milesurf22

Hi All,
I'm looking for a Mediterranean island destination this summer in the last week of July. We'll have about 8-9 days. We will be going to Paris for a week afterwards, so I've been focusing on Corsica and Mallorca due to their proximity. Which would you choose? Has anyone been to both and are wiling to compare/contrast?

Some more info:
We'd like to be close to the water but we're willing to explore the interiors of each island. We could probably do a few days by the water and a few days in the mtn villages. We enjoy hiking, meeting locals, eating good food, and just relaxing. Also, we'd like get around via public transport... we know that this is the craziest time of year to visit, but it's the only time that will work.

Is one island last touristy than the others? How crowded does the Western side of each respective island get? Could you recommend any places to base ourselves? Is it impossible to get nice accommodations this late into the reservation period? This is a honeymoon!

Also, any help navigating the outrageous airfares would be helpful!

Thanks so much!

Miles

Echnaton

I have been on both islands. They are very different. Corsica is almost completely mountaineous, with steep red rock cliffs making up a very scenic coastline. The island has lots of forests, hiking trails etc. If you prefer dramatic scenery, go to Corsica.

Mallorca is more diverse but in a way more ordinary. The eastern part of the island is rather flat, while you have a mild mountain chain on the western side. On Mallorca, you have at least two rather picturesque cities, Palma with a gorgeous cathedral and a royal castle, and Soller. You also find a convent.

IMO, Corsica is less touristy. The west coast of Mallorca is the island's most beautiful part and certainly not crowded, but it will be hard to find affordable accomodation in July. There are not too many hotels on Mallorca's scenic west coast and most are 5-star luxury places. The mass tourism hotels are in the north, east and south.

milesurf22

Thanks ... Is one island cheaper than the other? In terms of what you get for food, accommodations, etc.? I've heard that Corsica is more expensive, but I'm wondering in which ways?

Egbert

And I'm wondering which is better Corsica or Sardinia? (I know this is the Spain forum, just thought someone might know)

Echnaton

Sardinia is pretty boring. There are pretty natural beaches but nothing else.

Sorry, cannot really say which island is more expensive. In Mallorca, you find huge differences between extremely cheap mass tourism (especially in S'Arenal) and very expensive luxury places on the west coast.

markrosy

I have spent far too much time on Mallorca and Sardinia. Corsica is next on our list and we would love to go.

Mallorca is hugely diverse for an island so small. There are huge contrasts between it's resorts which cater for all levels from the very lowest of the low to the most exclusive in Europe. ie from fish and chip shops to helipads/sunseekers. The last week in July is prime time children's holiday and the island will be very, very busy. Ay times simply logistics will be depressingly hard. We absolutely love the place but have found after 20 plus visits that the food can be pretty average.

Sardinia is a different proposition. The beaches are without question, the best in Europe and it will be far less busy than Mallorca. We have found the food to be marginally better than Mallorca but generally far lower in standard to say mainland Italy. The north east of the island is stunning and we love Santa Teresa.

I believe that the geography of Corsica is similar to Sardinia and it has a reputation for having higher standard of food than both the other islands.

Personally, I would always go for Sardinia, simply due to its beauty.

GeoffHamer

I don't think Sardinia is similar to Corsica. Corsica is much more mountainous, with a high point of 2700 m, but more sparsely populated.
In July, all the Mediterranean islands with be packed with visitors. Mallorca is much smaller than Corsica or Sardinia, but probably gets more visitors. Mallorca attracts huge numbers of holidaymakers from Britain, Germany and other northern European countries, while Corsica attracts mainly French visitors and Sardinia attracts Italians.

Echnaton

In case, a poster does not have a clue about Corsica:

http://www.voyagevirtuel.co.uk/corse/corse11.php

Egbert

Thank you that is very interesting!

Pvoyageuse

All three islands will be very busy in July and August.
Mallorca will be a zoo (150,000 passengers a day at the airport in high season). The word "balearization" was coined to describe the overbuilding that took place in the 70's and completely ruined a good part of the coastline.

If you like nature, go to Corsica or Sardinia with miles and miles of unspoiled nature.
Sardinia has a lot to offer from Pisan and Romanesque churches to Spanish towers to neolithic and Phoenician ruins to abandonned silver mines but you have to leave the beaches, rent a car and not be afraid of taking small and winding roads to explore the island. I've been three times (counting on a fourth trip soon) and far from being bored I have always found something new to discover.

Both Corsica and Sardinia are more expensive than their respective mainland and than Mallorca.

ncounty

great info.... I am going to Mallorca and Sardinia and appreciate the input as well.

ekscrunchy

NCounty: Would you mind telling me what your routing will be--from one island to the other? I am taking a very early look at this same combination...

JustineA

It depends on who you are what you like. Everyone's tastes are different. I personally wouldn't go to Mallorca in July because it is seriously over-crowded. But you might like that; i.e. Atlantic City in July or Miami Beach during the winter holidays. It has what you are looking for by way of diversity in terrain but again I need to say very crowded in July and perhaps not enjoyable. I would go at another time of year.

I'm sure that Corsica will be crowded in July as well but if I had to choose between the two for a honeymoon it would be Corsica. Friends of mine go to the mountain village of Bastelica every summer, and love it. It's a medieval village and life is slow and easy there. But their plans are made a year in advance--every year.

ncounty

Hi Eks! I am doing a one week western Med cruise. I will have two days in Rome before the cruise and then leave out of Civitatecchia: day 1- Genoa (full day there), day 2- Nice, day 3- Barcelona, day 4- Mallorca, day 5- at sea, day 6- Sardinia, day 7 - return to Rome. The ship is the Navigator of the seas and we've been on it before; it is perfectly lovely/adequate. I got a great price, about $700 for the cruise. We have an inside cabin but I don't mind that; I am out and about all the time anyway. It is such an efficient way to travel, no packing and unpacking and trains etc. I love that the itinerary has a stop each day. The day in Barcelona is particularly long; we are there till 10 pm which gives such a leisurely day.

ekscrunchy

Thanks, NC. I was looking at combining either Puglia and Mallorca or Sardinia and Mallorca (I know these are odd combinations--I had an invite to go to Mallorca) but the flights just seemed too complicated and expensive. I was just curious if you had found something else. The cruise sounds absolutely lovely, aswell as being an amazing value.