San-Nicolao (San Niculaiu) circular loop

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.

Details

35759982
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 128 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 126 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 276 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 134 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the small car park on the bend in the D34 just above the church of San Niculaiu.

(S/E) With your back to the church, take the path at the end of the car park, marked in orange and yellow. After the water treatment plant, the path becomes a trail. Continue climbing under the trees until you reach a hairpin bend.

(1) When you reach the hamlet of Castellana, do not continue straight ahead but take the hairpin bend on the left to quickly reach a gate.

(2) Go through the gate and cross the hamlet of Castellana, going up the main street to the departmental road.

(3) When you reach the Chapel of the Annunziata di Castellana, turn left then take the road on the right that climbs slightly towards the hamlet of Fano. Take a short tour of the hamlet through its cobbled streets.

(4) Just at the entrance to Fano, look for a path on the left. Take this path down to the hamlet of Muchju and turn right towards the ruined hamlet of Raghja, which is signposted. After passing through the ruins, continue downhill to the intersection of a track.

(5) Take the track on the left to climb back up towards the car park where you started. Before setting off again, make a detour to visit the Church of San Nicolao (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 171 m - Car park - Église San Nicolao (San Nicolao)
  2. 1 : km 0.95 - alt. 249 m - Fork in the road to the left
  3. 2 : km 1 - alt. 248 m - Passage through a gate
  4. 3 : km 1.27 - alt. 269 m - Chapel
  5. 4 : km 1.78 - alt. 274 m - Mucchio trail
  6. 5 : km 2.87 - alt. 134 m - Fork in the track on the left
  7. S/E : km 3.33 - alt. 171 m - Car park - Église San Nicolao (San Nicolao)

Worth a visit

(S/E) Church of San Niculaiu: built in the early 18th century, the church is now a listed historical monument. It is open to the public in summer from Monday to Friday, 3.30pm to 7pm.

(2) Hamlet of Castellana and the Chapel of the Annunziata.

(4) Hamlet of Fano and its cobbled streets.

Between (4) and (5) Ruined hamlet of Raghja.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Gilles13
Gilles13

Thank you for your comment....

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User 28113219

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely 1 hour 45 minute stroll at a leisurely pace
Very pleasant

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Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello Youg42
Thank you for your comment. We wish you enjoyable future hikes in Corsica.

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Youg42
Youg42

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Made with my daughter, we loved it! The route is nice and fairly easy – perfect for her as she's just starting out. I hike regularly and enjoyed it too. The cemetery and abandoned village give it a very special atmosphere and add character to the walk. A great discovery, thank you!

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Loic philippe
Loic philippe

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Easy route. Ideal for beginners.
Markings faded in a few places, but with the map there's no problem.

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Gilles13
Gilles13

Hello GMR25
We're delighted that you enjoyed this short hike, which is suitable for children. Thank you for your comment.

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GMR25
GMR25

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant little hike, with clean, well-marked paths and very few sections on the road. Don't forget to visit Fano, a very pretty little hamlet, and take a look at the fountain opposite on the other side of the road. There are many points of interest for such a short walk, including the church of San Nicolao, the ruined hamlet of Raghja (Raggia on the IGN map), and beautiful views of the coast. We met five couples, which is quite a few for such a short hike, but not too crowded, especially on a Sunday.

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BAMX
BAMX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike, already done in part, but with pleasure.

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Louverné
Louverné

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with some elevation gain. At the hamlet of Fano, you should make the round trip to the Ucellunine waterfall, which is about 1.5 km there and back. It's well worth the detour.

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