U Castellu, Circinellu cave and Bocca di Ghjuva from Ania

Parking at the Ania chapel near Casa Cumuna.

(S/E) Go back up the road you came down. At the fork, keep right. Then keep left at the next intersection. Take the D945 on the left. Ignore the dead-end road on the right and go down to the Mare a Mare signs.

(1) Turn right towards Mare à Mare stage three. At the fork, after the spring, turn right towards Sapara di Circinellu. Continue to the bend.

(2) Ignore the pontoon on your left; you will return this way. Continue along the track and follow the signs for Boucle d'Ania. Further up, on your left, look for the sign and take the path up the embankment.

(3) Walk towards the building. Go around it on the left and climb the path that starts behind it. Stay on the main path for about 500 m. Pass the spring and follow the path as it turns left. Follow A Bocca di Ghjuva. Then turn right. You will come to a track; cross it and continue straight ahead, following the fluorescent arrow. Climb up to a fork.

(4) Turn right and follow the U Castellu signs. Climb up and follow the cairns and white marks on the tree trunks, and occasionally a U Castellu arrow. You will come to some rocks with two metal crosses on top.

(5) Discover the cave under the rocks. Then turn around and look for the tree on your left with a white mark on the trunk, which marks the start of the path leading up above the rocks. Climb this faint path and you will come out onto a superb panorama at U Castellu (712 m). View of the valley and Ania in particular. Descend and take the path you took on the way up to the previous fork.
Be careful not to descend all the way to the track; don't miss the intersection and the Funtana sign.

(4) Turn right and climb steeply. At the T-junction, turn right. Continue to follow the fluorescent arrow. In the open space, follow the wide path. Make an S-turn after a large fluorescent marker. At another open space, keep to the left of the copse and look for the path on the left, the entrance to which may be slightly hidden by vegetation depending on the season. Do not go all the way to the directional signs.

(6) Turn left onto the path.

Orange markings

Follow the path to a T-junction. Turn right towards Bocca du Ghjuva. Ford the Anzagara stream and climb uphill. Follow the path until you reach a track.

(7) Turn left and then immediately right onto the rutted path. Ford a stream and climb gently. At the top, you will reach Bocca di Ghjuva.

(8) Turn left towards Serra. Cross the open area. Follow the path along the contour line, now under the trees. Enjoy the views over the valley. You will come to a large open space. You are at Bocca di Minagoli. Look for a tree on your left with a green plaque marked 12 at the entrance to a path. Leave the Mare a Mare.

(9) Turn left towards Isulacciu di Fium'orbu. Descend the path, which has been disrupted by major cleaning work, is not yet compacted and is sometimes difficult to follow. At the track, continue right towards Ania until you reach the start of the path at the end of the bend.

(10) Take this path to the right and continue downhill towards Ania. Ford the Juva stream. Further on, cross a wet passage with a stream. Pass the waterfall and then a^second stream (dry in August 2021). The path turns sharply to the right. Abandon the markings.

Fluorescent markings

Discover imposing chestnut trees and arrive at a clearing.

(11) At the end of the clearing, turn left. Follow the path to reach the Pozzo Rosso fountain and the pontoon you saw on the way there. Cross it and you will find yourself back on the track you took on the way there.

(2) Go down the track.

(1) Turn left. At the next intersection, turn right and return to your car park by following the road (S/E).

The trails no longer follow those on IGN but those on OpenStreetMap; the GPX track corresponds to the terrain.
Quite a steep climb from the track before (4) to the T-junction after it.
The trail starting from Bocca di Minagoli at (9) and descending towards Ania has been cleared, but quite radically, so it is not yet well levelled.
No drinking water on the route.
Muddy in places.
Option to shorten the route at the T-junction after (6), turn left.

During:
Above Ania is a prehistoric site, U Castellu. Surrounded by caves and underground passages that often provided very safe hidden refuges, this rocky labyrinth served as a habitat for prehistoric humans and as a final retreat for the priest of Guagnu, Dominique Leca, known as Circinellu, the nickname given to Pascal Paoli's chaplain. After the defeat at Ponte Novu, Paoli left Corsica for England. Circinellu, however, preferred to take to the maquis and live out his days as a rebel. He was found dead in the cave, a crucifix in his hand and a rifle on his chest.

Viewpoint over Ania and Isolacciu di Fiurmorbu, among others.