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A port since Roman times, well-sheltered MACINAGGIO , 20km north of Erbalunga, was developed by the Genoese in 1620 for the export of olive oil and wine to the Italian peninsula. The Corsican independence leader, Pascal Paoli, landed here in 1790 after his exile in England, whereupon he kissed the ground and uttered the words " O ma patrie, je t'ai quitte esclave, je te retrouve libre " ("Oh my country, I left you as a slave, I rediscover you a free man") - a plaque commemorating the event adorns the wall above the ship chandlers. There's not much of a historic patina to the place nowadays, but with its boat-jammed marina and its line of colourful seafront awnings, Macinaggio has a certain appeal, made all the stronger by its proximity to some of the best beaches on Corsica. The best hotel is Les Iles , opposite the marina (tel 04.95.35.43.02, fax 04.95.35.47.05; 220-300F/?34-46; closed Nov-Feb), which has cosy rooms overlooking the port and a good restaurant, specializing in imaginative seafood dishes. Another good choice is U Libecciu , behind the marina on the road that leads north off the D80 road to Rogliano (tel 04.95.35.43.22, fax 04.95.35.46.08; 300-400F/?46-61; closed mid-Oct to March), with spacious rooms and an excellent restaurant. U Ricordu , on the south side of the road to Rogliano (tel 04.95.35.40.20, fax 04.95.31.41.88; 400-500F/?61-76 including breakfast; closed Dec-March), is along the same lines, and has a swimming pool. There's also a campsite , U Stazzu (tel 04.95.35.43.76), 1km north and with good access to the nearby town beach. As for restaurants , the Pizzeria San Columbu , at the end of the port facing out to sea, does a passable seafood pizza, or you can have a Corsican feast at Les Iles . North of the town lie some stunning stretches of white sand and clear sea. A marked footpath, known as Le Sentier des Douaniers because it used to be patrolled by customs officials, threads its way across the hills and caves along the coast, giving access to an area that cannot by reached by road. The Baie de Tamarone , 2km along this path, has deep clear waters, making it a good place for diving and snorkelling. Just behind the beach the road forks, and if you follow the left-hand track for twenty minutes you'll come to a stunning arc of turquoise sea known as the rade de Santa Maria , site of the isolated Romanesque Chapelle Santa-Maria . Raised on the foundations of a sixth-century church, the building comprises a tenth-century chapel and a twelfth-century chapel merged into one, hence the two discrepant apses. The bay's other principal landmark is the huge Tour Chiapelle . Dramatically cleft in half and entirely surrounded by water, the ruined three-storeyed tower was one of three built on the northern tip of the cape by the Genoese in the sixteenth century (the others are at Tollare and Barcaggio) as lookout posts against the increasingly troublesome Moorish pirates. As Macinaggio grew in importance, the torri began to be used also by health and customs officers, who controlled the maritime traffic with Genoa. Pascal Paoli established his garrison here in 1761, having been unsuccessful in his attempt to take Macinaggio, and contemplated building a rival port.
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