Calvi is a city on the French island of Corsica and the biggest tourist centre of the island, despite not having much to see or do. Because of the Corsica's strategic location, Calvi has a rich and chequered history.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The earliest found remains of settlers in Calvi date back to the Neolithic period, in one of its many caves. The first real recorded history of the settling of Calvi was around 1000BC, when the Romans brought agriculture to the land. Since then, Calvi has been invaded many times, giving rise to the popular saying souvent conquis, jamais soumis (often conquered, never enslaved).
There are no buses, but there is a small red train that runs along the coast from Île Rousse to Calvi, and a blue one that runs from Calvi to Bastia. There is no need to hire a car or a scooters to get around Calvi as it is quite a small and densely-packed town. If you wish to get around Corsica as a whole, it is worth checking the 'Go Next' section below.
The Citadel is worth at least one visit. It is very hard work, especially during the 12:00-15:00 period, with many steps and seemingly unendless cobbles, but there are some restaurants and shops to ease you and an art gallery halfway up. It is hard to recommend the citadel for its contents (though the 2nd Bn. Parachutistes of the Foreign Legion put on a show every year, discussed below, which is worth going to), but the views are simply amazing, especially at sunset. Come during the 15 Août, and you will be treated with the best fireworks show you have ever seen. Go to the main beach and you will see the show proper; each year has its own theme.
Take the train to Île Rousse or Bastia. Take the 4hr round trip to Scandola by boat, which can be booked on the Marina (you can't miss it). Scandola is an island, now a nature reserve, that boasts, among other things, coral, birds, and '450 seaweeds'. Best to book the afternoon trip to avoid being hit by Calvi's infamous winds, which tend to make the trip less than pleasant. Go diving around Calvi's corals (can be booked on the Marina, look for the boat with all the diving suits hanging off it, toward the eastern side). Three spots of free-diving are around Calvi: B17 plane wreck : 500m north to the citadelle at 25-28m deep, crashed during the second world war.
There are plenty of restaurants along the marina and the streets running parallel to it in the old town. Bar du Golfe is perhaps the only 'budget' restaurant on the marina, but serves honest-to-goodness French food, such as steak haché and pizzas, with no frills attached. It is at the very end of the marina, so the views and happenings are not as exciting, but you can't really complain at the price. Has an extensive cocktail list and seems popular with tourists and locals. A Casetta is a shop selling Corsican specialities such as cheese and sausage. They also have some restaurant tables overlooking the bay, where they serve sausage and cheese platters.
A romantic place to have a bottle of wine is Chez Tao in the cittadell. The cheapest bottle of red wine costs €30.
Calvi is, on the whole, a very safe place to be. Locals leave their keys in their cars, ignition running and the doors wide open, with apparently no fear of car theft. Pickpocketing is almost unheard of, and general theft more so. Violent crime against tourists is likewise rare. However, 80% of France's violent crime occurs on the island of Corsica, so it is worth taking several precautions.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
In Sep, Calvi typically sees ~26°C daytime highs and 8 rainy days.
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