Discover the real Corsica behind this thrilling TV backdrop
Time Is a Killer Sunday 11.15pm C4
Alicia Miller - 14 May 2021
Asun-baked isle in the Med, with glittering coastlines, soaring mountains, golden beaches – if Corsica looks too good to be true, that’s because it is. For this rugged Gallic outcrop cast off the western coast of Italy also hides dark secrets, old feuds and suspected murders (or at least that’s the case in Time Is a Killer, the new French-language mystery in Channel 4’s Walter Presents strand).
It’s classic thriller territory, with as many twists and turns as the island’s cliff-hugging roads. After surviving a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her brother and parents in the 1990s, Clotilde vowed never to return to Corsica. But 25 years later she is drawn back, and everything she thought she knew about that day starts to unravel. Was it really an accident? Is her mother – played by Casino Royale’s Caterina Murino – truly dead? As she gets closer to the truth, things get shadier… yet the intoxicating beauty of the island shines ever brighter: it’s a world where timeless hamlets jostle with luxury hotels, wild beaches with wine-soaked restaurants.
Look closer, however, and there’s an unnerving edge to even the scenery. Hairpin roads, vertiginous coastline, tempestuous surf – a dash of danger is built into Corsican landscapes and is deliciously on-point for a thriller. And beyond the vistas there’s an intriguing undercurrent: the local beliefs, blood ties and fiery spirit that make this island unique. Even if you’re not au fait with Corsican politics, you’ll quickly grasp that Time Is a Killer is as much about its setting as it is Clotilde and her family, the Idrissi clan. Whatever the plot’s mysteries, you can be sure of one thing: the real Corsica is as stunning as every aerial panorama and golden flashback would have you believe. A mountainous monolith, forested and peaked at the core, sandy and sun-baked at the edges, it’s hundreds of kilometres long and can take five hours to traverse. To hit all the highlights, split your holiday in two, spending half in the north, half in the south. You’ll need a week minimum; two is better.
DRAMA IN THE NORTH
With its heart-in-mouth coastline – sheer rockface, rushing waves below – the untamed north is Time Is a Killer’s main milieu. The squiggling sea-hugging road you’ll see time and again is the D81B, west of Calvi; a hair-raising must-drive on a clear, sunny day. It’ll ferry you to the remote and wildly beautiful Revellata peninsula, in the series home to a controversial hotel development, in reality to rare plants, birds and snorkelling beaches Alga and Oscelluccia. Beat the dusty roads (4WD preferred) all the way to the northern, lighthousecrowned tip and be rewarded with sweeping views back across the island. After a quick stop at Notre Dame Della Serra chapel, aka the Idrissi tomb – expect more killer views – it’s time for Calvi itself, a resort town where Clotilde’s family hangs out. With an imposing citadel and honey-hued buildings, Calvi’s centre is as photogenic as its beach, a 6km length of golden sand. Don’t bother looking for the Idrissi family villa, though – that’s much further east at Cap Corse. Le Couvent de Pozzo (couventdepozzo.com), a 15th-century monks’ home with a lounger-lined pool and lawns looking out to sea, is now an intimate B&B that’s also hireable in its entirety if you’re travelling with a crowd big enough to fill it (it sleeps ten to 15). Finally, stop off at L’Île Rousse, a relaxed seaside town name-checked in the series and favoured for its white-sand beach and daily market (look out for Clotilde’s favourite local brocciu cheese). With its pétanque games in the sun, and café terraces, it’s the picture of French Mediterranean living.
THRILLING GLAMOUR IN THE SOUTH
As enticing as the rustic north may be, of “corse” you need to see the island’s pin-up south. After all, this is what most visitors come to Corsica for. The beaches are, perhaps, the main draw. Take your pick of a long roster: whether you choose the crystal Caribbean-style waters of Santa Giulia, the chilled-out beach bars of Palombaggia, or the familyfriendly, sheltered crescent that is Rondinara, there’s one (or several) to suit your style. And if your style is, er, great style? The area around yacht-stuffed Porto-Vecchio is where some of the most exclusive hotels and restaurants can be found, and where well-heeled Parisians flock in summer. You can imagine Clotilde’s glamorous mother Palma lunching at two-Michelin-starred Casadelmar (casadelmar.fr), overlooking the east-coast waters. Finally, dangling off the southern coast towards Sardinia, the dramatic clifftop town of Bonifacio is an essential stop. From the lively marina, lined with eateries turning out amazing fresh seafood, ascend to a dramatic hilltop citadel, its picturesque old streets buzzing with restaurants, boutiques and alfresco bars. The highlight? A plunging set of cliffside steps, the King of Aragon’s Stairway, purportedly carved into the rock in 1420. Near-vertical and slippery in places, it’s best tackled with strong nerve and a tight grip on the handrail. But do take care – we wouldn’t want there to be an unfortunate “accident”…
Asun-baked isle in the Med, with glittering coastlines, soaring mountains, golden beaches – if Corsica looks too good to be true, that’s because it is. For this rugged Gallic outcrop cast off the western coast of Italy also hides dark secrets, old feuds and suspected murders (or at least that’s the case in Time Is a Killer, the new French-language mystery in Channel 4’s Walter Presents strand).
