Corsica Ep4 – First Ride on Corsica – Epic Roads & Island Vibes

Corsica Ep4 – First Ride on Corsica – Epic Roads & Island Vibes

Coming up in this episode, we finally 
arrive at Corsica. We take in some stunning mountain scenery and we 
stop in a beautiful town for lunch. Good morning. It’s about 5:45. That is the coast of Corsica, the 
northern coast. We’ve just, you know, gone around the tip and we’re just coming 
down to arrive at the Port of Bastia. The ship just following us there. Sun’s just 
starting to come up in the distance. Temperature’s agreeable. It’s going to be 
a beautiful day once we get off the boat. So stick with me. as we get 
on to Corsica. Good morning. So this is down on the car deck. I don’t 
know if you can hear me. A little bit chaotic Hemmed in by cars everywhere. Lots of bikes, very hot. Just waiting for them to get some of these some of 
these cars out of the way. Wow. Well, that was a job getting out of there. You like a bit of chaos? Corsica 
fairies are for you! But anyway, let’s put that behind us. Here we are. Welcome 
to Corsica. And what a beautiful morning. Push in, it’s how the French would do it. 
You see, he’s just done it. Have I done you? First junction in Corsica. Cap Corse. 
That’s us, isn’t it? Well, yeah, it is. So, it was great to finally get to the island of 
Corsica. Obviously, the objective of this trip. And it’s a wonderful morning. Just started riding 
along following the coast up the northern part, up towards Cap Corse. Pulled over for a quick 
check on the scenery here. It didn’t disappoint. So, we just stopped for a quick coffee 
and a Pain au Chocolat and now we’re going to progress up towards 
Cap Corse. See you on the road. So with the coffee inside us, we continued round 
the northern peninsula and the roads were just fantastic as you can see here. Just corner after 
corner. I don’t think I’ve ever ridden roads so twisty, and beautiful scenery to boot as well. So, 
life just doesn’t get any better than this. And we continued with this fantastic ride round 
towards Saint Florent. No room for error there. Oh, that’s the cheapest fuel we’ve seen. Oh, hello. Last minute decision. That’s 
what he thought as well, “that’s cheap!” He nearly took out that nice old classic then. Oh, I’ll just let her across. So, this is Saint Florent. So we’ve come round 
the northern peninsula and we’re just turning west now towards L’Île Rousse and Calvi and then 
eventually we’ll start to head south down to Porto which is where our accommodation for the night 
is. The roads have been mega twisty and it looks like they’ll continue in that vein for the rest 
of the day. So we’re using the sides of the tire. The weather’s cracking and it’s a lovely 
day of riding. I’m probably going to try and find a bit of lunch around L’Île 
Rousse, so, I’ll check back in then. Should we take this right? Yeah. There’s a bollardd there. Yeah, doing it. Uh, right. Yeah, I think I 
think we’ve got right of way. There we go. That will do. So, 
just arriving in L’Île Rousse here. Um, as usual, I forgot to film lunch. 
Was at the place on the left here was really nice. This is a quick shot of the main 
square. So nice place. Well worth a visit. Yes, American pants. Uh left I think. What do you reckon? So, that was L’Île Rousse for lunch and now we’re 
going to carry on along the coast towards Calvi and then start heading round the coast down to the 
south towards Porto where we’ll stay this evening. Well, I thought Calvi would be a lot prettier 
than this. Maybe we’re just not in the pretty bit. Okay, you find us on the D81B, we’ve just 
gone through Calvi, come out the other side, and this is the coast road down to 
Galleria and Porto. I think it said it was about 75km from Calvi down to Porto. 
It’s not the fastest road in the world, so could take us some time, 
but it’s going to be enjoyable. And it’s beautiful as well. Very rugged. So, as you can see, the 
surface has degraded somewhat, but it’s still beautiful. Still good fun. 
That’s a long drop. That’s a cyclist. That’s another cyclist. Go this way. Oh yeah, let’s do that. Oh, I 
think we might want to go that way anyway. We do. Should we? 
Yeah, I saw that and thought, you know, do without it. Should we Well, 
that’s a big step. Should we stop here? Yeah. Uh, I’m going to go beyond that thingy 
and turn around. I think that’s a good one. Just pull in here. Oh, there’s 
the uh Swiss boys behind us. Oh, cows on the road. Cows with horns on the road. Yes. Might be a cafe here as 
this is the beach of Galeria. Is that a cafe? That’s a 
cafe. Should we pull in here? So this is Galeria. Just 
stopped for a quick coffee, maybe a bowl of ice cream. We’ll see. Bikes 
are over there. Nice view out over the bay. So yeah, let’s have a quick quick 
break. About 45k to go, I think, after this down to Porto. So not far at all. This is the bay at Galeria. It’s quite a nice spot. Now we’ve just got the last bit to head 
down to Porto. See you on the road. Is this the top? I think it 
is. Yeah. Should we pause? Wow. Oh, there’s a goat. Very ornate water fountain. Yeah, I think it might be down this one here. 
Doubles back on us. Yeah. Yep. Pretty sure. Not sure he’s going to get round there, 
but he has. Yeah, I think this is us. I think it’s here. Yeah, this is it. So, here we are. We’ve arrived in Porto. 
That’s obviously Porto in Corsica, not Portugal. But it’s a properly beautiful 
place. Just set in quite a secluded bay. It’s nice and quiet as you can hear. Whole bunch 
of hotels, but I think we’re quite early in the season, so there’s not there’s not 
too much going on, and it’s cracking. So yeah, just sat in this beautiful bay 
here. you know, red rocks on the side, few hotels on the front, it’s beautiful and calm. It doesn’t it doesn’t get much better 
than this to be honest. You know, you’ve got restaurants on the front here 
on the terrasse, and there’s a little castle or keep on the top there that 
we may or may not go up to. We’ll see. I would thoroughly recommend this place 
if you’re looking for something on the west coast of Corsica. The roads down 
to here are fantastic as well. So yeah, this is us for the evening.Tomorrow the plan 
is to head further down south and end up near Bonifacio on the southern tip of Corsica. 
Thanks for watching. See you tomorrow. Coming up next time, we ride 
some rocky coastal scenery, ride up a mountain for lunch, 
and we explore Bonfacio.

