We took the kids to Corsica without flying – by adding three days of adventure

A thrilling tour of the mountainous island – with two small boys in tow – takes in beaches, culture and dramatic scenery

It’s changed again!” the seven-year-old says as we hit the snowline at about 1,400 metres. He’s impressed that such a small island can contain so much. The mountains close in and the road bends sharpen; we’ve only been in the car for an hour, but this morning’s beach feels a long way away. The constantly shifting scenery keeps restlessness at bay – no mean feat with a seven- and a nine-year-old in the back seats.

Lying between mainland France and Italy in the Ligurian Sea, and often referred to as the Île de Beauté, Corsica is renowned for its geographic variety: two-thirds of the island is a crumpled mass of granite peaks, torrents and valleys formed 250 million years ago.