Known for its glittering coastline, the French island of Corsica has a rugged side, too.

Just keep walking, my brother, Jared, yelled from farther up, where the track widened.

Its easier if you go fast.

A man cycles along a road in Corsica

Cycling toward Oletta, in northern Corsica.Credit:Paul Hahn/laif/Redux

From left: Celine Clanet; Ian Abela/Courtesy of U Capu Biancu

But not us.

There we met our first guide, Anthony Laplagne, who leads cycling tours.

So, he put everything together and dropped them in the water, and that became Corsica.

Pair of photos from Corsica, one showing buildings on a cliff, and one showing a seafood salad and glass of wine

From left: The town of Bonifacio sits atop eroded limestone cliffs; langoustine salad with Corsican wine at Hôtel U Capu Biancu.From left: Céline Clanet; Ian Abela/Courtesy of U Capu Biancu

My brother navigated the single-lane, snaking roads with a mischievous, childlike grin.

Its like driving in a video game, he said.

Magali Cancel/Courtesy of Dominique Colonna

We were headed to our next activity:aqua rando.

Pair of photos from Corsica, one showing a cabin, and one showing hikers in the mountains

From left: A Tree Hut suite at A Pignata; hiking in the Alta Rocca mountains.From left: Courtesy of A Pignata; Christophe Melchers/Courtesy of A Muvrella

Wed be hiking in water a first for us both.

Our guide, Guillaume Ferreri, met us at a bridge on the outskirts of Chisa.

The water was so clean and clear we could drink it and spot trout and eels swimming below.

Spa at Dominique Colonna, with views to the forest

The spa cabin at Dominique Colonna.Magali Cancel/Courtesy of Dominique Colonna

As it turns out, hiking in a river is exhausting.

Delmarty J/Alpaca/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Dinner was a five-course affair in the open-air dining room.

The highest point, a jagged cluster called the Bavella Needles, soars more than 6,000 feet.

Five people in wetsuits and helmets resting in a river during a hike

An aqua rando group in the Travo River.Delmarty J/Alpaca/Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

We began by walking through fields of ferns so tall they tickled my bare shoulders.

Up we climbed for a couple of hours, slithering through tight granite crevices and passing under tall pines.

That glittering expanse would be our end-of-trip retreat for the next two nights.

Six-day trips from $8,795 per person for two people, including accommodations.