Walking on Corsica

25 mountain and coastal day walks

By Gillian Price

ISBN

9781852849658

Availability

Published

15 Nov 2021

Reprinted

8 Jun 2022

Edition

Second

Pages

144

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x .80cm

Weight

190g

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Guidebook describing 25 day walks on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. The graded routes, which cover both the coast and the mountainous inland, showcase Corsica's beautiful landscapes, visiting cliffs, inlets, forests, river gorges, waterfalls, maquis shrubland, peaks and historic sites. With information about history, plants and wildlife.

Seasons

Coastal routes suitable for year-round walking, with April-June best for wildflowers. Due to snow, inland mountain routes are suitable for walking between late June and September.

Centres

Macinaggio and St-Florent on Cap Corse in the far north; Calvi, Porto and Piana along the northwest coast; Col de Vergio and Corte in the mountainous centre; Ajaccio and Porto Pollo on the southwest coast; Quenza and Zonza in the south; and Bonifacio in the far south.

Difficulty

Walks are graded for difficulty and range from: 1 - easy going on mostly level ground; 2 - average difficulty, with some ups and downs; 3 - for experienced walkers as can be challenging with rocky terrain and occasional exposure.

Must See

Corsican watchtowers, Girolata fishing village, white cliffs of Bonifacio, beautiful sandy beaches of Cupabia and St Antoine, Fango river valley, the Aïtone forest, the Calanche, glacial lakes of Lac Nino Lac de Melo, peaks of Paglia Orba and Capu Tafunatu, Piscia di Gallo waterfall, Capu Rossu headland, Genoese bridge of Ponte Vechju

ISBN

9781852849658

Availability

Published

15 Nov 2021

Reprinted

8 Jun 2022

Edition

Second

Pages

144

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x .80cm

Weight

190g

Overview

With stunning coastlines and impressive craggy mountains, Corsica is an island with diverse landscapes for day walkers of all abilities to enjoy. Across 25 day walks, this guidebook explores sandy beaches, forested river valleys, and waterfalls, as well as high mountain passes to lookouts and glacial lakes. This guidebook is a brilliant introduction to walking on Corsica, and offers plenty of information on food, plant life, and history. Bases include coastal towns of Bastia, Bonifacio, Porto Vecchio, and Ajaccio, as well as mountain villages of Corte, Evisa and Zonza.

Each walk features detailed mapping alongside comprehensive route description. All the walks are graded for difficulty and range from easy-going low-level walks on good tracks or paths, to challenging and exposed high-level routes for experienced walkers. The guidebook also includes lots of practical information including a list of useful contacts, accommodation listing, and a glossary of French/Corsican terms.

Whether you choose a coastal stroll to enjoy wildflowers and a swim in the Mediterranean Sea, or a mountain walk with dizzying views across craggy peaks, this guidebook offers something for walkers of all abilities looking to discover the many delights of Corsica.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

Corsica

Plant life

Wildlife

When to go

Getting to Corsica

Local transport

Accommodation

Food and drink

What to take

Waymarking and maps

Emergencies

Using this guide

The Far North

Walk 1 Cap Corse Sentier du Douanier: Macinaggio–Barcaggio

Walk 2 St-Florent coastal route

The North-West

Walk 3 Bonifatu loop: La Boucle de Ficaghiola

Walk 4 The Fango river valley

Walk 5 Visiting Girolata

Walk 6 Spilonca gorge

Walk 7 The Calanche: l’ancien chemin des muletiers

Walk 8 Capu Rossu

Walk 9 The Aïtone forest

The Centre

Walk 10 Beneath Paglia Orba and Capu Tafunatu

Walk 11 Lac de Nino

Walk 12 The Tavignano river valley

Walk 13 Glacial lakes in the Restonica valley

Walk 14 La Cascade des Anglais

The South-West

Walk 15 Punta Parata loop

Walk 16 Ajaccio Sentier des Douaniers: to Plage Saint Antoine

Walk 17 Porto Pollo–Cupabia circuit

The South

Walk 18 Zonza–Quenza circuit

Walk 19 Trou de la Bombe

Walk 20 Foce Finosa

Walk 21 Punta di a Vacca Morta

Walk 22 Piscia di Gallo waterfall

The Far South

Walk 23 Capu de Fenu

Walk 24 Strada Vecia Madonetta, Bonifacio

Walk 25 The white cliffs of Bonifacio

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Glossary of French and Corsican terms

Appendix C Useful contacts

Appendix D Accommodation

Appendix E Further reading

Maps

Waymarking and maps

Most paths on Corsica have clear waymarking: a regular succession of painted stripes and splashes on trees or prominent rocks, often with signposts and arrows and the name of a landmark ahead. In addition, paths in the Corse du Sud region have numbered poles along the way, handy reference points in emergencies. The Facebook page of the PNRC provides regular updates about path and bridge maintenance (www.facebook.com/ParcNaturelRegionalCorse).

