San-Nicolao walks

Starting from the parish church of San Niculaiu, a listed historical monument, this short, easy, shaded circular family walk will take you through part of the municipality of San Nicolao with its two small hamlets.

This trail, starting from a pay-and-display car park (€5), takes you to the Bucatoghju Waterfall and also allows you to see a Genoese bridge. It is an easy, family-friendly walk, though it does involve several (structured) stream crossings.

When nature becomes a spectacle. Secret yet welcoming, the Ucelluline waterfall (meaning "little bird" in Corsican) offers a striking setting that will leave a lasting impression. Between the villages of Santa Maria Poggio and San Nicolao, discover this wild and unspoilt site where fresh, clear water flows before your eyes and continues its journey to the sea. This walk is very popular during the day, but also at night, when its misty veil is fully illuminated and will fill you with wonder.

The walk takes place mainly in woodland, particularly chestnut trees. It is very pleasant to walk alongside various streams such as the Ruisseau de Canapajo, after the Pont de l'Enfer. The ruins of an old mill are also visible. The route also passes through the hamlet of Serrale.

A shaded walk along the Canapajo stream to the ruins of the village of Fiuminale, a restored village accessible only on foot, by donkey or on horseback. Round-trip hike.

Located above Cervione, this hike offers a chance to admire varied landscapes and vegetation. The viewpoints, on either side of the mountains, also allow you to gaze from afar at built heritage, such as the Chapel of Scupiccia, for example, or the village of Santa-Maria Poggio. In the distance, out at sea, the Island of Monte Cristo can also be seen.

This circular hike, which is not difficult but does require a certain level of fitness, will take you through varied and unspoilt vegetation. Along the way, you will discover the two hamlets of Fiuminale and forests of hundred-year-old chestnut trees. From the summit of Croce Niolo at an altitude of 995 m, you will have a 360° panorama. To the west, you can see Monte San Petrone, the highest peak in Castagniccia. To the east, the Tuscan archipelago: Elba and Monte Cristo. To the north, Casinca and the Bastia region. Unspoilt by mass tourism, you will have the opportunity to visit three traditional villages in the upper Costa Verde region.

This circular route in Castagniccia offers both a remarkable natural and cultural setting. Passing through villages and other built-up areas, it allows you to discover Corsican heritage: houses, chapels, churches, a convent (near Piedicroce), as well as wash houses and fountains. The circular path, mostly in the woods, is shaded while offering exceptional views of the various villages in the region. Small streams provide refreshing breaks in summer, while remaining passable in winter.

This circular loop can be done with the family, for example, or simply to discover the Orezza region on a short and easy hike. During this walk, you can discover the region's natural heritage (waterfall) as well as its architectural heritage.

In Haute-Corse, the village of Porri was one of the strongholds of the island's resistance movement. Near the village, a refuge cave known as the "Grotte des Maquisards" (Maquis Cave), which served as the Resistance's headquarters, recalls the contribution of Porri and the Casinca region to the liberation of Corsica. It is well guarded by the Vincetti, Vittori, Bébé Arrighi, Antoine Battesti, Noël Agostini and many others. Source: France 3 Corse ViaStella

Circular in the Penta Di Casinca valley among the cork oaks and scrubland.

This alternative route to Monte San Petrone from the village of Pie-d'Orezza is much more challenging, but also more beautiful than the classic route via the Col de Prato. At 1,767 metres, San Petrone is the highest peak in Castaniccia. The summit offers a remarkable 360° panorama. You will have a view of Cap Corse to the east coast, the whole of Castaniccia and the mountain range of the island's highest peaks. This hike can be classified as very difficult for hikers who are not used to fairly long distances and significant elevation gains. You can shorten it by avoiding the return trip to the summit of San Petrone from the Col de Bocca di San Pietro. Nevertheless, it will still be a very beautiful circular hike with varied landscapes and unobstructed views.

Sant Angelo (1,200 m) is a peak located between Casinca and Castaniccia. At its summit, you can enjoy a 360° view of the sea, the Biguglia lagoon and the surrounding villages and valleys. The hike takes place in the undergrowth, mostly under the protection of chestnut trees.

This circular route starting from Campodonico traverses varied mountain landscapes in the heart of Castagniccia. On the plateau, a breathtaking view allows you to admire the mountain range of central Corsica and the remarkable villages of Castagniccia, whilst enjoying a distant view of the sea. Furthermore, there are traces of ancient buildings to admire at Bocca al Prato.

A little-known but magnificent waterfall. It is situated on the outskirts of the village of Pianello on the D16, on the road to Matra, just past the bridge. It is an oasis of coolness and flows in the shade of trees so leafy that they barely let any sunlight through. Next comes Punta di Caldane, offering a magnificent view of the sea, passing through the forgotten hamlet of Saint-Vincent and its chapel, then the I Peri sheepfolds. You can, of course (!!), shorten the walk.

This walk forms a circular route linking the villages of Vescovato and Olmu. It starts in Vescovato, where the architectural heritage is well worth exploring for the curious, and passes through the village of Olmu, which will delight lovers of the ‘old stone’ architecture found in island villages. The landscapes you pass through are varied, ranging from woodland to oak groves and open, exposed areas such as the ridges. Thus, as you move from one slope to another, from one bank to the other, you will have the opportunity to enjoy views of both the sea and the islands bordering Corsica, as well as views of the mountains, which are sometimes snow-capped depending on the season.

Following this Zalana-Matra trail, you will cross a chestnut grove, then take a steep, sloping path that winds through thick scrubland and overlooks impressive precipices in places. Along the way, you will admire a very old mill, then cross an authentic Genoese bridge over the Bravone, the Alisu bridge. Then climb back up through a chestnut forest and finish your walk at the Matra cross (the return point of the hike).

Starting from Col du Pratu (Bocca di u Pratu), this hike takes you to the summit of Castagniccia: Monte San Petrone. There is a magnificent beech forest along the entire route and a superb panorama at the summit.

This circular route will take you through pleasant woodland at 1,200 metres above sea level, on Mont Sant'Angelo, which overlooks the Biguglia plain and the sea. Unlike the traditional trail that starts from Silvareccio, the departure from Carogne or Monte will take you off the beaten track on old, abandoned paths and trails and has the advantage of being circular. (!) Old description, some paths seem to have disappeared, see reviews.

The village of Tallone will charm you with its view of the natural heritage of the coastline, where the Tyrrhenian Sea meets the ponds of Diane, Urbinu, del Sale and Terrenzana. The lower part of the village opens onto an imposing square where the Baroque church of Saint-Cézaire stands, its forecourt built with a particular type of rock called gneiss. Its carved door and bell tower are truly admirable.

This magnificent loop on the slopes of Monte Castellare offers breathtaking views of the neighbouring valleys, the plain of Bastia, Elba Island and, on a clear day, even the Italian coast. It alternates between wooded and open sections until you reach the summit at 1,000 metres, where a magnificent oak tree provides welcome shade for a picnic or a siesta. The descent takes you through the charming hamlet of Costa.