The Porri Cave

de fr

In Haute-Corse, the village of Porri was one of the strongholds of the island's resistance movement. Near the village, a refuge cave known as the "Grotte des Maquisards" (Maquis Cave), which served as the Resistance's headquarters, recalls the contribution of Porri and the Casinca region to the liberation of Corsica. It is well guarded by the Vincetti, Vittori, Bébé Arrighi, Antoine Battesti, Noël Agostini and many others.

Source: France 3 Corse ViaStella

Details

n°2602314
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.90 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 292 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 296 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 520 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 234 m
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Photos

Road leading to Porri seen from the car park
Chjesa di L'Annunziata (Porri)
Inside the Maquisards cave
The Maquisards cave

Description of the walk

Start in the hamlet of Porri, at the end of the road to the left of the Chapel of the Annunziata. Take a sharp left turn and park in the car park (free).

(S/E) Walk back up, and opposite you on your right, you will see a sign indicating the cave. Continue along the road, passing the last house in the village on your left. You will reach a gate with a latticework top.

(1) Go through it, taking care to close it behind you. Continue along the path, following the orange markings and ignoring the paths on your right. You will reach a ruined house.

(2) Pass on the left-hand side. The orange markings are on the staircase and there is a G on the large oak tree near the bench (see photo). Enjoy the beautiful view of the sea.

(3) Do not follow the route on the IGN map, but continue following the orange markings. Before reaching the cave, you will pass a huge rock (see photo). Continue on to reach the cave, which is not far away. There is a stone on the ground marked 'Grotte'.
__Be careful not to venture beyond the huge rock, as there is a ravine!
Also be careful near the cave, especially with dogs and children, as there is a ravine!
There is no danger if you remain cautious. Access to the cave is easy and there is a guardrail.

(4) Grotte des Maquisards. Return by the same route to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 519 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 493 m - Openwork gate
  3. 2 : km 0.6 - alt. 431 m - Ruined house
  4. 3 : km 0.78 - alt. 392 m - Do not follow the route on the IGN map.
  5. 4 : km 1.94 - alt. 248 m - Grotte des Maquisards
  6. S/E : km 3.9 - alt. 518 m - Parking

Notes

The markings are orange, sometimes accompanied by the letter "G" for Grotte (cave) on trees or rocks. Pay close attention to the markings, as they are not always obvious. Do not follow the red markings with a "P" and an arrow.

There is no water on the route.

Grassy and stony terrain. Good hiking boots required + pickaxe.

Bring the IGN map: 4349OT

Route mapped using a TwonavSportiva2 GPS device.

Worth a visit

Beautiful view of the village of Penta-di-Casinca, which I recommend visiting. It is a listed site.

The Church of the Annunziata in Porri and the village

View of Taglio-Isolaccio, a village belonging to the Corsican Imuvrini group.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 27719514

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike is good, but it's a bit tough on the way back

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Furohon
Furohon
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Next to the ruined house, the sign pointing towards the cave indicates left, and a note (written in chalk?) on the same sign points to the right, which is a bit confusing.

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libeccio20
libeccio20

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

RAS a bit disappointing

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Edmeyzieu
Edmeyzieu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No difficulty following the route.
Two dogs accompanied us there and back, which showed us that we were on the right track.
Two particularly superb viewpoints, at a house and at the cave.
There wasn't much to see at the caves except for a large sign with photos behind a big gate.
This hike is enjoyable.

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Thierry 03
Thierry 03

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very good hike

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BAMX
BAMX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely hike. We had an excellent guide, namely a hunting dog who accompanied us the whole way. Of particular historical interest this year, as it marks 80 years since the liberation of Corsica.

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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 : No

A must-do hike for anyone interested in Corsican history. Follow the Visorando trail carefully. The views over the scrubland and mountains are magnificent. Be aware that some sections are more difficult than others.

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courjus52
courjus52

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting hike, at point 2, there is a ruined house, which is a former printing house used by the Resistance. A sign points to the Resistance cave on the left, but the path is less steep if you go to the left of the building. The Resistance cave is closed off by a gate, but there is a very informative explanatory panel inside.
On the way back, I recommend the restaurant "La Table de Querciu" at the Colonna-Santini estate in the village of Porri. Very friendly welcome and guest rooms.

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CyrCed
CyrCed

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello, a very nice little trail through the scrubland... we did it as a family with our 9- and 12-year-old children without too much difficulty. The elevation gain is quite steep but manageable with a few breaks.

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jeanmarc.soriano
jeanmarc.soriano

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

When we talk about a cave, we expect to see a hole in the rock, deep and dark... well, no!
It's just a rock overhang, just enough to shelter from a light rain, but nothing more.
Nothing very special. However, the path to get there is quite steep, so it's best to wear sturdy footwear.

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ludo12
ludo12

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk

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marijoA
marijoA
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Please note that it can sometimes be difficult to find your way after the ruins of Pudossu, with various obsolete markings, fallen trees and other ambiguities!
mj

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