Luviu sheepfolds and Monte Calva from the Illarata pass

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In Alta Rocca, in the Ospédale forest, a beautiful hike leads first along a shaded path to the Luviu sheepfolds in a beautiful clearing. From Monte Calva, after a short climb, there is a magnificent view of both sides of the island, to the south and the bay of Porto-Vecchio. At the Col d'Illarata (start and finish), to the west, the beautiful summit of the Pointe du Diamant (1,227 m) is clearly visible.

Details

n°538719
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.65 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,752 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,736 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 4,521 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 3,248 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Zonza (20124|20144)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 41.705304° / E 9.211272°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 4254ET
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Photos

On the climb to Monté Calva
Bergeries de Luviu
Monte Calva

Description of the walk

Park at the Illarata pass (Bocca on the map).

(S/E) The hike starts on the east side of the RD368 (on the right coming from Porto-Vecchio and on the left coming from Zonza). Take the forest track opposite and you will soon reach a crossroads where a discreet trail branches off to the left.

(1) Stay on the main track, ignoring the small paths that join it, and continue climbing on this wide trail. You will reach a crossroads with a trail in a hairpin bend.

(2) Keep right on the main track to reach a crossroads below the Calva pass.

(3) Continue right to reach the Luviu sheepfolds via the track.

(4) At the sheepfolds, a beautiful clearing in the middle of the pine trees is a great place to take a break. Light refreshments (u spuntinu) are available on site from the shepherd (main chalet). The return journey from the sheepfolds to Monte Calva follows the same path as on the way up.

(3) At the end of a large bend to the left (Col de Calva), take a discreet track marked by a cairn and begin the climb, which rises rapidly in short switchbacks towards Monte Calva. Follow the GPS track carefully, as the cairns are irregular and the path is sometimes damaged by wild boars. At the summit of Monte Calva (1381m), there is a 360° panoramic view of both sides of the island and the southern part.

(5) Continue down the gentle south-facing slope. You will reach a granite platform (antennae) offering magnificent views of the Porto-Vecchio region and its bays.

(6) Begin the descent on the western side of the rocky outcrop (cairns). Follow the GPS track carefully during the descent as the cairns are sometimes far apart or difficult to see in the scrub. You will come out at the Y-junction with the main track you took on the way up.

(2) Turn right and follow the wide path down to the car park at Col de IIlarata (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 3,248 ft - Col ou Bocca d'Illarata (990m)
  2. 1 : mi 0.37 - alt. 3,399 ft - Stay on the main track for the entire ascent.
  3. 2 : mi 1.66 - alt. 4,035 ft - Y-junction
  4. 3 : mi 2.31 - alt. 3,967 ft - Crossroads below the Col de Calva
  5. 4 : mi 3.13 - alt. 3,878 ft - Luviu sheepfolds
  6. 5 : mi 4.44 - alt. 4,521 ft - Beautiful panoramic view - Monte Calva (1381m)
  7. 6 : mi 4.61 - alt. 4,518 ft - Platform at 1377 metres: beautiful panoramic view
  8. S/E : mi 6.65 - alt. 3,248 ft - Arrival at the Col d'Illarata car park

Notes

To reach the Col de l'Illarata, take the RD368 from Porto-Vecchio or Zonza. The pass is signposted. Parking is available at the pass.

Bring plenty of water.

Walking sticks are recommended.

GPS recommended for Monte Calva and the descent back to the main trail (irregular cairns).

(4) Light refreshments are available on site and cheese and charcuterie are sold at the Luviu sheepfolds.

Worth a visit

(4) Luviu sheepfolds: beautiful clearing in the pine forest.
(5) Monte Calva: beautiful panoramic view of both sides of the island and towards the south.
(6) Beautiful view of Porto-Vecchio and the south-eastern bays (Pinarello, Santa Giulia, etc.).

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 44 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 27750156

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It was a pleasant and fairly easy walk to the sheepfold. To get to Monte Calva, the climb is a bit more difficult as there are lots of stones and the path isn’t always easy to follow.

