L'Île de Beauté Endures

Standing on Bonifacio's cliffs watching sunset paint limestone pink, or swimming in Scandola's pristine waters below towering volcanic cliffs, or sharing dawn coffee with fishermen in Centuri's tiny port, one understands why Corsica captivates. This is a coast that rewards patience, that reveals secrets slowly, that maintains mystery in an increasingly known world.

The Island of Beauty lives up to its name through the marriage of mountain and sea, creating coastscapes unique in the Mediterranean. But beauty here means more than pretty views. It encompasses the dignity of communities maintaining traditions despite pressures to change, the wisdom of development restrained by respect for nature, the complexity of an island culture that remains defiantly itself while welcoming those who approach with respect.

Corsica's coast teaches that preservation requires active choice, that beauty demands protection, that authentic culture survives through adaptation rather than fossilization. The fisherman using GPS to find traditional grounds, the vintner combining ancestral knowledge with modern techniques, the tour guide teaching visitors to see beyond beaches—all participate in keeping Corsica Corsican.

As ferries arrive from Marseille, Nice, and Livorno, as planes discharge tourists seeking Mediterranean perfection, as yachts anchor in pristine bays, Corsica's coast absorbs these waves of visitors while maintaining its essential character. The mountains still plunge dramatically into impossibly blue seas. The maquis still scents the air with wild herbs. The villages still watch warily from their hillside perches. And the sea—that eternal Mediterranean—still shapes the island's edge with patient persistence, ensuring that L'Île de Beauté remains worthy of its name.# Maritime Economy and Life

The sea has shaped France's economy for millennia, creating distinctive ways of life along every stretch of coast. From the grand ports that connect France to global markets to the smallest fishing villages where traditional methods survive, maritime activities remain central to coastal identity and prosperity. This chapter explores how French coastal communities make their living from the sea, examining both traditional practices and modern adaptations in an evolving economic landscape.