15. Porto Vecchio in Corsica, France

Corsica is a French island known for its gorgeous beaches, rugged coastline, and hiking. Although culturally, it is more like Italy than France, French is the official language, with Corsican and Ligurian (Genoese) also spoken.

We arrived via the ferry port of Bonafacio, an historical village within a medieval fortress protected by steep cliffs and the Mediterranean Sea. Now, it is a picturesque harbor filled with expensive yachts and lined with boutiques, restaurants, and hotels.

We stayed in Porto-Vecchio, an up-scale town about 30 minutes drive north-east of Bonifacio, which is famous for being the birthplace of Napolean Bonapart. We jumped on a sunset cruise, and were privvy to viewing the multiple scenic bays adjacent to one another and hillsides dotted with impressive vacation homes, one of which we are told belongs to Jeff Bezos. With fewer tourists than most other place we've been, the whole experience was more enjoyable. Also, our hotel boasted a roof-top patio with a view of the Tyrrhenian Sea (subset of the Mediterranean Sea) - sweet serenity.Read more