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Megel
Megel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely, accessible and relatively easy walk
Climbing Monte Calva is a must if you want to enjoy the panoramic view, provided there are no clouds; we didn’t see the hinterland or the Bavella Needles, though.
Make sure you follow the cairns – they aren’t always visible – but it’s best to use a GPS as well
However, throughout the walk, the terrain is very stony and littered with tree roots, which is why it’s best to wear sturdy footwear, keep a close eye on where you’re stepping at all times, and use walking poles if necessary. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet this friendly shepherdess; it was lunchtime and she was sitting at the table with about ten guests.

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AACR
AACR

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We just did the round trip without going via Mont Calvu. We spent quite a long time with the site’s former shepherdess, who certainly has a good sense of humour.
Before setting off, we took the precaution of phoning the tourist office as the fire hazard sign hadn’t been taken down.
Magnificent scenery in every direction.
The paths were quite stony but not difficult to walk on.

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JP44
JP44

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that gradually climbs up to the Luviu sheepfolds where, to our surprise, we found a picnic area with a refreshment bar and snacks in the middle of nowhere, run by a charming lady who loves to talk about the area

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Charleti
Charleti

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We followed the route clockwise. We would prefer to descend directly from the sheepfold.

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Alex2a30
Alex2a30

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very fine route, with a breathtaking view from the summit.
The fork leading to the second part (downhill to the sheepfold) is marked by small pebbles piled up by cutting the path through the branches.
I recommend this walk

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Fraver
Fraver
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent walk with no difficulties! A real pleasure for the eyes.
Do it again!

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Scot69
Scot69

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with beautiful scenery.
No particular difficulty... but you have to like stones: the route is covered in them, so watch out for weak ankles!
But the highlight of the walk was the welcome we received at the sheepfold from the now 2 residents: the daughter and her 88-year-old mother.
A great moment of humanity by the fireside, where we were given a place to talk about values such as respect and education. These 2 very nice ladies were overflowing with kindness.
The climb is worth it just for them!

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yvan01
yvan01

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk

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Missyaja
Missyaja

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk in a variety of scenery with magnificent views of the sea. Very warm welcome at the sheepfold.

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Mantachr
Mantachr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Parish specific to Brittany, it was a beautiful walk at the end of April with very few people. When we arrived at the sheepfolds, it was just the 2 of us, my wife and I. What a delight! What happiness! Great moment of zenitude. To get to the top of the monte calva you have to follow the cairns as the GPS track is not always reliable. The summit was unfortunately in the clouds and a little rain, but we were able to see a superb panorama between the clouds.

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vauthier
vauthier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

This is a very pleasant and easy route for experienced walkers, and in good weather you should be able to see the sea on both the east and west sides. Personally, we only saw the west side (the bay of Propriano).

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hestrike
hestrike

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very nice walk, but a few comments.
The route is not really a loop, only a small part of it is a loop, the rest is an out-and-back (see map).
The sheepfold no longer sells cheese, the lady is still there but the place has been transformed into a snack bar with the possibility of buying sandwiches .....
Finally, without a GPS it's very difficult to find your way back to points 5 and 6. A few Cairns give you an idea, but it's relatively imprecise.

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Sof du 31
Sof du 31
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, accessible and relatively easy hike
The ascent of Monte Calva is essential if you are to enjoy an extraordinary panoramic view of the entire golf course, the hinterland and the Aiguilles de Bavella, especially in fine weather!
Be sure to follow the cairns, which are not always visible, but it's best to use your GPS.
On the other hand, the terrain throughout the hike is very stony and full of tree roots, so it's best to be very well shod and always watch your step!
Not recommended for people with joint problems!

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Frank G
Frank G

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

It's an easy walk, with a fairly small difference in altitude except for Monte Calva, and the path is wide. On the ascent to Monte Calva, we didn't find the entrance to the path marked "discrete trace indicated by a cairn". Instead, we climbed via the exit of the same path, which is well signposted. The scenery is quite pretty, with a fine view over the bay of Porto Vecchio.
On the other hand, the big drawback of this hike is the very stony path. You really have to be careful where you step => you don't get to admire the landscape as much.

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