Travelling up the west side of the island, you reach Sartène which sells itself as ‘The most Corsican of Corsican towns’. Solid buildings of ancient stone tumble down the hillside towards the valley road and there are views of the Gulf of Valinco from the top of the town. Linger over a drink in Place Porta, then wander the steep streets of the old quarter before heading down to sea level at Propriano.

A commercial port as well as a pleasure harbour, Propriano – like Porto Vecchio – is a bustling holiday resort and a good base for touring southern Corsica. Just 75 minutes by car from both Bonifacio and the island’s main city, Ajaccio, it is also well-placed for exploring inland. For some scenic swimming and sunbathing, take the road along the north side of the Valinco Gulf where low-key beach resorts like Porto Pollo enjoy good views across the water to the mountains behind Propriano.

Our last stop was Ajaccio, birthplace of Napoleon in 1769 and Corsica’s principle town with a huge bustling harbour backed by rounded hills and wide skies. Relax at a pavement café on the quayside or take a seat on the harbour wall and enjoy the colourful free show as fishermen mend their nets, nautical types manoeuvre yachts into moorings, and cruise liners glide effortlessly out to sea.

From the palm-lined promenade, weave your way between the tall, shuttered buildings of the old Genoese town before emerging into the broad squares and boulevards of the Imperial City. There’s a marble statue of Napoleon as First Consul in pretty Place Foch and in the broad open space of Place de Gaulle, he pops up again, this time resplendent in Roman dress and riding a golden horse. Surrounded by his four brothers, it’s the family group portrait to beat all others.

On summer evenings, Place de Gaulle is the venue for open air concerts and other festivals, and we spent a very entertaining evening listening to songs – good and not-so-good – in a kind of spirited Corsican karaoke. The next night, by complete contrast, we felt the hairs on the back of our necks rise at the melodic voices of Alte Voce, a group of singers performing traditional harmonies in the sumptuous surroundings of a Baroque church.

If it’s culture you’re after, drop into Napoleon’s birthplace – an apricot-coloured house on a quiet pedestrian street – or visit the Fesch Museum to see paintings by Botticelli, Titian and other great masters.

Self-caterers should browse the stalls of the daily farmers’ market in the square outside the tourist office for the very best in Corsican products – not just succulent fruit and vegetables but olive oil and honey, charcuterie, patés and cheese.

And if you can’t wait for a nibble, drive on along the Gulf of Ajaccio until you run out of road opposite the Iles Sanguinaires. From the stone wall at the turning space, you can watch white surf roll in on one side of the promontory and calm waters lap the other shore – the perfect place for an authentic Corsican picnic!