Corsica What Is Known For

On an island famous for walking paths, one route stands apart – the GR20. Completed 30 years ago, it has become one of Europe's most famous treks, a rugged 120-mile, high-mountain path extending roughly from Calvia to Porto Vecchio. Crossed by only four roads, it passes through the magnificent Parc Naturel R\u00E9gional de la Corse and stunning landscapes from forests to glacial lakes – with shelters, huts, and camping sites along the way. If you're thinking about doing the entire route, plan on being in your boots for about two weeks.

Corsicans have traditionally turned to the land, rather than the sea, for their cuisine. (In the days of invaders and pirates it tended to be safer living in the mountains than by the sea.) Which is why one of the favorite dishes on the island is roasted wild boar. Pork is also a key ingredient in charcuterie and dishes such as sanglier (a mix of meats, beans, and lentils). The island's red wines are the perfect, full-bodied match for meats and broccio, a soft cheese from sheep or goat milk; just one of many incredible cheeses made mostly by the shepherds themselves, broccio also shows up in Italian-inspired pastas, even desserts.

Leave some room in your carry-on to bring home some maquis honey. With distinctive flavors born of the herb-rich underbrush whose scent pervades the Corsican air, the honeys are divided into a half-dozen, seasonal varieties. Most are strongly flavored, so if you like your honeys on the lighter side, try the spring varieties.