Sanguinaire Islands, Corsica, French Mediterranean
The Sanguinaires (Red Blood Islands) are an uninhabited archipelago located at the entrance of the Gulf of Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, the birthplace of Napoleon and the fourth largest island in the Mediterranean. The archipelago consists of four dark red porphyry islands, namely Mezumar Island, Isolote Island, Cala d'Alga Island, 30 meters above sea level, and Pori Island, 31 meters above sea level.
If you drive there from Ajaccio, you can only see the Sanguinares Islands from the peninsula at the end of the land, but it is not too far. You can also take a cruise to see the scenery, and you may also be able to visit the island.
At Cape Parata on the peninsula, there is a Genoese tower built by Giacomo Lombardo, the chief stonemason of Genoa, between 1550 and 1551. The tower is 12 meters high and the roof has a diameter of 7.3 meters. There are two vaulted rooms inside, each on different floors. It was one of a series of coastal defenses built by the Republic of Genoa between 1530 and 1620 to deter attacks by Barbary pirates. It offers panoramic coastline views and can also be reached via a rocky nature trail, which is also the best place to get a panoramic view of the archipelago.
The first lighthouse in the archipelago was built in 1844. The lighthouse on Mezumar Island was built in 1870. It was built at the highest point, 80 meters above sea level. There is also a lighthouse to its south built in 1865, but it is now abandoned. #OverseasTravel #EuropeTravel #IslandHoliday #IslandTour #France #France #Corsica #Mediterranean #france #corsica #les sanguinaires