BEST FOR… Kayaking, hiking, isolation

WHY GO? The hairy hairpin roads and crinkled topography keep crowds away from Corsica’s south-east edge. Here, fragrant maquis-cloaked valleys scrunch behind an azure sea, hiding perfect portions of sand. Better, beach beauties such as Cala di Conca and Cala di Tivella can only be reached by boat or on foot, keeping them quieter still.

WHAT TO DO: Hire a kayak in Tizzano to paddle to Conca, or walk the coast path between the two (5-6hrs return) via granite outcrops, a 17th-century Genoese tower and many beaches.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE: Visit the secretive hilltop town of Sartene (pictured). Go wine tasting in the dramatic Vallee de I’Ortolo.

GET THERE: Tizzano is a 60km drive north from the cliff-perched town of Bonifacio.