Jet off to Corsica for an action packed break surrounded by natural beauty

BIKES and I have never got along.

There was the 8th birthday when I’d been angling for an Atari ST only to be presented with a mountain bike I glumly learnt to ride and fell off a lot.

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And then on a school camping trip nearly 20 years ago, I forgot how to use the brakes.

Cue coming off at high speed and being carried back to camp with barely any knees left.

So when I discovered my trip to Corsica would involve pedal-pushing, the nerves kicked in.

San Lucianu is a Mark Warner resort and is very much geared to activities.

As well as tennis courts, there are courses in sailing and windsurfing available on its private beach, while paddleboards and kayaks can also be taken out.

One big strength is the relaxed attitude taken to the events.

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You won’t have anyone pestering you to sign up for anything but it’s all there if you do want to give it a try.

First up for my group was kayaking.

It was good fun — just make sure you invest in some decent aqua shoes as the stony beach was more hard work than the paddling.

The next morning was sailing and after a brief bit of instruction, our team was sent out in pairs in to the big blue.

Everything went fine . . .  until the first attempt at a turn, when we followed the first boat in capsizing.

The boom swung around, smacking me in the face and knocking me backwards off the side.

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I gained a mouthful of brine and my crewmate and I both lost our sunglasses to Davy Jones’ Locker.

Our sailboat couldn’t be got up and running again by the staff, so we were towed back to shore.

Luckily, most guests benefit from longer training and I’m reliably informed it’s very rare for people to capsize, especially as San Lucianu’s conditions are suited to beginners.

So either our group was especially useless or, as I prefer to think, just unlucky.

A lunch break to recover was much needed, and the hotel food was excellent.

There’s a big range for breakfast, from full English to continental, with lunch and dinner switching between a la carte and buffet.

The hand-made pizzas were a particular favourite, especially the camembert and honey topping. Then came the moment of truth: cycling.

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We were taken on dusty back roads on an undemanding ride and, although a bit wobbly, I managed not to panic even when cars started passing us.

For riders more adept than me (that’s everyone) there are more testing trails, ably guided by the resort’s bike team.

Our final day of activities brought my first experience of paddleboarding, which was more my style than sailing.

Then the highlight of the trip: a half-hour woodland hike to an idyllic waterfall.

It has to be one of the three most beautiful places I’ve seen in my travels.

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Back at San Lucianu, a quick thrashing at tennis followed (I was beating my fellow traveller until we started playing for points, at which stage he turned into Rafa Nadal and beat me 6-0).

Then it was time for the weekly prize-giving for all those who’d excelled during the week.

Sadly our sailing exploits went unrecognised.

But as I reflected on a few action-packed days, I realised that although I’d been useless at most activities, I’d had a great time.

If asked whether I’d want to go back for a whole week, saying yes would be as easy as riding a bike.

Or, in my case, a lot easier . . .