Les Bergeries des Pozzi

de fr

The Pozzines (from the Corsican word i Pozzi, meaning wells) are acidic peat bogs crossed by winding streams.
They are located at altitudes between 1,700 and 2,300 metres.
They occupy depressions formed by ancient glacial lakes, which were filled in by clay deposits and numerous dead plants.
In Corsica, the deposits of the oldest pozzines are thought to date back around 12,000 years.

Details

n°822184
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.14 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 710 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 713 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,782 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,269 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Palneca (20134)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 42.028453° / E 9.194707°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 4252OT, 4252OTR
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Photos

sheepfold
Les Pozzines (i Pozzi)
Les Pozzines (i Pozzi)
Les Pozzines (i Pozzi)

Description of the walk

Access Ghisonaccia then head towards Ghisoni via the Inzecca gorge. From Ghisoni, continue for approximately 9.5km (D69) to the Col de Verde (Bocca di Verde 1289m). Park in the car park.

(S/E) Pass the refuge and follow theGR®20(white-red markings) heading west, following a forest track to the Col de la Flasca (Bocca à Flasca - 1,430 m).

(1) Continue west on theGR®20to reach the footbridge over the Marmano stream.

(2) Turn right towards the Gialgone plateau and cross the Marmano stream (Marmanu). The path begins a rocky climb in hairpin bends heading north towards the Gialgone plateau (Ghjalgone) at 1,591m.

(3) At the Gialgone plateau, do not take the path on the right, markedGR®20(which continues north-east), but turn left onto the path heading west and cross a beech forest, heading straight up towards the refuge.

(4) Cross the Faeto Rosso stream and continue on the path, still heading west. You will reach the sheepfolds.

(5) Continue west to enter the pozzines.

(6) The Pozzines (Pozzi), the first area of pozzi at an altitude of 1,780 metres. Continuing on, you will find two other areas at altitudes of 1,815 metres and 1,840 metres respectively. This is a particularly popular spot for herds. It is on this marshy plateau that the Fium'Orbo river has its source.

(7) Start your return journey along the same route to return to the Col de Verde car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,289 m - Parking at the Col de Verde - Bocca Di Verde
  2. 1 : km 2.09 - alt. 1,431 m - Col de la Flasca (Bocca à Flasca - 1,430m)
  3. 2 : km 3.09 - alt. 1,404 m - Marmano footbridge
  4. 3 : km 4.72 - alt. 1,572 m - Gialgone plateau, on the left
  5. 4 : km 5.8 - alt. 1,727 m - Faeto Rosso stream
  6. 5 : km 6.54 - alt. 1,743 m - Pozzi sheepfolds
  7. 6 : km 6.83 - alt. 1,770 m - Les Pozzines (Pozzi)
  8. 7 : km 7.08 - alt. 1,782 m - Marshy plateau
  9. S/E : km 14.14 - alt. 1,290 m - Parking at the Col de Verde - Bocca Di Verde

Notes

Bring water in hot weather.
Good walking shoes, hiking poles and good physical condition are required.
(3) Accommodation is available on site at the Gialgone plateau (Ghjalgone) at 1,591 metres.

Route traced using a Twonav Sportiva 2 GPS device

Worth a visit

L'Inzecca parade (photos to be taken)

Please take care in the gorge when crossing vehicles, as there is a risk of encountering goats or cows on the road.

Sheepfolds of Pozzi.
Les Pozzines (Pozzi).

Superb hike, unusual encounter with the caretaker Jean-François Battistelli (the shepherd of Bastelica) who plays golf to pass the time.

If you go there, please say hello from Catherine and Daniel.

Two links, a look at the Pozzi shepherd:

https://corse-sauvage.fr/perso/public/do...

https://www.corsematin.com/articles/repo...

And if you're feeling brave and strong enough, climb to the top of the hill on the left at Pozzi to admire the sunset over Ajaccio Bay – it's absolutely stunning.

Sheep's cheese is sold in season.

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.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 22 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 3931121

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

We loved this hike, the Pozzi are really worth seeing. The road to get there is also very pretty, and we saw very few hikers at this time of year (mainly GR20 hikers). The terrain is accessible and not very slippery. We bought some bread to give to Jean-Francois, the shepherd who lives at the Pozzi sheepfold. We chatted with him for a while and he told us that we no longer needed to bring him the newspaper because he now has internet access! Don't be afraid of his two horses grazing in the Pozzi, they'll just try to nibble on your belongings if you let them get too close.

We made our way back via the circular route (yellow markings). The descent through the forest is quite long, but there are a few waterfalls to admire if you listen to the streams around you.

