly 500m. It is one of the oldest villages in Corsica and one of the highest in La Balagne region. Alleyways, covered passageways and houses blend in with the rock. The view of the plain and sea from the remains of the old castello is superb.