The beautifully unspoilt Cervione

The historic Cervione is a little known village in Corsica, located just half an hour from Bastia. From the magnificent bell tower to the stone houses with wooden shutters, cobbled streets and quirky cafes, it’s an enchanting place to visit. The views are so astonishing, they almost take your breath away. It’s no wonder this hidden gem was nicknamed the balcony by the sea.

It was a scorching hot afternoon when we arrived as a family to explore. Having already taken in the splendour of the bell tower, we headed up one of the cobbled side streets to find the most charming square. Located here is a former Roman Catholic Cathedral and a national monument of France – Cathedrale de Saint Erasme. It was one of Corsica’s earliest baroque cathedrals and once the seat of the Bishop of Aleria.

The inside of the cathedral is quite special. A black and white marble floor, beautifully crafted wooden stalls and an impressive organ. The domed ceiling is so impressive you almost lose your balance looking up at it. POD hadn’t been in a cathedral of this size before and spent the majority of our time there with her mouth agog.Back out in the sunlight, we discovered a quaint restaurant next door. It’s entrance so tiny, you could easily miss it if you didn’t know it was there. With the temperature pushing thirty degrees, we stopped at a cafe where we watched the nesting swallows around the cathedral.Although we didn’t get to see the local museum, there was plenty to keep us occupied in Cervione. Whether it was admiring a house nestled in a hilltop or taking in those staggering views. We found the prettiest playground I have ever seen, almost hidden in what could have been a private garden. Aside from POD’s squeals of delight, there was very little noise. We even spotted a lizard on a wall and managed to get quite close before he realised we were there.A grand lion door knocker and an open door led us to what appeared to be flats. Complete with a decorative ceiling, concrete pillars and stone steps. POD wanted to explore upstairs, you might be able to tell from the expression!Back near the bell tower, we opted to embrace what was around us with a nice cold drink at one of the cafes. The perfect place to sit and take it in.