Hotel Casadelmar, which joined Leading Hotels of the World in 2014, has a sleek contemporary and ecological design that fits beautifully in the wild, natural surroundings of this magnificent part of Corsica, looking out over the sea opposite the bay of Porto-Vecchio. Located at the water’s edge on the Palombaggia road, a few kilometres from Porto-Vecchio, the hotel is surrounded by two hectares of verdant, landscaped gardens, the terraces planted with yews and umbrella pines offering welcome shade. I experienced it as a wonderful home away from home and all the accommodation boasts individual outdoor terraces with sunbeds and sweeping sea views. The food is among the best I have ever experienced. In the evening I had dinner in Restaurant Le Casadelmar where renowned Italian chef Fabio Bragagnolo combines simple, authentic local ingredients to produce dishes of unparalleled flavour in his Michelin 2-star restaurant. I adored the cannelloni de denti au tourteau, caviar et legumes à la bergamote and the Saint Pierre cuit à l’huile d’olive, quinoa au baccala et raifort. If you want a change from the beautiful infinity pool at the Casadelmar and decide to move to the beach, ask for the boat shuttle, exclusively for guests of the hotel, and discover La Plage Casadelmar. You will find yourself in a dreamlike location where again there is simple but fantastic food, prepared by the wonderful Sicilian chef Maria D’Asta. I can’t wait to go back but, in the meantime I returned home with her grandmother’s wonderful recipe for zuppa di cozze as a souvenir.

 Copyright 2016 Mart Engelen