CORSICA: PEARL OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

Wine, dive, dine and wrecks

Sunday 8th September - Sunday 15th September 2002 (8 days)

Leader: Gavin Anderson

Group size limit: 12 divers plus leader

Just 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Italy and 160 kilometres (100 miles) south of France lies the enchanting island of Corsica. With its spectacular snow-capped mountains, white sandy beaches and turquoise-blue water, it has to be one of the most scenic and beautiful islands in the entire Mediterranean. Well-known journalist and underwater photographer Gavin Anderson leads this excellent value diving trip. In Gavin's amiable company, conversation in the evenings will flow freely and your memories of your Corsican holiday will include not only the great wrecks and fine reefs, but the friendliness of the locals, the magnificence of the scenery and the wonderful food and wine! The location makes this trip a good choice for those with non-diving partners. This will be Gavin Anderson's third visit to Corsica.

Corsica is approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) in length and 80 kilometres (50 miles) wide at the broadest point. The western side of the island is exposed the prevailing winds and is very jagged with a series of large bays or 'Golfes', whilst the eastern side slopes to a flat coastal plain and long narrow strip of beach which runs right down the coast. Although tourists are slowly beginning to discover this stunningly beautiful island, its unspoiled character is being preserved thanks to strict controls on coastal developments and the creation of national parks and marine reserves. Olive groves, citrus plantations and vineyards roll down from the mountains to meet beautiful white sandy beaches and turquoise-coloured bays and inlets. Calvi, the chosen location for our trip, is the capital of the Balagne region. Once an important strategic port, today it is one of Corsica's most popular resort towns. Dominated by the magnificent citadel, which looks right over the town from its rocky promontory, Calvi exudes character and atmosphere. There are lots of little alleyways to explore with quaint little shops, bars and restaurants, a marina crammed full of boats and a fantastic beach lined by pine trees stretching for 4 kilometres to the east of the town. Non-divers or divers on a day off can easily escape into the mountains, where you can take a dip in one of the crystal clear mountain river pools or hike up beneath one of the ski lifts. You might also fancy exploring the citadel, just a few minutes walk from our hotel, where you can see where Napoleon stayed for several months in 1793, and where it is thought Christopher Columbus was born.

Algajola and San Abbrogio are quiet seaside resorts with beautiful long sandy beaches and a few shops, whilst Ille Rousse is a small bustling town with delightful cobbled streets, shops and a lovely promenade, A Marinella, running right along a long winding beach. There can be few pleasures greater than passing an hour or so in the evening, than joining the locals and taking a glass of local wine or brandy in one of the town square's open air cafés.

Although part of France, Corsica is influenced by its past history and its close neighbour, Italy. The official language is French, but many of the locals speak Corsu, which is more similar to Italian. The island has had a fascinating history. Over the years it has been fought over by the Moors, the Romans, Pisa, Genoa, Italy, Spain, Britain and France. The Genoese controlled the Island for five bloody centuries. Their end came after the Forty Years War, in 1769. Napoleon Bonaparte was born here, in the southern town of Ajaccio, and Britain's Admiral Nelson lost his eye fighting Napoleon, in the great sea battle for Calvi, in 1794. Following the battle Britain took control of Corsica, but for 2 years only: France regained control once more in 1796. More recently, in World War II, Corsica became famous for its resistance fighters who fought fearlessly against the Germans and Italians who occupied the island from 1940. Corsica was the first French region to be liberated during World War II. Many reminders of the war can be found whilst diving around Corsica's coastline: ship and plane wrecks litter the island's surrounding seas. Having World War II wrecks in your backyard does help when it comes to attracting visiting divers, but dramatic scenery, warm crystal clear water and good flight connections to most European cities helps even more. And if the divers also happen to be interested in good food and plentiful wine...

The diving in Corsica is especially good on the west coast. Here the spectacular mountains continue below the waterline and the scenery is awesome. There are many fantastic drop offs, canyons, tunnels arches and overhangs to explore. Where the trees and scrub cover the mountains and valleys above the surface, brilliantly coloured gorgonians, anemones and bright red coral encrust the underwater landscape. Groupers, moray eels and rock lobsters hang out under ledges while schools of bream, damselfish and Brown Meagres (a type of drum) provide shoals to swim through. Corsica is renowned for its excellent visibility, which can reach 40 metres during the summer months.

Our dive centre is located close to the marina/harbour area, in the heart of the town. Most dive sites are just 20 minutes away by boat. Along Corsica's northwest, coast between Calvi and Ille Rousse, there are many good dive sites offering a variety of experiences. It is along this coast that we should spend most of our time exploring a variety of wrecks and reefs.

One of the best is the wreck of a WWII B17 Bomber which lies beneath the magnificent Genoese Citadel, which overlooks the town and marina. Just 200 metres from the shore, you hardly need a boat to get to it and in fact some people do dive it from the shore. The bomber had been on a bombing raid over Verona in February 1944 when it came under attack by Messerschmitt fighters, losing one engine and receiving serious damage to two of the other three. After limping towards Corsica the pilot tried to reach an airfield but was forced to ditch in the sea. The plane came to rest in 27 metres, just short of a boulder slope. It stayed afloat long enough for the pilot and two of his surviving crew to escape to safety. Seeing the great Flying Fortress for the first time silhouetted against the sandy bottom is an unforgettable experience with its wings stretching an impressive 30 metres across! Photographers should have a wonderful opportunities here if they bring their wide-angle lens. When local dive shop owner, Paul Valeani, first discovered the plane back in the sixties he found two machine guns still in perfect working order, parachutes, oxygen bottles and the remains of the three crew that died during the attack.

