Cuscionu Plateau: Violu di l'acqua "water trail"

de fr

Since 2022, new routes have been established. Their aim is to divert footpaths crossing the pozzines (peat bogs) as much as possible. The Violu di l'acqua hike offers beautiful views of the pozzines. It is ideal for families. Depending on the season and time of day, you may encounter horses, cows, pigs and flocks of sheep.

Details

n°24562914
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.88 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 57 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 65 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,584 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,518 m
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Photos

Cow on the plateau
Small pond
Pozzine
Pozzine

Description of the walk

Park in the Refuge de Bucchinera car park, see Important Note in Practical Information below.

(S/E) Continue on foot along the track and go through the barrier. Go to the "Départ sentier" sign. Turn left to enter the path. Walk along the Codi stream to an intersection. Turn left towards Violu di l'acqua and join the Codi stream.

(1) Cross it and follow the path marked by cairns.

(2) You will arrive at a pozzine (there are no other options here). Here you will find a sign for Violu di l'acqua. Cairns on the ground also indicate the route. Reach a ridge, follow the cairns and arrive at a crossroads.

(3) Here you have two options:
- go straight ahead to reach Punta di Ghjavingiolu (see other route on Visorando)
- turn left, which is the route shown on the map, to reach the car park at the Bucchinera Refuge (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,532 m - Bucchinera Refuge car park
  2. 1 : km 0.57 - alt. 1,527 m - Turn left and cross the stream further on.
  3. 2 : km 2 - alt. 1,577 m - Violu di l'Acqua sign
  4. 3 : km 2.65 - alt. 1,579 m - Crossroads
  5. S/E : km 3.88 - alt. 1,532 m - Bucchinera Refuge car park

Notes

Important note: to reach the Bucchinera refuge, which is the starting point for the hike, you will need to take a 12 km track from the village of Quenza. As the track is in very poor condition (lots of potholes and ruts), it will take you between 45 minutes and an hour by car to reach the car park. The building is currently not in use. There are no toilets, water points or catering facilities. You are not allowed to drive through the barrier and continue along the track. There are no painted markings. You will need to follow the signs and cairns (piles of stones). Please do not overload the cairns by adding more stones. This trail is not open to mountain bikes. Mountain bikes must remain on the main track.
Always check the current and forecast weather conditions so that you can pack your rucksack accordingly. The weather can deteriorate rapidly on the Cuscionu plateau (storms, rain, hail, strong winds and fog), which can lead to a drop in temperature and make progress more difficult. Stay alert! It can get very hot. There are no water sources along the route. Remember to take enough water for everyone.
Wear clothing suitable for mountain hiking (walking or trail shoes).
Be respectful of the mountain environment: be discreet (no drones), keep the area clean (take your rubbish and litter with you), keep your dog on a lead, do not plant parasols on the pozzines, do not use walking sticks on the pozzines, be discreet. This is not a picnic area but a protected natural space where wild camping is prohibited (including in the car park).

Worth a visit

It is possible to extend the hike by combining this route with other itineraries, including Punta di Ghiavignolu.

More information about the pozzines: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pozzine

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 7 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
User 12844230

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk completed on Sunday, 2 November, with no other walkers except for a hunter.
It takes an hour by SUV or 4x4 to reach the car park at the start of the walk, and it's quite a bumpy ride!
A very beautiful hike with an intuitive route.
Wear trousers to avoid getting scratched by the low scrub.
If it's wet, wear walking shoes with good grip.
Very handy app, well-marked route.
The pozzines near marker 2 are dry, so take a few steps onto the path heading due west at marker 3 and you'll find some very beautiful ones.

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Manon19
Manon19
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. The road to get there is indeed in very poor condition, and we had to stop 3 km before and finish on foot. Once there, there are only a few signs indicating the trail. We downloaded the GPX map before we left (as there is no network up there), which helped us a lot. Make sure you bring protection from the sun and water.

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MMC54
MMC54

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A few questions about the route. I thought I would follow the river, but it was a REAL change of scenery.
Access to the refuge via the rough road (starting point) is tricky but offers magnificent views of the Aiguilles de Bavella. There is no longer an information point at the start.

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Imbutien
Imbutien

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It should take 30-40 minutes to drive there from Quenza. The road has a few difficult sections with large potholes and bumps, but nothing insurmountable unless you have a very low car or are uncomfortable driving. On the last kilometre before the sheepfold, there are two difficult sections in the bend, then 1 kilometre of easy track to the start of the trail. If you drive past, you will arrive just in front of the trail.
Otherwise, leave your car and walk 1 km, where you may already see sheep, cows and pigs.
The trail is very easy but in full sun. The pozzines are now protected and you can no longer walk freely among them. This is just as well, as they have been damaged and have lost water in some places. You can still see them very clearly and cross one or two.
A beautiful route, with animals and the beauty of this plateau 😍
Not too crowded, even in August, but we may have been lucky.

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mariusbarjat
mariusbarjat

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This trail is very good. However, apart from a few signs, there are no markings. The GPX track is very helpful, even though the trail is well marked, as you may hesitate at times.

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jeanine terral
jeanine terral

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Please note that the road leading to the plateau is in very poor condition.

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berenseb
berenseb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very practical app, well-marked route

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BAMX
BAMX

Not done because access via the track was too difficult.

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