Le Couvent de Pozzo

Located on fourteen acres on the wild Cap Corse, all the way in the north of the island, this beautifully restored former convent can be rented as a holiday home or visited as a B&B-style chambre d'hôte, with hotel services, a pretty pool and access to a rugged coastal strip of beaches.

• The homemade brioches with blackberry jam for breakfast
• Strolling through the park at sunset
• The tiny picturesque fisherman village of Brando nearby

Friendly young owner Emmauelle Picon has transformed this impressive, honey-colored stone home into a refined retreat. (It used to be a late 18th century Capucine convent replete with a cloister and chapel.) It's set in a vast, landscaped park overlooking the sea. Interiors are decked out with family heirlooms and period furnishings, and the timeless atmosphere truly plunges you into another era. The Convent de Pozzo offers a bed-and-breakfast option, with the choice of four small but well-equipped rooms (inquire about their extra beds for children), plus a sprawling homey living room on the ground floor.

Copious, country-style breakfasts are served on the patio, but Emmanuelle is always on hand for special requests. Should you decide to lounge by the blue-tiled pool, she'll whip you up a simple but delicious home-cooked lunch or dinner from recipes that are straight out of her grandma's recipe book and made from locally sourced products.

Expect Wifi connections but no televisions, minibars or safes in your room, all part of the authentic country charm. Don't miss some of the terrific advantages of this spectacularly untamed peninsula, with arresting panoramic views of the pale aqua, emerald and violet sea and crumbling Genoese crenellated towers at every twist and turn. Best bet: a hike around the coastal "customs footpath" that begins at Macinaggio, the tip of the Cap Corse and winds around the seaside cliffs and crystalline coves.

Above all, what makes the upscale Couvent de Pozzo even more unique is that the property is also available for private rental and sleeps up to 15 people.

Couples, families or groups of friends who want to celebrate a special occasion, or sports-minded couples and wine lovers.