Monte Stellu via Olmeta di Capicorsu

A hike in a magnificent corner of Cap Corse. Very beautiful view on both sides at the summit. From the village to the summit, a true corner of Corsica. Pure. Authentic.

Details

1568204
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.84 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,030 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,024 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,305 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 285 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the entrance to the village of Poggio on the left, in the car park under the olive trees.

(S/E) Walk to the village.

(1) Turn left, then immediately right onto the steps. The steps pass under the road. Turn right a little further up, about ten metres before the top of the steps (orange markings). Continue along the street to Casa Comuna and take the path that passes on its left.

(2) Take the path that starts opposite. It is marked in orange and the beginning is magnificent, surrounded by walls. There are some delightful steps. The slope is gentle here except for a few steep steps. Follow the markings carefully. You will arrive at the Sant Erasmo chapel.

(3) Go around it on the left and continue along the path, which is still marked. You will reach the Laggiarelli sheepfold.

(4) Continue along the orange-marked trail, passing Pierragia sheepfold. Further on, you will come to a trail junction.

(5) Continue to the right, reaching the junction of a new path at the Pierragia stream.
Take the path on the left, uphill (steep), heading east. You will reach a crossroads marked by a sign.

(6) Turn left onto the path marked red, then orange again further on. Begin the final stretch to the summit of Monte Stellu.

(7) Retrace your steps to return to the car park in the village of Poggio (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 285 m - Poggio car park
  2. 1 : km 0.12 - alt. 295 m - Stairs
  3. 2 : km 0.47 - alt. 334 m - Start of the trail
  4. 3 : km 2.44 - alt. 533 m - Sant Erasmo Chapel
  5. 4 : km 3.68 - alt. 726 m - Laggiarelli sheepfold
  6. 5 : km 4.71 - alt. 841 m - At the intersection, continue straight ahead (south-east).
  7. 6 : km 5.93 - alt. 1,051 m - Intersection and sign pointing north-east.
  8. 7 : km 7.45 - alt. 1,305 m - Summit of Monte Stellu
  9. S/E : km 14.84 - alt. 285 m - Poggio car park

Notes

The entire trail is shown on the OSM map.

There are several water points, notably just before the chapel (3) and at the Laggiarelli sheepfold (4).

Very pleasant and well-marked trail. Sometimes after the point (5), the trail can be wet and a small stream flows through it.
This hike should perhaps be avoided after heavy rainfall.

Several small streams are crossed, but this is not a problem. They are not torrents.

Worth a visit

  • Take the time to stroll around the village of Olmeta di Capicorsu.
  • Have a bite to eat at Morganti in the Albu marina after Nonza.
  • Stop off at Nonza too.
  • The wines of Patrimonio. Special mention for the white wine from Orenga de Gaffory.
  • Salge ice cream in Saint Florent.

And then there's Cap Corse. A thing of beauty.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 4886826

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike in the middle of summer with some very pleasant water spots
Magnificent views of the chapel, the valley and the mountain.
A few brambles in the middle of the route and muddy for 150 metres to follow a stream, but a beautiful finish
However, the walk was planned to take 7 hours and 15 minutes but can be done in 4 hours and 15 minutes

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Wladimir Makinsky
Wladimir Makinsky
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2025
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 with magnificent scenery, without any difficulty. The possibility of refilling your water bottles at several places is a real bonus. The same hike in the middle of summer must be much more challenging, as the last third before the summit is completely unshaded.

However, it was necessary to set off early, as the heights were completely shrouded in clouds from 1 p.m. onwards.

As the region had been drenched by rain in the previous weeks, many of the trails had turned into small streams, making the descent very slippery and the prospect of keeping your feet dry illusory.

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Daphné87
Daphné87

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike.
The climb is very beautiful, with the chapel, the little sheepfold, and the view of the snow-capped mountains and the sea.
At the top, there are a few clouds, but the view is beautiful.
Don't set off too late to avoid the afternoon mist (we saw it rolling in over the summit as we were coming back down).

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Chis Coach
Chis Coach

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with magnificent scenery. One section of the route was difficult, or rather muddy, due to the rain.
This hike requires good physical condition.😉👌

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azharaly.jeevajee
azharaly.jeevajee

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The views are magnificent, especially at the summit.
We did this hike on 15 August, the opening day of hunting season, so there were very few people on the trail. There are no hunters after 8:30 a.m., so there's no problem.
The trail is often shaded, so the heat is bearable.
However, there are a lot of thorns, and they sting.

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M33
M33
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, pleasant with water sources. The only regret is not finding an alternative route for the return trip. Thank you for your commitment to helping us enjoy the scenery.

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Lucie1574
Lucie1574

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with superb views of the sea on both sides, partly shaded and therefore pleasant.
The slope is gradual, with the main difficulty being the length and the last section, which is in full sun and climbs more steeply.
Be sure to bring plenty of water.
A walk that is well worth the effort.

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foulonpol
foulonpol

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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olilaclasse
olilaclasse

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent, fairly challenging hike with an elevation gain of over 1,300 metres. Beautiful views of Cap Corse.
Done in the middle of a heatwave: we set off at around 6am, which allowed us to climb in the shade.
Travel time: 4.5 hours walking at a normal pace with a few stops for drinks.
Terrain sometimes difficult. No difficulty finding the path.

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BARDYACP
BARDYACP

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike, beautiful view at the top and on the way down, a bit monotonous on the way up!

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