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User 437151

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike. Don't hesitate to do the loop starting from the sheepfold to come back down.

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Lerocher
Lerocher

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 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", quite long but well worth the effort. Quite busy in the morning with many hikers on the GR20 trail coming from the Capannelle refuge.
The Pozzi plateau is magnificent, a haven of peace and tranquillity - you can see beautiful dragonflies and fry in the Pozzi streams.
We did the walk last year via the Val d'Ese station and this route via the Col de Verde is nice, with much of it covered, although it is undoubtedly a little more demanding due to its length.

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Sylviou30
Sylviou30

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike without any major difficulties
Be careful to turn left at the sheepfold and leave the GR 20
Les Pozzis was the Holy Grail for me, and I finally got to see it with my own eyes: such beauty, thank you Mother Nature!
On the way back, there is an alternative route that passes by Jean-François' sheepfold, where you can sample his produce. Bring him some fresh bread or even the newspaper 😜 Follow the cairns.

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Nat2A
Nat2A
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 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 hike, a bit long but definitely worth the detour.
One small downside was the Pozzi sheep farm, where we bought some cheese that was inedible. It was so rancid that we had to throw it away.

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benedicte brument
benedicte brument

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 : Yes

An exceptional hike with a splendid arrival at the pozzis. Be sure to check the weather forecast, because once you leave the forest, you'll be exposed to strong winds... it's really gusty..

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oponcin
oponcin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The film: https://youtu.be/UJEQSXbONqk?si=EOF7f8fy...
I pozzi at the start of the Verde Pass
The hike takes place in a beautiful forest of pine and beech trees
In the shade until the junction with the path coming from the Val d'Ese
Return via the Cassetta de Gialgone sheepfold, where you rejoin the GR20 trail that you left at the wooden bridge on the way out

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colibrivert
colibrivert

Precise route mapping

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mis camenbert
mis camenbert

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This GPS-tracked route is 15.5 km long
No problem with the elevation gain.
A magnificent route.

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thegreg71
thegreg71

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike and the Pozzis are splendid. The GR20 section is quite busy but that's not a problem. The circuit is a round trip, but this allows you to see the area from a different angle, so it remains interesting. The first part is quite shaded, which is pleasant in summer. The second part, after the refuge and the junction with the GR20, is more open.
Just to clarify, the start of the trail follows the GR20 but there is a more obvious trail (continue straight ahead, then turn right and return to the GR20 (it looks like a 4x4 track). The elevation gain is less, but it makes the hike longer. So ideally, take the GR20 on the left at the wooden sign that describes the flora and fauna of the area (the GR mark is not very visible at this point).
The hike is a little longer than advertised (apart from the detour mentioned above), approximately 16 km.

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cyr0726
cyr0726

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with no difficulty.
The first part follows the GR20 (in the forest), the climb to the Pozzi plateau is a little less beautiful, but once you arrive at the Pozzi, it is truly magnificent, even if some of the Pozzi were dry.

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teipopo
teipopo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that is not too difficult, but it still takes between 4.5 and 5 hours to climb up to Pozzi, complete a loop on the plateau and descend. On both the ascent and descent, it is better to take the shortcut. When you reach the footbridge, continue straight ahead and follow the cairned path (not easy to find at first), which joins the yellow-marked path coming from Eze further on.

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Incantesimu
Incantesimu

Disappointing!! What a load of rubbish!!!! Give it a miss.

Incantesimu

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Flo969
Flo969
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Beautiful location
Hiking trail of little interest
Be aware that most of the climb is in direct sunlight
Total elevation gain: 710 m! (Descent through the forest).

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tousenvert
tousenvert
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

the weather didn't allow us to reach the pozzines, which was a real shame. The GR20 is very well signposted, but once you reach the sheepfold there are no further signs and we had to search for quite some time to find the path leading to the pozzines. Fortunately, some hikers showed us the way. The clouds and storms forced us to turn back. We'll do it again on our next trip

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Other walks in the area

Walking Pozzi via the Lacs de Rina from Ghisoni

Visorando member
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This is a magnificent hike that has never been done before, as there is a section that is not listed. The trail starts halfway to the Ghisoni ski resort via a shortcut that leads onto the famous GR®20. This route offers a wide variety of landscapes and vegetation, including fir and beech forests, scrubland, rocky areas, lakes, rivers, animals, sheepfolds and the famous pozzi, which are magnificent in this location. These are pools of water in the green grass that form natural basins, connected by small river veins in the grass. The outward journey is via the Lacs de Rina, and the return via the GR®20. There are a few tough, steep sections, but all in all, it's not a very difficult hike, and well worth the effort.

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