A detailed contour map is an essential aid to any walk undertaken on Corsica. The relevant sheets from the blue Top 25 1:25,000 series published by France’s Institut Géographique National (IGN) are listed in walk headings. These maps are on sale all over Corsica in newsagents and even supermarkets, not to mention in outdoor and map shops overseas.

At a stretch, the IGN 1:100,000 series could be used. Just two maps cover the whole island. They show main walking routes and are handy for identifying mountain ranges and landmarks, including villages, although they won’t be much help for finding your way.

An excellent extra aid is the PeakFinder app.

Different types of waymarking on Corsica

Place names

Place names on the island come in both French and Corsican and there are disparities between maps and signposts. Villages are important landmarks; however, few have identifying signposts and often there isn’t anyone to ask. One unfailingly reliable system for finding out where you are is to locate the cenotaph, as each village sent its sons to the conflicts France was engaged in, and the village name is always shown on these monuments.

Dos and don’ts

Don’t underestimate Corsica. The terrain can be surprisingly rugged and walking on the island does not mean a stroll along the beach. Find time to get in decent shape before setting out on your holiday. You will appreciate the wonderful scenery more if you’re not overly tired, and you will react better should an emergency arise. Don’t overload your rucksack. Too much weight can put you off balance on exposed ridges and during steep descents. Don’t set out late even on a short walk. Always have extra time up your sleeve to allow for detours, wrong turns and time out. Carry plenty of drinking water. You’ll nearly always get a refill in the villages as most have a public drinking fountain or tap. Natural watercourses abound; however, so does grazing livestock, so drinking from streams is not advisable unless you are equipped with a sterilising kit. Keep to marked paths and avoid trespassing on private property. Always close stock gates securely. Be considerate when making a toilet stop and keep away from streams. Abandoned buildings or rock overhangs are also out – remember that they could serve as emergency shelter for someone! If you must use paper or tissues, carry it away; the small lightweight bags used by dog owners are perfect. There is absolutely no excuse for leaving unsightly toilet paper or tissues anywhere. Carry all rubbish away with you. Even organic waste, such as apple cores, is best not left lying around as it can upset the diet of animals and birds and spoil things for other visitors. Don’t forget adequate protection from the sun, which can be fierce when you’re out all day without shade, and don’t underestimate sunstroke. Don’t rely on your mobile phone as there may not be any signal. Please don’t pick any fruit or flowers. Never proceed too far without checking for waymarking or signposts, as you may take a wrong turn onto one of the many hunter or boar trails. Learn some French – it will undoubtedly be to your advantage. The Corsicans are already fluent in two languages and shouldn’t be expected to parler anglais as well. Appendix B is a glossary of terms commonly found on maps and signs. Check weather forecasts (météo in French) before setting out and be prepared to adjust your plans accordingly: see www.meteo.fr and choose ‘Corse’ from the ‘Région’ menu. Should you experience one of the island’s infamous violent summer storms, complete with torrential rain and lightning, keep well away from trees, rock overhangs, caves and metal fixtures; curl up on the ground; and get rid of metallic objects. Take fire warnings seriously and be prepared to modify your walk route accordingly. There is always the risk of forest fires mid June to mid September and paths may be closed. Don’t put your life and that of rescuers at risk. Remember that lighting a fire out in the open is strictly forbidden in summer, although a total fire ban may be in force for a longer period. Warnings are posted on www.haute-corse.fr. If you are caught out by fire, take cover in a watercourse or on a safe high point where rescuers can spot you easily. Take care – but not risks – and behave as a responsible walker, leaving nothing behind you but footprints.

Updates

We do not yet have any updates available for this book

We are always grateful to readers for information about any discrepancies between a guidebook and the facts on the ground. If you would like to send some information to us then please use our contact form. They will be published here following review by the author(s).

Reviews

"Fantastic for planning and very well written"

"We have both your older version of Walking in Corsica and your most recent edition Short Treks on Corsica. These are fantastic for planning and very well written. Thank you for your informative guidebooks!"
- Barry Corbett, reviewer

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Gillian Price

Gillian Price has trekked throughout Asia and the Himalayas, but now lives in Venice. Gillian has steadily explored the mountain ranges of Italy, and Corsica, and brought them to life for visitors in a series of outstanding guides for Cicerone. She is an active member of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) and Mountain Wilderness.

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