Despite the guns since being removed, the B17 is still a great dive. Try hovering above the plane and imagine what it must have been like when the great beast hit the water and glided down to the sea floor! Then take a look into the cockpit from the front and from the rear peer down through plane's interior, where you can watch little moray eels poke their heads out of holes in the fuselage and Mediterranean Cardinals sheltering as if they were in a cave. There aren't too many places around the world where you can dive on a relatively intact B17 in just 27 metres and in such an accessible position. This is a truly great dive, one of the best in Corsica!

Most of the diving out from Calvi is concentrated to the north west of the city. La Bibliothèque (or 'The Library', for those of you whose French is not what it used to be) is about 10 minutes along the coast by boat. Here a pile of huge rocks, stacked vertically against each other resembling a pile of books, marks the site. The rocks continue on underwater but more in the form of massive boulders piled up on top of each other. They lead quickly to a fairly shallow sandy bottom. The depth is about 20 metres, so this site makes an excellent place for an afternoon dive. There is plenty to see and the scenery is particularly interesting with swim-throughs and natural arch-shaped windows created by the huge boulders. Little caves and overhangs provide a home for cardinals and squirrelfish, gobies and blennies peer out from little holes and crevices and Dwarf Rockfish wait patiently to pounce on unsuspecting prey. The rocks are well covered in sponges, anemones and sea squirts. Banded coral shrimps hang upside down waiting to clean any passing moray or grouper, and octopus lie in wait to ambush passing crabs.

La Bibliothèque maybe used as a check out dive at the start of your trip, but, although it is a good dive, for something more challenging you will want to try La Revellata. The dive begins directly beneath La Revellata lighthouse which sits right on the Point de Revellata. A series of underwater peaks, canyons and valleys link together with miniature walls and drop offs, leading eventually to a sandy bottom which slopes away beyond 40 metres. The scenery is truly magnificent and so is the marine life. Flowering anemones, sponges and gorgonians cover every inch of rock. Large shoals of Cow and Two-banded Breams, Guinea Grunts and damselfish weave in and out of the valleys and canyons. Under ledges, rock lobsters and scorpionfish hide while brilliantly colourful nudibranchs feed on hydroids and sponges covering the overhangs and steep sloping walls above. It is possible, due to the site's topography, to do multilevel dives here in order to maximize your bottom time. That way you will give yourself the chance to spot barracuda and marauding jacks which come in from deeper water in search of a meal.

Round the corner from La Revellata is Punta Bianca, where vertical drop offs step down in stages from 10 to 40 metres. The terraces and walls are covered in gorgonians and red coral, with flowering anemones in crevices and overhangs. You have a good chance of seeing the odd Striped Barracuda, moral eel or rock lobster and you will definitely encounter more shoals of Cow and Two-banded Bream.

Most of the sites round Calvi are reasonably easy dives. However, there is a deep dive for experienced divers only: Mezzu Golfu or Sec du Clocher. The dive starts at 27 metres at the top of a large rounded underwater seamount, which drops down to over 50 metres. The site is riddled with caves, little canyons, overhangs and ledges, and is a favourite place of the local groupers. There is a good variety of colourful gorgonians and one can usually find moray eels and yes, those Cow Bream again!

Water temperatures at this time of year should be around 23-24^oC. A 5 mm wetsuit would be ideal.

Our ideally placed, small hotel is situated right on the quayside at Calvi and is surrounded by small shops, bars and restaurants, where delicious seafood platters and local specialities can be sampled and washed down with the best local rosé wine, Patrimonio. Take dinner on the quayside and then, with the air still warm from the strong Mediterranean sun, wander the narrow streets, perhaps taking a glass of wine in one of the local bars, before retiring to dream of the diving to come...

Itinerary

Sunday 8th September: Air 2000 morning flight from London (Gatwick) to Calvi. Short transfer to the Balanea Hotel for a 7 night stay with 5 days of diving. All rooms have en-suite bathroom, air-conditioning, TV and direct dial telephone.

Monday 9th September -Friday 13 September: Breakfast at the hotel followed by a few minutes walk to our boat which will be moored at the quayside,. There will be a morning dive, returning to Calvi in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon dive.

Saturday 14th September: Breakfast at the hotel followed by a free day. Explore Calvi on foot, take the local coastal train for the scenic journey to the small town of Ille Rousse, or to the beachfront village of Algajola with its fabulous beach and small shops and restaurants, or perhaps take a boat trip from Calvi to see the wilderness areas that cannot be reached by road.

Sunday 15th September: After breakfast depart for Calvi Airport for the Air 2000 midday flight back to London (Gatwick), arriving in the afternoon.

£795 (non-divers £525) London/London

Includes

· Charter flights London (Gatwick)/Calvi/London (Gatwick) by Air 2000.

· 7 nights bed and breakfast accommodation on a twin/share basis at the Hotel Balanea in Calvi.

· 5 days diving (2 boat dives daily), cylinders and weights.

· Services of Gavin Anderson as group leader.

Single Occupancy Supplement: £189

Deposit: £150

Note: Should two people travelling together apply for the last place on the tour, we may, at our discretion, increase the group size by one.