The Balagne — the hilly region just inland from Calvi — is full of perched stone villages with churches, sheepfolds and the occasional artisan workshop. Sant'Antonino, Pigna, Calenzana and Speloncato are all within half an hour by car and worth at least a coffee stop.
L'Île-Rousse is 25 km east along the coast, a more laid-back beach town reached by the little train. The Scandola nature reserve, on the west coast, can be visited by boat from Calvi as a long day excursion — a UNESCO-listed coastline of red porphyry cliffs and clear water.
