Hôtel Marinca & Spa ★★★★★

Although it belongs to France, Corsica is a thousand miles away from the crowded streets of Paris and dinners of frog’s legs and snails. The small island nation is nestled amongst the gently lapping waves of the Mediterranean Sea, complete with postcard perfect scenery of quiet golden beaches, endless horizons, and cute, rustic towns. All of which is made that much better by the lack of people who both inhabit and visit the island. It’s a paradise hideaway that few know about, and the ones that do know about it aren’t willing the spill the beans. Just as well, really, because it’s the secluded feel and quiet, peaceful landscapes that make Corsica so special.

Surrounded by acres of natural landscape, the hotel is a private pocket of the island where you can get away from it all. With its own gloriously surreal private beach complete with cove, pearlescent white sand, and shimmering, clear waters, I felt like I’d just been shipwrecked (glamorously, of course) on an island that had been materialised straight out of a storybook. Though, I don’t think any writer could do the lazy, hazy backdrop of Corsica justice.

Inside the Marinca, this thought was confirmed when I was greeted with a stylishly decorated interior. My room boasted cosy colour schemes and twisting, curving vases and pots bursting with fresh flowers and shrubs, like a traditional indoor French terrace with a difference. The best bits, though, were the floor to ceiling windows (French, of course) that opened out onto the hotel’s private pool and framed the Gulf of Valinco’s blue waters and green, jutting headlands within them.

By day, I’d enjoy a delicious hotel breakfast of fresh clementine and fig jams, dip in and out of the pool, venture to small coastal villages to taste the local cheese and meats, and relax with my feet in the clear, salty Mediterranean waters, watching the sun set on paradise. At night, I enjoyed freshly caught fish in the renowned “La Verriére” restaurant, looking out on the abstract views of the horizon. The next day I fashionably dined at The Paillote restaurant where Mediterranean delicacies made from the freshest and best produce in a dreamy beach setting are featured.

After a fulfilling dinner, the best way to end your day at Marinca is either by discovering the world-class spa with relaxing and rejuvenating treatments and massages or by heading to the 4 fantastic pools or the private beach of the hotel which boasts stunning views and golden sands.