La Pieve d'Aregno - Lavatoggio - Sant'Antonino circular loop

de fr

Sant'Antonino is located in the heart of Balagne, perched at an altitude of 500 metres on a granite peak near L'Île-Rousse and Calvi, between the sea and the mountains. The village overlooks the Aregno plain on one side and part of the Reginu plain on the other. A veritable eagle's nest, it consists of around 75 houses, built close together and winding around a granite peak, forming a labyrinth to better resist any invaders (Source: Wikipedia).

Details

n°1618377
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.16 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 501 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 509 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 484 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 160 m
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Photos

View of the end of the circular loop
After WP11
The parish church of Saint-Antoine Abbé in Aregno
Church of the Holy Trinity and San Giovanni Battista

Description of the walk

From Lavatoggio, head towards the hamlet of Croce and park in the small square on the left as you descend.

(S/E) Leave the car park and continue through the village of Croce towards the chapel. The trail starts just before the chapel on the right towards the fountain and then quickly splits.

(1) Take the path on the right and you will soon reach the Piane path.

(2) Cross it and head towards the Marcasso convent opposite. Enjoy a short visit to the convent.

(3) Then climb the tight hairpin bends and, after a more or less straight section, turn right towards the old wash house (Caldaghja fountain) before arriving in Cateri. Pass in front of the chapel, continue left on Rue de la Tour, then go down the stairs on the right towards the post office.

(4) At the post office, continue along the Fango Soprano road towards the hamlet of San Cesario (Cesariu). Cross the D151 and pass the Cateri cemetery. Further on, you will reach a crossroads.

(5) First turn right then left. After changing direction, head north to reach the D413 crossroads.

(6) Take the path parallel to the road and continue to the crossroads before the village of Sant'Antonino.

(7) Reach the viewpoint and continue to the village to visit the church of Sant'Antonino.

(8) Retrace your steps to the crossroads at the entrance to the village.

(7) Cross the D413 and continue straight ahead to reach Aregno, ignoring all the paths on your right and left. You will arrive in front of the Church of the Trinity, the parish church of Saint Anthony Abbot of Aregno.

(9) Head towards the centre of the village. Pass the Bar des Amis opposite the Town Hall and Post Office, continue straight ahead, cross the village to reach the Vigna Alla Noce road. Turn right and follow it for about 200 metres, then cross it to reach the Bagno (Bagnu) track on the left. Reach the Fiume Mulinu stream.

(10) Cross this stream, join the track and follow it to the right for about 200 metres to reach a new crossroads.

(11) Turn left, ignore the paths on the right and left, and you will reach the first crossroads at the entrance to the village of Croce.

(1) Turn right and follow the same route you took on the way there to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 304 m - Parking on Place de Croce
  2. 1 : km 0.09 - alt. 298 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 0.24 - alt. 313 m - Chemin de Piane
  4. 3 : km 0.67 - alt. 307 m - Marcasso Convent
  5. 4 : km 1.89 - alt. 334 m - Post
  6. 5 : km 2.9 - alt. 312 m - Trail junction
  7. 6 : km 5.15 - alt. 399 m - D413
  8. 7 : km 5.67 - alt. 435 m - Crossroads at the entrance to the village of Sant'Antonio
  9. 8 : km 6.2 - alt. 451 m - Church of Sant'Antonino
  10. 9 : km 7.99 - alt. 274 m - Parish church of Aregno
  11. 10 : km 8.94 - alt. 160 m - Fiume Mulinu
  12. 11 : km 9.49 - alt. 194 m - Trail junction, on the left
  13. S/E : km 10.16 - alt. 304 m - Parking on Place de Croce

Notes

There are signs along the entire route to help you reach the end of the hike. This route can be done in either direction and you can start from either village. However, if you shorten the route, you will also miss some points of interest.

There are a few drinking water sources along the route. Nevertheless, in hot weather, be careful not to run out of water as there are some exposed sections.

Good walking shoes are essential, as are walking sticks, as the path is stony in places. You should also bring IGN maps.

Route mapped using a Twonav Sportiva 2 GPS device.

Worth a visit

The villages

  • Lavatoggio: communal wash house - San Cervone Chapel - Madona di A Stella Chapel - Saint-Laurent Chapel - San Ghjuvanni di Aventi Chapel (San Giovanni di Aventi)
  • Cateri: Marcasso convent - Romanesque Chapel of San Cesariu - Church of Notre-Dame des Anges - Caldaghja wash house fountain. Among the wonders of Cateri is an olive tree, which is nearly 2,000 years old and is certainly the oldest in Corsica.
  • Sant'Antonino: old bread oven - Place de la Chapelle Lavasina - Remains of the fortifications of the old Castellu - Chapel of Notre-Dame des Bergers - Orgues de l'Annonciation - Confrérie Saint-Antoine - Church of Sant'Antonino.
  • Aregno: oil mill - Romanesque Church of the Trinity - Church of Saint Anthony - Church of San Quilicu.

View of the sea (Gulf of Algajola), Monte Grosso (1937m) and finally Lake Codole.

Please note that if you want to see everything there is to see on this hike, it is recommended that you set off early.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
marie3084
marie3084

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike. Very few people.
Very beautiful views.
The only downside is the arrival at San Antonino.
It doesn't match the route.
Otherwise, the rest is perfect.
A must-do..

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Philou64
Philou64
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, uncrowded hike in October!
Between San Antonino and Aregno, at the San Antonino crossroads, there is a sign indicating the trail, so no problem there. You can also take the track just after that, as the trail joins it further down.
In Aregno, simply make your way to the bottom of the village by wandering through the narrow streets, which is part of the charm of the villages of Balagne.
After the (11), the trail is closed by a makeshift barrier (see photo) at the ruins of an old mill. It looks fairly recent, probably for livestock, and is easy to open. Remember to close it again. Note: there is no prohibition on passage.
Enjoy your hike.

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frbnt83000
frbnt83000

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike, no one else on the trail, beautiful views. We were able to eat in Saint Antonio, on a terrace with a magnificent view.
One small downside: the trail hasn't been cleared, so there are quite a few nettles. Avoid wearing shorts, as they sting!

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catherine jublot
catherine jublot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with varied landscapes and no difficulty. BUT... the paths are not maintained, with brambles, nettles and thistles, so don't wear shorts! And there are almost no markings, so it's best to use navigation software on your phone.

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pinedey
pinedey

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike completed with my three children (aged 5, 7 and 9). A beautiful route for exploring some of the villages in Balagne, particularly San'Antonino. What's more, there were few people around at this time of year. Thank you for this hike.

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Incantesimu
Incantesimu

Hello,

Response from fakarava2009 to my request:

Hello,

In order to improve the description, please specify what you find problematic: I quote, "It's a shame that the signposting is disappointing at the end of the route between San'Antonino and Aregno." Having done this route many times, I don't see what's wrong with it.

Incantesimu

Hello, It was when we left San'Antonino and crossed the road to reach Aregno. We didn't see the signposting. It's true that there were 4-5 cars of hunters that hid the signposting from us. And also in the village of Aregno, after the Bar des Amis, the signs are not obvious. Perhaps we weren't paying enough attention...... It's still a very beautiful hike.

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fakarava2009
fakarava2009

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent route. It's a shame that the signposting is disappointing at the end of the route between San'Antonino and Aregno.

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Georges.Lucette
Georges.Lucette

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I started the hike at the monastery and walked in the opposite direction to the description to avoid the climb at the end, as it was very hot that day. San Antonino is a very beautiful village.

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