Corsica between the mountains and the sea

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This hike is a variation (in terms of the route and starting point) of the Mare à Mare Nord. We set off from Corte, a very pretty town, and arrived at the Gulf of Porto.
We stopped at the Refuge de Sega, the Gite d'Albertacce, the Col de Vergio (where we stayed for two days to explore Lake Nino) and Evisa before arriving in Porto.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 80.54 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6 days 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3,613 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3,996 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,882 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 72 m

Photos

partage
Chevaux en liberté au lac Nino
Lac Nino depuis Bocca a Retta
Gorges de la Spelunca

Stages of the route

This route needs several days, find the details below:

  1. S
    La Corse Etape 1: Corte au Refuge de Sega

    Corsica Stage 1: Corte to the Refuge de Sega

    ↔12.36 km ↗997 m ↘290 m
    First stage of the hike from Corte to the sea, at Marine de Porto. This first day is a steady climb up to the Refuge de A Sega.
    View the route
  2. 2
    La Corse Etape 2: Refuge de A Sega à Albertacce

    Corsica Stage 2: Refuge de A Sega to Albertacce

    ↔12.58 km ↗539 m ↘852 m
    Second day of the hike between Corte and Porto. The trail begins by climbing up to Bocca Arinella, where we discover our destination: after Lake Calacuccia, the village of Albertacce.
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  3. 3
    La Corse Étape 3 : Albertacce au Col de Vergio

    Corsica Stage 3: Albertacce to Col de Vergio

    ↔15.46 km ↗772 m ↘224 m
    This third stage takes us to the Col de Vergio, the highest point of the day, which marks the start of the descent to Porto. We will pass by the beautiful Radule waterfall and its pools, which are perfect for swimming.
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  4. 4
    Du Col de Vergio au Lac Nino

    From Col de Vergio to Lac Nino

    ↔18.17 km ↗934 m ↘934 m
    A very beautiful hike that allows you to walk along the ridges and discover Lake Nino in a beautiful valley surrounded by stone mountains.
    View the route
  5. 5
    La Corse Etape 5 : Col de Vergio à Evisa

    Corsica Stage 5: Col de Vergio to Evisa

    ↔11.46 km ↗182 m ↘753 m
    After our break at the Col de Vergio, we head back towards the sea. During this stage, we will cross the beautiful Aîtone forest with its swimming pools and paved paths in some places.
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  6. E
    D'Evisa à Porto

    From Evisa to Porto

    ↔10.26 km ↗178 m ↘935 m
    For this last stage, as soon as you leave Evisa, take the discovery trail and descend the beautiful Spelunca Gorges. After the Genoese bridge at Pianella, you will arrive at the beautiful village of Ota and descend towards the marina at Porto.
    View the route

Notes

Some stages are relatively long (Lac Nino is quite difficult, both in terms of length and elevation).

For this hike, we left our car in Corte. We were supposed to pick it up at the end by taking a shuttle from Porto to Corte. Unfortunately, it no longer runs from Porto (although it is listed on the Corsica Bus website?). We took the shuttle from Vergio to Corte, but be careful, it leaves at 3:15 p.m. and only has 8 seats.
Then from Evisa and Porto, you have to hitchhike (it works) to reach the Col de Vergio.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

Other walks in the area

Walking Corsica Stage 1: Corte to the Refuge de Sega

Visorando member
La Corse Etape 1: Corte au Refuge de Sega
↔12.36 km ↗+997 m ↘-290 m ◔6h 25 ▲Moderate
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Walking From Frasseta to the Melu and Capitellu lakes via Grotelle

Tourist office
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Walking Lakes Mélo and Capitello in Restonica

Visorando member
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↔18.44 km ↗+1,153 m ↘-1,153 m ◔8h 35 ▲Very difficult
⚑Departure from Corte (Haute-Corse)
A magnificent and unmissable hike. Caution: the passage of ladders and cables before Lac Melo and the descent of this section may prove difficult for those not accustomed to using this equipment and also to stony paths. 20/05/2024: Hike modified. The Restonica valley is no longer accessible by car! The start is now at the last stop served by the shuttle bus(Pont de Frasseta). See practical information.

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