Col de la Croix (Croce à a Sera)

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Arriving on a small plateau, the path continues until it crosses a small stream. Then, a narrow, winding path where you may encounter some wild pigs takes you up under chestnut trees to the Col de la Croix. From there, follow the track to the right and discover the splendid panorama of the eastern plain, the sea, and the Monti Renoso and Kyrie Eleison (Christe Eleison). The track then descends to the village of Ghisoni.

Details

n°852900
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.67 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 329 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 336 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 952 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 607 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Ghisoni (20227)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 42.105443° / E 9.212188°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 4251OT, 4251OTR, 4252OT, 4252OTR, 4352OT
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Photos

At point 5, the orientation table.
Monte Renoso (Monte Rinosu or Renosu)
View of the eastern plain from A Punta.
View of the village of Ghisoni from "A punta".

Description of the walk

Park at the entrance to the village of Ghisoni after the bridge over the Regolo on the right, just next to the old Sisti house, which is now used as municipal premises for young people.

The route follows blue markings.

(S/E) Find a small path, which is the start of the hike, indicated by a wooden sign. Take this path northwards and walk leisurely to the Catani Bridge, dating from 1840.

(1) Follow the path on the left, still marked with blue signs.

(2) Cross a small stream (probably dry in summer), then you will come to a crossroads below the Col de la Croix.

(3) Turn left towards Col de la Croix to reach it quickly.

(4) Continue along the forest path on the right.

(5) Continue straight ahead, staying on the forest track and following the blue markings. After a few bends, you will come out onto the D344.

(6) Turn right onto it and stay on it until you reach the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 638 m - Parking after the municipal buildings.
  2. 1 : km 0.67 - alt. 670 m - Catani Bridge
  3. 2 : km 0.98 - alt. 694 m - Crossing a stream.
  4. 3 : km 1.43 - alt. 812 m - Left towards the Col de la Croix pass.
  5. 4 : km 1.6 - alt. 850 m - Col de la Croix
  6. 5 : km 2.37 - alt. 886 m - Straight ahead, following the blue markings.
  7. 6 : km 5.51 - alt. 609 m - Right on the D344
  8. S/E : km 6.67 - alt. 638 m - Parking after the municipal buildings.

Notes

Water source in the village of Ghisoni.

Hiking poles and hiking boots (rocky path on the forest track).

Worth a visit

The fountain of Neptune in the centre of Ghisoni (Roman god of running water and oceans).

The Finosa mines (1910-1957)

The Finosa mines extracted silver-bearing lead (galena, cerussite), zinc (blende) and copper (bornite).
Most of the mining at La Finosa was carried out in open pits.
Prospecting on the site began in the 1910s.
In 1922, a decree was granted for an area of 270 hectares. During this period of exploration, production amounted to around 400 tonnes of lead and copper ore, which was transported by mule to the Ghisonaccia railway station.
From 1924 to 1931, up to 60 workers carried out fairly regular mining operations, producing around two tonnes of concentrate with 55% lead per day.
The crisis of the 1930s and the fall in the price of lead led to the closure of the mine.
In 1949, limited activity resumed with an annual production of 40 tonnes of commercial lead, continuing until 1957. However, the authorities deemed this sale illegal and engineers noted the dangerous nature of the operation, which was banned by prefectural decree in August 1957.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
MARYSE45
MARYSE45

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A very pleasant hike, well marked, with beautiful views, and we didn't meet a single person!
We recommend:
- when you reach the cross, take the short detour to the antennas (view of Ghisoni on the left and the neighbouring valley on the right)
- at point 5, don't miss the orientation table that has been installed (apparently recently) on the right
- take the path signposted "village" on the descent to avoid a long stretch of road.

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Huerga
Huerga

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The return journey is quite long on a winding, narrow road... It is useful to shorten this section using the shortcut, but do not cancel it

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Shay
Shay

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Enjoy your hike. It's quite steep on the first half and quite steep on the second half. Don't hesitate to climb up to the antennas on the left when you reach the cross for a beautiful view of the mountains and Ghisoni. (This adds 5-10 minutes).
The entire hike is fairly shaded, so be sure to wear suitable footwear.

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Fraver
Fraver

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk with magnificent views!
Excellent signposting
Definitely worth doing again

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Catali
Catali

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Impeccable signage,

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Elo79
Elo79

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

We didn't meet anyone during October (All Saints' Day holidays) except for a village dog who accompanied us throughout the hike (the dog wasn't ours but still followed us for two hours from the start of the hike in the village). A very good guide!
A walk suitable for families. We recommend returning via the forest track. In fact, it would be a good idea to suggest this route as an alternative to returning by road.

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ptitarnodusud
ptitarnodusud

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great walk without too much difficulty. We recommend not taking the entire trail on the way back, but instead taking the small path that leads back to the village of Ghisoni halfway down. This will avoid having to walk too much on the tarmac road.

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ericdaniel
ericdaniel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk, easily accessible, with superb views of the mountains and the sea.
At the cross, don't hesitate to take a detour to the antennas, which offer beautiful views of Ghisoni and its mountains.
On the way back, we preferred to follow the path marked "Village", which is shaded and less slippery than the very steep track and ultimately avoids a bit of tarmac before returning to the village.

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Nicole Monf.
Nicole Monf.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The following should be added to the description:
- an additional point at La Punta (954 m), indicating "move a few metres to the right to admire the landscape at the rocky outcrop. Then return to the trail"
- an additional point on the forest track at an altitude of 755 m, indicating "return possible via a marked, pleasant path, which avoids walking on the narrow, busy road".

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Incantesimu
Incantesimu

Hello,
I'm glad you enjoyed the hike and the subject matter.
When did you go on this hike? Other hikes of mine are also available.
Have a nice day.
Kind regards
Incantesimu

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• Edited:

The user account associated with this content has been deleted.

Bernardini
Bernardini

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We did the hike starting from the end of the route, which seemed more logical to us. A very pleasant circular loop.

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Patxi18
Patxi18

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike with beautiful scenery, not to mention the wonderful scents. Very well marked.

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