Like many destinations, and if you're free of the school term dates, going out of peak season is often the very best time to go. How true that is of Corsica. As I write it's 25 degs outside, the sun is shining, there is a windsurfer in the bay and a handful of people at the beach. Many hotels and restaurants are closed but there's more than enough to choose from. The supermarket is the closest I've come to a private shopping experience! Put simply, you can take the best of what Corsica has to offer and have it virtually to yourself - riders and non riders alike.

I've riden almost 250kms over the past four days and what a joy it's been. Yesterday I saw the same number of cyclists on my route as I did jet fighter aircraft overhead - two! I rode a 22km descent and only saw three moving cars and one lorry. The main hazards on the road are pine needles, horse chestnuts and the occasional pig, sheep and or cow.

There are downsides - if you like crowds there aren't any, there's little in the way of night life, it can get cool in the evenings and atop mountain passes, entertainment mainly has to be self made. For the cyclist you must be totally self sufficient as you should assume on your rides that you will have to feed and water yourself as well as be able to carry out running repairs. Personally I don't recognise these as downsides, just more reasons to be here now!

Post script - I've just been asked if bikes can be hired this time of year. Yes, Balagne Cycles are open in L'Île Rousse and have a good selection road, hybrid and mountain bikes available. They also have paddle boards which are great fun.

I recently received an email from a reader in New Zealand who enquired whether it is possible to arrive in Bastia, cycle to the south of Corsica and cross over to Sardinia?

The answer is yes. Infact you could start in Italy at Piombino and take a 20km ferry ride to the island of Elba. Elba is well known of course for the exile of one of Corsica's most famous sons, Napoleon. It has 150km of coastline that can be cycled as well as some hill routes that rise to just over at 1,000m Mount Capanne.

Bastia is just a 50km ferry ride from Elba. From there it is 175km to Bonifacio, Corsica's most southerly port where you can catch a ferry to Santa Teresa on the northern coast of Sardinia. This crossing takes less than an hour. Sardinia, at more than twice the size of Corsica has plenty of riding options. If you ride to the south of the island to Cagliari you can take a ferry to Palermo in Sicily. From Palermo to Messina is around 250km where you can take the short crossing back to the mainland and cycle back to your start point. I have calculated, excluding ferry crossings, that by taking the most direct routes this is some 2,000km of riding! It certainly would be an interesting tour and with some planning could take in some of the routes used by the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. I sense a book in the offing...

Ferries:
Piombino to Elba with Moby Lines
Elba to Bastia with Corsica Ferries
Bonifacio to Sardinia with Moby Lines
Sardinia to Sicily with Tirrenia
(Note: these are all seasonal services)

Post script - last week I received an email enquiry from a reader in Rio. I have misplaced this so please send again, apologies. Mark