Centuri - Sentier des Douaniers

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed in early September.
Pros: the coastal path with its magnificent views, easy access to the water to the right of Monte Riuzzulu, the arrival at the mill, the descent through the village of Cannelle, the village of Centuri Port.
Cons: Very hot in direct sunlight, especially when you reach the asphalt road to the north, which you walk along for quite a long time; you can get a little lost in the village of Cannelle because you often think you're going to people's homes... but you find your way out in the end, which is the main thing.
Bring plenty of water, sun cream (very little shade) and a hat.
Personally, I would classify it as difficult because of the long descent along the "Grotta Alle Piane stream", which is a bit hard on the knees, and the return path in full sun, which is sometimes quite steep (> 15%)
For your information, halfway through the hike, we went down to the beach to the right of Mount Riuzzulu (80 metres elevation) for a picnic and a swim. There were wasps, but it was a nice swim break.
Thank you for this wonderful day and, once rehydrated with a good beer at Centuri Port, we only remember the positive.

Machine-translated

Hello,
Could you move point number 7 on your map to the start of the small path that goes down to the left, rather than 100 metres further on as it is currently?
Thank you for this beautiful hike
Kind regards
Afrançoise

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful but challenging hike along the edge of the cliffs on the customs officers' path and the steep descent after the Cap Corse semaphore.
A lovely surprise awaits you at the Mattei mill
However, the descent to the port is poorly signposted. After the mill, follow the red route and look out for the wooden sign "U Portu" on your right in the corner of a tiled staircase, where it looks like you are entering private property

Machine-translated

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

Starting from Centuri, the trail is difficult for two hours along the customs officers' path. There are many rocks and narrow passages. The hike could be classified as difficult. Some passages are narrow along the edge of the cliff.

Machine-translated

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

Route between the coast and the scrubland with superb views at the highest point and an interesting crossing of Cannelle.

Machine-translated

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 : No

top notch, just make sure you bring plenty of water and sunscreen

Machine-translated

Date of your route : May 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Ideal hike in May. Very few people. However, done on a windy day. You need to be careful on the first part of the loop as you are walking along the cliff.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Wonderful circuit, 24 km round trip. You can take a shuttle bus to Barcaggio, halfway along the route, and walk back to Macinaggio. The views are splendid, amazing! There are a few steep climbs, but the trail is well worth the effort! Be careful, it is very sunny! You will encounter several magnificent Genoese towers and crystal-clear waters for swimming!

Machine-translated

hello, I would like to do this hike in two weeks during my stay in Cape Town, but I have read in several comments that the trail markings are not always present. Is this true? Could we have difficulty finding the trail?
thank you

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Only two people encountered during this hike!!! A beautiful hike, but it can indeed be classified as difficult. After Centuri, the trail is not always easy to follow among the rocks. Fortunately, there are plenty of cairns to help you follow the path, which disappears among the rocks (a somewhat steep climb and lots of scratches from the scrub vegetation!!!!). On the way back, on the almost horizontal section after Monte Grosso, here's a suggestion: at point 4, a path marked with a red dot descends to the right to the cave, which is actually a set of ruins (sign at this intersection). When you reach the ruins, take the path on the left that starts off horizontal (Cannelle sign). Follow this path, which continues (red dot) through the undergrowth among terraces of old crops. This section is very shady, which is very useful on 27 August! You will arrive at the village of Canelle, where it is worth stopping for a break at the fountain (sign). Retracing your steps from the fountain, just after the first archway, descend to the right and follow the path down to Centuri, following narrow streets, stairways, rocky slabs, etc. (a sign of a very pleasant Corsica!). Red dot markings, but not at the start!
At the start: Shortly after the start of the customs officer's path in Centuri, a collapse forces you to go around a stone enclosure on the right (red dot).

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

I didn't follow the exact route,
but rather the customs officers' path from Barcaggio to Centuri on 18 June 2021 in rather warm weather
personally, I found this part of the circuit rather long
with two fairly steep climbs
as a lover of the sea and beautiful photos, I was rather disappointed,
as we are often far from the sea and in the scrubland
i won't have lasting memories of it
i think it's better to do the circuit when the weather is cooler

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike. Very sunny, so bring water and sun protection. Be careful, there is a lot of vegetation, so it's best to wear trousers!
Takes 5 hours with a break for lunch. The hardest part is the climb up to the mill.
No beach access, swimming not possible, except at Centuri.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful route
Some sections along the cliff edge, so don't be afraid of heights

Machine-translated

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hi. I did this hike in the morning but I was glad I took plenty of water with me because there is no shade except at the very end on the way down to Centuri. The first part is not very "rolling"; it goes up and down and the vegetation slows you down a bit and the path is not always easy to follow. The second part is easier, even if the beautiful climb to the Mattéi mill is tiring under the hot sun. My GPS gives me a height difference of around 700 metres. The flat part towards the semaphore is very pleasant: you feel far away from everything and curious to go to the seaside.

Machine-translated

Date of your route : May 31, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Two comments on this very interesting and varied route:
1/ The first part up to the semaphore is quite long because the terrain is quite rugged and consists of a series of more or less significant ascents and descents. The descent to the semaphore is a little steep. Halfway along, a short 20-metre section is closed (no entry). Be careful not to climb too high to get around it. Aim for the second "no entry" sign to descend the valley at the right place before tackling the climb opposite.
2/ My GPS gave me a 650-metre elevation gain, not 1,094. My calves confirmed this measurement! Halfway between the start and the semaphore, the terrain is up and down, and there is a 300-metre steep but steady climb on the last ascent to the mill.
Nevertheless, it remains a tiring hike given the terrain and is definitely not recommended in hot weather.
But it's worth seeing!
Precautions: wear trousers as the scrub can sometimes be harsh on your calves, and bring walking sticks, water and sun cream

Machine-translated