Cupabia beach and Capanella Tower

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A pleasant walk along the coast with the option of stopping at a beach and exploring a Genoese tower.

Details

n°793141
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.22 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 394 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 386 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 204 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 0 m
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Photos

Bird's eye view of Cupabia beach
Sunset over the Gulf of Cupabia and the Capanella tower
View of Porto Pollo
Capanella Tower

Description of the walk

In the village of Serra di Ferro, park in the car park.
(S/E): From the car park, turn left and at the first crossroads take the path lined with low walls that will lead you to Cupabia Beach. Follow it in a north-westerly direction.

(1) At the intersection with the road, turn left towards the beach.

(2) Once you reach Cupabia Beach, you can enjoy a swim and/or sunbathe. Cross the beach to reach the coastal path (yellow markings) and follow it towards the south-west.

(3) At a rocky outcrop extending into the sea with two rocks, the trail climbs inland.

(4) The trail takes a sharp right turn. Continue in a south-westerly direction.

(5) Take the path on the left that climbs up to the Capanella Tower.

(6) When you reach the tower, take the time to climb to the top to admire the view of Cupabia Bay and the Gulf of Valinco. Descend back to the coastal path.

(5) Turn left and continue along this path until it joins a wider one.

(7) At the hairpin bend, turn left and follow the path towards the village of Porto Pollo.

(8) At the intersection of several paths, turn right to descend towards the village.

(9) When you reach the village, take the road that runs along the seafront. Take the opportunity to enjoy a drink or ice cream in one of the bars/restaurants facing the sea.

(10) At Le Valinco, turn left onto the Mare e Monti Sud trail. Follow the trail up to the hill of Punta Contra Grossa.

(11) Turn right towards the village of Serra di Ferro and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 136 m - Parking - Serra di Ferro
  2. 1 : km 1.63 - alt. 8 m - Intersection with the road
  3. 2 : km 2.15 - alt. 2 m - Plage de Cupabia
  4. 3 : km 3.88 - alt. 5 m - Rocky outcrop
  5. 4 : km 4.26 - alt. 52 m - Fork in the road on the right
  6. 5 : km 4.78 - alt. 53 m - Return trip to the Genoese tower
  7. 6 : km 4.91 - alt. 106 m - Capanella Tower - Tour de Capanella
  8. 7 : km 6.01 - alt. 58 m - Hairpin bend to the left
  9. 8 : km 7.17 - alt. 143 m - Intersections, fork to the right
  10. 9 : km 8.35 - alt. 7 m - Village of Porto Pollo
  11. 10 : km 8.87 - alt. 8 m - Mare e Monti Sud trail
  12. 11 : km 10.26 - alt. 202 m - Fork in the road towards Serra di Ferro
  13. S/E : km 11.22 - alt. 136 m - Parking - Serra di Ferro

Notes

The route is not very technical, so a good pair of trainers should suffice.
Remember to bring your beach gear for a swim at Cupabia.
Bring plenty of water with you, especially in hot weather.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 25 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
ValPatPont-royal
ValPatPont-royal

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Created using GPX points on a GPS watch.
We really enjoyed ourselves up to the tower, making the most of the beaches and swimming (great for 21 October!). After that, the path to PORTO POLLO was only moderately pleasant.
Overall, a very nice hike, thanks to the organiser!

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Alain du Gers
Alain du Gers

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike that is more than moderately difficult, not because of the elevation gain but because of some fairly tricky overhanging sections along the coast. This hike could be shortened by taking a path behind the Tour de Capanella to return directly to Serra-di-Ferro. This is possible by connecting markers 6 and 11 in the description.
Cupabia beach is one of the most beautiful in Corsica and is well worth a long stop for a swim.

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User 26462546

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

A very beautiful hike to the Campanella Tower.
Free parking is available at the start and there are plenty of opportunities to swim between points 2 and 5.
Point 6, the tower, is not mandatory but the view is well worth the detour.
The problem is between points 7 and 8: the path is very quiet, poorly maintained and very narrow.
I came out of there with numerous scratches.
A stop at Porto Pollo to cool off at Bar Les Oliviers (dog friendly) was welcome before starting the climb back up to Serra-di-Ferro.

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caouec
caouec

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

we did this tour with the same starting point as for the Campanella Tower and Porto Pollo tour to Serra di Ferro
i.e. starting from point 10 towards Serra di Ferro
from Cupabia, the return trip is much more interesting
there is a nice little beach bar in Cupabia
there are people on the beach but not on the path
leave early

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Sylvie et Florent
Sylvie et Florent
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, we went in the opposite direction
Starting from Porto Pollo, we stopped at Cupabia beach, where there are some very nice shady spots. Then we returned via Serra di Ferro.
The coastal section is very pretty and easy. The views are breathtaking.
The view from the tower is not to be missed
When you arrive at the beach, head a little further into the rocks.
Departure from Cupabia Porto Pollo via Serra di Ferro, a more semi-shaded and more difficult route, with tough climbs and descents too . My knees took a beating
Follow the GPX track carefully on the Porto Bello -> Cupabia  section: there are no landmarks.

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christian.h
christian.h

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike for the first 7 km, where you can discover the sea and hidden corners of Corsica. The route is very difficult to follow with a clear lack of signposting. The second part takes place entirely in scrubland, so it is best avoided in hot weather. Overall, the hike could be made easier and more peaceful with better signposting.

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Visocaussinph
Visocaussinph

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Superb hike. Be sure to bring plenty of water!

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bettinalg
bettinalg

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, uncrowded hike at the end of May. Due to the intense heat, we took a trail that starts at the tower and shortens the loop (avoiding the walk along the bay).

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sodifa
sodifa

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, starting on a bucolic path accompanied by the song of cicadas, then arriving at the seaside where, despite the warm late morning sun, we were cooled by the coastal breeze.
Following the latest advice, we opted for a direct route from the Genoese tower to point 8: the path was very steep at first but well maintained.
As mentioned above, the climb between points 10 and 11 is long and steep.
We enjoyed the beautiful views along the route and the many shaded areas. However, it is necessary to bring plenty of water.

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fogacci
fogacci

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

thank you for your information

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maud.tournier
maud.tournier
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A hike that is not very popular in autumn, but very pleasant and varied (sea, scrubland). No difficulty. Beautiful view from the restored tower.

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Ronsard78
Ronsard78

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route, but narrow path and not always well signposted.
Fortunately, the view is magnificent.

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mm07
mm07

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike between scrubland and beach
The path between 7 and 8 is a bit neglected and offers few views.
It would be better to follow the coastal path, even if it is longer
The climb back up is a bit steep

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gerky
gerky

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice hike. We shortened it (at the tower) and went the other way. Start from the beach. The guidebook recommends the beach to the north (after the small rocky outcrop) if the main beach is too crowded. You can climb to the top of the tower (great picnic spot).

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JoTif
JoTif

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike. One of the most beautiful in this area.
I highly recommend it.

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