France Guide
Corsica
Piana
Picturesque PIANA occupies a prime location overlooking the Calanches, but for some reason does not suffer the deluge of tourists that Porto endures. Retaining a sleepy feel, the village comprises a cluster of pink houses ranged around an eighteenth-century church and square, from the edge of which the panoramic views over the Golfe de Porto are sublime.
If you want to stay, head straight for Les Roches Rouges ( 
04.95.27.81.81, 
www.lesrochesrouges.com ; April– Oct; Price: €81-100), an elegant old grand hôtel rising from the eucalyptus canopy on the outskirts. Having lain empty for two decades, the turn-of-the-century building was restored with most of its original fittings and furniture intact, and possesses loads of fin-de-siècle style. The rooms are huge and light, with large shuttered windows, but make sure you get one facing the water. Non-residents are welcome to drop in for a sundowner on the magnificent terrace, or for a meal in the fresco-covered restaurant, whose menus gastronomiques (€32, €36 and €68), dominated by local seafood delicacies, are as sophisticated as the ambience. A cheaper alternative is the Continental, an old house with high wooden ceilings, stripped wood floors and a leafy garden, on the right as you leave Piana for Porto ( 04.95.27.89.00, www.continentalpiana.com Price: €51-65