In this episode of my European motorcycle tour, we finally arrive in Corsica – a legendary island for riders. After a night on the ferry, we land in Bastia at dawn and begin our journey along some of the most scenic and twisty roads on the island. This is a tarmac-heavy day, full of coastal curves, mountain climbs, local towns, and breathtaking scenery.

Our ride begins in the early hours as we approach the Port of Bastia with the rising sun casting golden light over the northern Corsican coast. Once off the ferry, and through the chaos of the vehicle deck, we ride straight into the beautiful morning air and set off north towards Cap Corse.

The route takes us along the D80, hugging the coast of the Cap and offering a fantastic warm-up for the day ahead. We stop briefly to take in the views and grab a quick French breakfast—coffee and a pain au chocolat—before continuing on through countless tight corners and cliffside roads. The terrain is rugged and dramatic, with views out over the sea on one side and steep mountain faces on the other.

The roads here are absolutely perfect for road-focused adventure and sport-touring motorcycles. This is not off-road territory today—just pure, well-surfaced, twisty tarmac that keeps you on your toes. As we progress around the Cap and head west, we roll into the picturesque town of Saint-Florent. The town is peaceful and makes for a great scenic pause before continuing the ride.

From Saint-Florent, we ride through L’Île-Rousse where we stop for a relaxing lunch in the main square. As always, I forgot to film the meal, but the location is well worth a visit. After lunch, we ride past Calvi and continue south along the D81B. The roads here hug the coastline tightly, weaving through the cliffs and descending into small bays. The pace slows due to the technical nature of the route, but the ride is incredibly rewarding.

Along the way, we pass classic French villages, stunning Mediterranean bays, and even navigate around a few cows wandering in the road. The terrain remains mostly paved, though some sections of the road are rougher in places. Still, the bike handles it all well, and the sense of immersion in Corsica’s raw, natural beauty is unmatched.

We make a short stop in the seaside village of Galeria for a coffee and a bit of ice cream, overlooking a quiet bay surrounded by red rock formations. With about 45 kilometers left in the day, we push on through the final stretch of coastal twisties as we approach our destination: Porto.

Porto is a quiet town nestled in a sheltered bay on Corsica’s west coast. It’s calm, scenic, and beautifully rugged—everything you’d hope for at the end of a day like this. The light fades over the red cliffs, and the sea laps gently at the shore while I reflect on one of the best riding days of the trip so far.

This is the kind of day that makes Corsica such a dream for motorcyclists: early-morning starts, technical roads, epic scenery, good food, and remote coastal villages with character and charm.

Tomorrow, we continue the ride down toward the southern tip of the island, heading for Bonifacio. But for now, we rest up in Porto after an unforgettable first day on Corsican tarmac.

If you’re a rider planning a trip to Corsica, this video will give you a great feel for what to expect on a full-day tarmac tour of the northern and western regions. Whether you’re on an ADV bike, a sport-tourer, or even a road-going classic, these roads are a must-ride.

Thanks for watching, and be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a comment if you’ve ridden these routes or are planning your own Corsican motorcycle adventure.

Links 👇

Get updates or reach out to Get updates on Social Media Profiles!
Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/chipsnlees
Facebook: / https://www.facebook.com/andrew.lees.3766
Twitter: /✖️ / https://x.com/andylees16

JOIN THE GROWING RANKS, SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL 👇 :
https://www.youtube.com/@themotorcyclewanderer

Share this video with a friend on my CHANNEL :
https://www.youtube.com/@themotorcyclewanderer

PLAYLISTS TO WATCH NEXT 👇:

For business inquiries, please get in touch with me via email at: 📧 themotorcyclewanderer@gmail.com

Don’t forget to subscribe here & share this video with a friend on my CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@themotorcyclewanderer

Tags:

#motorcycle trip Corsica
#Corsica motorbike tour
#adventure motorcycle
#motorcycle touring Europe
#twisty roads Corsica
#Bastia to Porto motorcycle
#motorcycle vlog Corsica

Stay tuned for Episode 5, where we take on more stunning coastal routes, climb into the mountains for lunch, and explore the ancient clifftop town of Bonifacio.