Monte Santu

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Monte Santu, a hike accessible to all with an elevation gain of +195 metres.
The view at the top is superb, but it was cloudy both times I went 🤔 Maybe next time I'll be lucky enough to have a clear view.
The route is very well signposted.
Walking shoes are recommended.

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Date of your route : Sep 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great little hike, the climb is nice and the view from the top is superb.

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Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike with magnificent views and wooded areas

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Date of your route : Jan 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Arrive by car at the small car park with three spaces near the Affaccatoghju viewpoint.
A slightly steep climb through the village to the start of the trail (yellow markings). A very pleasant shaded section before the rocky climb. Good hiking boots with good grip are essential.
Once at the top, there is a breathtaking view of the Bavella peaks. You can either turn back or take a circular route to the monastery.
A very accessible hike for experienced walkers. A very good experience.

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Date of your route : Apr 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike on Easter Sunday. The weather was nice but very windy, and we only saw two other couples. It's a really nice trail, covered in cyclamen, that gently climbs through the shade of the scrubland (sometimes it feels like you're walking through a tunnel of plants!). The last part, which is a little steeper, leads to a "platform" that is anything but flat, from which you can admire several panoramic views: orientation table to the south-east and orientation table to the west. Head north-west, descend via ferrata (5 to 6 rungs), to find a path below that leads you to the monastery: not recommended for those who have never done this before. Note: the first 500 metres of the path have been turned into a road, which will soon be tarmacked (?) given the installation of street lamps and the construction work in progress. If the car park (3 spaces) at the starting point is full, you can park at the water reservoir (2, 3), which has more spaces.

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Date of your route : Oct 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did the short version, going only as far as Monte Santu and then returning by the same route. It took 1 hour and 15 minutes there and back. The path was a little slippery towards the end, especially on the descent over the rocks, as it had rained just before.
It was a shame that it was foggy and we couldn't enjoy the view as we should have, but I imagine it must be very beautiful in this setting, which looks magnificent. There is a beautiful view of the sea from the car park with an orientation table (at that point, there was no fog yet). I recommend this walk, which is suitable for families.

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

Hello from two 75-year-old hikers. On this magnificent route, it's a shame that the "easy return" option, which extends the route and passes by the monastery, hasn't been developed. This detour is safe but not that easy, as the slopes are steep both uphill and downhill, and the ground is stony or sandy or covered with pine needles, so be careful! However, the arrival on the monastery track and the last 3 km are a real pleasure. It is possible to reach the centre of Sari via a small, well-marked path just after the monastery. The mileage is difficult to estimate given the terrain, but with our old legs, we completed the circular loop in 4 hours without rushing, excluding a picnic stop at the summit
A magnificent walk. And for those who wish to come to Corsica these days, no problem for now, the stress is well maintained by the media. Thank you VR

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Hello and thank you, Incantesimu

Be careful, the situation on the island is tense at the moment with Covid-19. Find out what you can do before you leave

as I only saw your reply before going to bed... I didn't sleep well

Apparently, the measures taken (for the moment) will not really have an impact
We don't go out to nightclubs and at 1 a.m. I'm asleep and then there's the mask... and in the Corsican maquis... useful?

But we'll have to wait until 15 August to find out if the restrictions are being tightened. We're not arriving until the 22nd and I wouldn't like to find myself only able to travel 10km from our place of residence... paying for a plane ticket just to sunbathe... that's not for us... so 🤞 let's keep our fingers crossed.

Thank you in any case for the clarification on the feasibility, I can't wait.

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Good evening,
Thank you for wanting to do this route, which is not difficult. OK! Regarding the points mentioned below.

1/ Is it simply a passage equipped with a few steps/cables, as suggested by the information provided by Didier THEISEN-MATHIEU (5-6 rungs), or is it more substantial than that? A few rungs with no particular problems

2/ Is it easy to find the access point to this via ferrata once you reach the summit? No particular problems, easy to find.

The return via the monastery is very good.

Please note that the situation on the island is tense at the moment due to Covid-19. Find out what you can do before you leave

Have a great holiday on our island.

Incantesimu

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Hello,
our holiday is coming up and we're going to Corsica. While browsing the options on Visorando, I came across your proposal and I'm interested in the "via ferrata" section, but I'd like some more details if possible.

1/ Is it simply a section with cables and a few steps, as suggested by the information provided by Didier THEISEN-MATHIEU (5-6 rungs), or is it more substantial?

2/ Is it easy to find the via ferrata once you reach the summit?

because I would like to go down to the monastery and return to the starting point that way.

Thank you

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Date of your route : Sep 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Early in the morning, with our two teenagers, while having breakfast at the viewpoint, we had a wonderful encounter with a young fox that was not shy but cautious. It stayed with us for a good half hour. So this little hike will remain etched in our memories!

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Hello,
I apologise for upsetting you.
If I understand correctly, you posted this route to Monte Santu, and I am very grateful to you because it was a wonderful walk for us, both for its geological interest and the lovely people we met along the way and at the monastery.
You are right, I should have posted a "new route"
That said, it's worth pointing out that it is possible to avoid the via ferrata, even though it's not very difficult, in order to make a circular route.

Have a good day

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Hello,
Why is the average route reliable if you didn't follow the initial route? How can you judge?
Just look at the comments from other hikers. Please be objective. During last year's analysis, I asked the moderators to take a look at these kinds of comments and ask hikers to justify their comments so as not to penalise other hikers and to respect the work that goes into posting hikes. This discourages people from making the effort to share their hikes, which is something to think about.
Best regards
Incantesimu
Thank you all

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Date of your route : Jun 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We didn't really follow the route indicated, but instead did the circular route to the monastery via the "easy" path
I am attaching my GPS track: https://1drv.ms/u/s!AuSqyhrr8r9jgYMO6afAjBQrYODOIQ
For geology enthusiasts, this easy route is the most interesting!

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Date of your route : Feb 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very well-explained and easy hike. We drove up to the EDF transformer station...
Once at the summit, there are two different viewpoints to explore, one on the mountain side (Bavella and Monastère) and the other on the eastern plain, near the air base.
Be careful at the summit, as it can be quite dangerous if your children move around a lot (like my 5-year-old!)
The view is magnificent and contemplative.

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