It’s classic thriller territory, with as many twists and turns as the island’s cliff-hugging roads. After surviving a tragic accident that claimed the lives of her brother and parents in the 1990s, Clotilde vowed never to return to Corsica. But 25 years later she is drawn back, and everything she thought she knew about that day starts to unravel. Was it really an accident? Is her mother – played by Casino Royale’s Caterina Murino – truly dead? As she gets closer to the truth, things get shadier… yet the intoxicating beauty of the island shines ever brighter: it’s a world where timeless hamlets jostle with luxury hotels, wild beaches with wine-soaked restaurants.
Look closer, however, and there’s an unnerving edge to even the scenery. Hairpin roads, vertiginous coastline, tempestuous surf – a dash of danger is built into Corsican landscapes and is deliciously on-point for a thriller. And beyond the vistas there’s an intriguing undercurrent: the local beliefs, blood ties and fiery spirit that make this island unique. Even if you’re not au fait with Corsican politics, you’ll quickly grasp that Time Is a Killer is as much about its setting as it is Clotilde and her family, the Idrissi clan. Whatever the plot’s mysteries, you can be sure of one thing: the real Corsica is as stunning as every aerial panorama and golden flashback would have you believe. A mountainous monolith, forested and peaked at the core, sandy and sun-baked at the edges, it’s hundreds of kilometres long and can take five hours to traverse. To hit all the highlights, split your holiday in two, spending half in the north, half in the south. You’ll need a week minimum; two is better.
DRAMA IN THE NORTH
With its heart-in-mouth coastline – sheer rockface, rushing waves below – the untamed north is Time Is a Killer’s main milieu. The squiggling sea-hugging road you’ll see time and again is the D81B, west of Calvi; a hair-raising must-drive on a clear, sunny day. It’ll ferry you to the remote and wildly beautiful Revellata peninsula, in the series home to a controversial hotel development, in reality to rare plants, birds and snorkelling beaches Alga and Oscelluccia. Beat the dusty roads (4WD preferred) all the way to the northern, lighthousecrowned tip and be rewarded with sweeping views back across the island. After a quick stop at Notre Dame Della Serra chapel, aka the Idrissi tomb – expect more killer views – it’s time for Calvi itself, a resort town where Clotilde’s family hangs out. With an imposing citadel and honey-hued buildings, Calvi’s centre is as photogenic as its beach, a 6km length of golden sand. Don’t bother looking for the Idrissi family villa, though – that’s much further east at Cap Corse. Le Couvent de Pozzo (couventdepozzo.com), a 15th-century monks’ home with a lounger-lined pool and lawns looking out to sea, is now an intimate B&B that’s also hireable in its entirety if you’re travelling with a crowd big enough to fill it (it sleeps ten to 15). Finally, stop off at L’Île Rousse, a relaxed seaside town name-checked in the series and favoured for its white-sand beach and daily market (look out for Clotilde’s favourite local brocciu cheese). With its pétanque games in the sun, and café terraces, it’s the picture of French Mediterranean living.
THRILLING GLAMOUR IN THE SOUTH
As enticing as the rustic north may be, of “corse” you need to see the island’s pin-up south. After all, this is what most visitors come to Corsica for. The beaches are, perhaps, the main draw. Take your pick of a long roster: whether you choose the crystal Caribbean-style waters of Santa Giulia, the chilled-out beach bars of Palombaggia, or the familyfriendly, sheltered crescent that is Rondinara, there’s one (or several) to suit your style. And if your style is, er, great style? The area around yacht-stuffed Porto-Vecchio is where some of the most exclusive hotels and restaurants can be found, and where well-heeled Parisians flock in summer. You can imagine Clotilde’s glamorous mother Palma lunching at two-Michelin-starred Casadelmar (casadelmar.fr), overlooking the east-coast waters. Finally, dangling off the southern coast towards Sardinia, the dramatic clifftop town of Bonifacio is an essential stop. From the lively marina, lined with eateries turning out amazing fresh seafood, ascend to a dramatic hilltop citadel, its picturesque old streets buzzing with restaurants, boutiques and alfresco bars. The highlight? A plunging set of cliffside steps, the King of Aragon’s Stairway, purportedly carved into the rock in 1420. Near-vertical and slippery in places, it’s best tackled with strong nerve and a tight grip on the handrail. But do take care – we wouldn’t want there to be an unfortunate “accident”…
ALICIA MILLER