It was the rock lobster: the lure of Centuri, Corsica

There is little more to Centuri than the harbour and its restaurants, but the setting and the speciality dish lend it a sophistication despite its remoteness

As I dangle my feet in the cool, clear waters off northern Corsica, I have only a yacht moored 100 metres away for company. Sailing would have been the more glamorous way to arrive at the port of Centuri, a small fishing harbour on the far north-west tip of Cap Corse, but instead I have the thrill of the drive.

I follow the twisting lanes carved out of the steep hillsides that descend into the sea with barely room for two cars to pass. While the drive may be heart-stopping, the views are simply jaw-dropping; Centuri comes into view when I stop at the Moulin Mattei look-out point, where a terracotta-roofed windmill is set on the former site of the island’s much-loved Cap Corse distillery.