Winter is in full swing: while some prefer to spend it in mountain resorts, others choose to discover alternative destinations by the sea, often crowded in summer, that can be explored by car or motorcycle on roads and routes that are usually very busy. To travel the coastal routes during the winter in fact means combining unique landscapes and panoramas, relaxed atmospheres, and still mild temperatures. Travelling by car on these routes ensures comfort, the possibility of dealing with any bad weather, opting for extended stops; if, on the other hand, you prefer riding a motorbike, the sense of freedom that the vehicle already provides will certainly be amplified. In both cases, the fewer vehicles present will ensure a more consistent drive, with few interruptions, thereby limiting consumption and emissions.
The itineraries in France
There are numerous coastal roads that cross the French territory, especially in the South of the country, where the rocky cliffs overlook the Mediterranean. This is the distinguishing feature that unites most of the scenic routes across the Alps, including the Route des Crêtes and the Corniche d'Or (or Corniche de l'Esterel). Inaugurated in 1964, the first route connects the towns of Cassis and La Ciotat in Provence, near Marseilles. 15 kilometres separate the original arrival and departure points, a distance that rises to 41 if one chooses to include the great port city in the route. The Route des Crêtes is particularly suitable for two wheelers: curves and hairpin bends overlooking the sea alternate with wide and straight sections of road, allowing for the best enjoyment of the typical landscape of these areas. On particularly clear days – favourable weather is another positive aspect of visiting these areas in the winter season – it is possible to glimpse some of the natural beauties of the area from above, such as the Parc National des Calanques and the Riou Archipelago. If you choose to use your car, the travel pace will certainly be more comfortable: you can, for example, decide to stop and walk along one of the many trekking paths that descend to the sea from the Route, which are very popular walks during the high season. Reaching La Ciotat – or Cassis, reversing course – in winter means more easily delving into characteristic and picturesque towns, appreciating their history and architecture, with an unusual tranquillity compared to summer.
From Saint-Raphaël to Cannes: this, on the other hand, is the route of the Corniche d'Or, the scenic road that crosses the Esterel massif, known for the reddish hue of the rocks that make it up. Completed in 1903 under the impetus, among others, of the French Touring Club, the route owes its name to the golden hue that tinges the rocks as the sun sets: a characteristic that winter visitors can also appreciate thanks to the excellent weather conditions that the off-peak season here offers. The distance between the two destinations is 80 kilometres, but the most scenic stretch is the one that connects Théoule-sur-Mer to Cannes, about 30 kilometres in the heart of the French Riviera. Despite some narrow and winding points - the Corniche was indeed planned as an alternative to the only other road that crossed the massif, the Roman founding road, part of the Via Aurelia - the route does not present difficulties for driving, whether on two or four wheels, and alternates sections of road at sea level with slight elevations. The scenic beauties encountered along these kilometres have led to the road being used in the past as a set for some French film productions, such as, for instance, Atoll K by John Berry and Léo Joannon, The Sucker by Gérard Oury, The Sicilian Clan by Henri Verneuil and Heartbreaker by Pascal Chaumeil.
The Italian options
Looking at Italy, it is impossible not to mention among the coastal routes the 163 Amalfitana state road – also known as Nastro Azzurro – which runs from the Campania municipality of Meta, in the province of Naples, to Vietri sul Mare, in the province of Salerno, and passes through the most famous places on the namesake coast, including the famous towns of Amalfi and Positano. Inaugurated in 1953 as a junction between two existing routes, the SS 163 is about 50 kilometres long, with numerous bends, winding passages, and one lane for each direction: vigilance when driving must be constant. The trail is one of the most frequented during the summer season, a destination for both Italian and foreign tourists: visiting it in winter means being able to enjoy the landscapes and the history that this area boasts in complete tranquillity, not surprisingly it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. The lighter traffic and the still mild climate that accompanies the winter months here encourage the exploration of the lesser-known villages along the route: Cetara, Maiori and Minori, Ravello, Atrani, Conca dei Marini, Furore and Praiano, on a trip lasting between six to eight days. In this case too, several films have used these settings as the backdrop for their plots: from Paisan and Journey to Italy by Roberto Rossellini to Man, Beast and Virtue by Steno starring Totò, Orson Welles and Gina Lollobrigida, and more recently Only You (1994), starring Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr.
Looking at the Adriatic and Ionian coast, an itinerary worth mentioning is certainly that of the Otranto-Leuca coastal road, 45 kilometres immersed in the nature of the Apulian territory. The route, comfortable both by car and by motorcycle, winds along the sea, reaching altitudes of between 100 and 120 metres in some places. The route passes through numerous points of interest, to be visited with dedicated stops: from Torre Sant'Emiliano to the Grotta dei Cervi Deer Cave, near Porto Badisco, one of the oldest places in Europe for human habitation; from Santa Cesarea Terme to Castro, with its Grotta Zinzulusa Cave, passing through the marina of Marittima and Andrano and the village of Tricase Porto.
From here – from Marina Serra, specifically – you travel the last 14 kilometres of the journey, along a practical straight road that leads to the town of Leuca, with the lighthouse of Santa Maria and the sanctuary of the Madonna de Finibus Terrae. Extremely popular destinations in the summer season, during the winter months these places become accessible and offer tranquillity and relaxation during the journey.
