Corsica · Month comparison

October vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs October at #4. First real sweet spot — 21°C and dry, GR20 lower stages open, Bonifacio beaches without crowds.

Corsica October — autumn chestnut grove in Castagniccia

October

#4 of 12 months

Best match

Last warm month — chestnut harvest in Castagniccia, sea still 21°C, rates back to spring levels.

  • Castagniccia chestnut festival mid-month — chestnut flour pulenta, beer, polenta
  • Sea still 21°C for half the month — beach days viable
Corsica May — Bonifacio cliffs and citadel from sea

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

First real sweet spot — 21°C and dry, GR20 lower stages open, Bonifacio beaches without crowds.

  • GR20 lower stages open from mid-May — full traverse from early June
  • Cap Corse driving loop without summer traffic
FactorOctoberMay
Weather score
8
9
Value score
8
7
Crowd score
8
7
Events score
7
8
Atmosphere
9
10
Avg high temp22°C21°C
Monthly rain95mm45mm
Daily sunshine7hrs9hrs

October trade-offs

  • 95mm rain in concentrated autumn storms
  • Many resort hotels close last week of October until April

May trade-offs

  • Sea still 17°C — only Northern Europeans swim
  • Upper GR20 stages still snow-bound until early June
Scores compare months within Corsica. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →