U Capu Biancu

PERFECT FOR…discerning

guests who value sustainability as highly as they do luxury and an authentically extraordinary ambience. And this is where I am meant to be? The narrow road that branches off Route 10 behind Bonifacio winds for five kilometres, passing holm oaks and olive trees. Not a trace of the sea, nor of human habitation. Finally, one last curve reveals the first glimpse of the Gulf of Sant’Amanza—and the hotel gate. Behind it lies the domain of Sylvie and Jean-Louis Limongi. When they began realizing their vision of a luxury hotel here 30 years ago, there was neither water nor electricity. Today, their U Capu Biancu is regarded as one of the finest hotels on the island—and the most sustainable. Here, “recycling” and “upcycling” are not merely buzzwords—they are a way of life. This philosophy is evident in my junior suite, with its driftwood furniture, flea-market finds, and a “lowered” window in the bedroom so that the first thing you behold upon waking is the sea and the white cliffs. Should you require a cup of coffee, the pods are refilled—and the grounds are composted in the permaculture garden. That is also where the vegetables for the kitchen come from, where head chef Elhadji Gadio has been celebrating Corsican-Senegalese fusion cuisine for 27 years. These dishes pair perfectly with the fine wines that the hotel’s sommelier and neo-winemaker Vanessa Maloyer cultivates on the hotel’s own vineyards—biodynamically, of course. From the restaurant, a terrace descends to three private beaches. One of them is named after Queen Elizabeth, who once swam there during a yachting excursion. I cannot help but wonder whether she had herself rowed by tender to the small beach restaurant at U Capu Biancu, so that she might grill her own lobster beneath a reed sunshade. In any case, it is just as popular with hotel guests as it is with mega-yacht owners, who are happy to drop anchor in the bay for this very reason. “Hippie Deluxe” is perhaps the most apt description for this hideaway, where queens go swimming, billionaires man the grill themselves, and glamour glows green instead of sparkling gold. It is a rare combination—and one well worth preserving.

TEST HIGHLIGHT:

Watching the sunrise over the Gulf of Sant’Amanza

from

your

bed

, because someone clever thought to place the window low enough.


A HIDEAWAY FOR LUXURY HIPPIES in one of Corsica’s most beautiful spots.