The most beautiful hikes in Southern Corsica and the Alta Rocca | Tourist Office of Bonifacio, South Corsica and its Lavezzi Islands

Roccapina lookout trail

Did you know that there are lions in Corsica? Well… a lion, to be more precise. The one at Roccapina, overlooking the cove of the same name on the road to Sartène. Take the path beneath the maison cantonnière to discover the scrubland, the ancient sheep pens, the natural lookouts towards the sea… The landscape will surprise you and will probably be nothing like what you imagine. A change of scenery guaranteed!

Piscia di Ghjaddu

U ghjaddu, in Corsican, is the fir tree. This hike takes you among them, through the Ospedale forest to a waterfall, a piscia di ghjaddu, which gushes 70 metres from a rock face. The descent is steep – and you obviously need good shoes, water, a cap and sun cream – but the path and the view are so beautiful that you soon forget how difficult the walk is…

Remarkable trails

Castellu d'Araghju

U ghjaddu, in Corsican, is the fir tree. This hike takes you among them, through the Ospedale forest to a waterfall, a piscia di ghjaddu, which gushes 70 metres from a rock face. The descent is steep – and you obviously need good shoes, water, a cap and sun cream – but the path and the view are so beautiful that you soon forget how difficult the walk is…

A Punta di Vacca Morta

Depart from the hamlet of Cartalavonu, in the Ospedale massif, to reach Punta di Vacca Morta. The walk is not too strenuous and promises a grandiose panorama on arrival, from the eastern coast, with the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, to the western coast and Valinco.

The Punta d'Arasu trail

In Lecci, salt ponds and meadows meet the sea. At Punta d’Arasu, you can observe endemic species of flora and fauna. It’s a haven for birds, reptiles and amphibians, and a feast for the eyes. From the summit, you can see the Bay of Saint-Cyprien and the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio.

Cuscione plateau

Climb up to the Cuscione plateau, overlooking the Alta Rocca village of Quenza. You’ll have to follow a track to reach the plateau, where nature reigns supreme. The walk through the pozzine, the huge mosses that form in the middle of small pools of water, is suitable even for the less athletic. You’ll come across free-roaming horses, cows and pigs… A paradise, to be respected, of course.

Truly beautiful hikes

Stritoni of Monacia d'Aullène

In Corsican, stritoni are small paths, in this case those that run alongside the village of Monacia d’Aullène. On a 4-kilometre loop, which can be covered in two hours even with children, you’ll discover an 18th-century house, a traditional bread oven, mills and orii – the region’s troglodyte dwellings, all enhanced by explanatory panels to immerse you in the island’s history.

L'Omu di Cagna

This hike is more for seasoned hikers who set off from Gianuccio: you’ll reach a summit at an altitude of 1217 metres, known as Omu di Cagna. The rocky, granite path leads up to a sort of sculpture, whose stones seem to be balanced one on top of the other. To get the best view of it – and enjoy a beautiful panorama – the last part of the ascent is a climb…

Le mare a mare sud

The starting point for the mare a mare sud – which joins the Valinco – is Porto-Vecchio. The first stage, through a forest of maritime pines, takes you to Cartalavonu, in the Ospedale massif, after a five-hour walk. You can continue for stages of five to six hours each, in the Alta Rocca towards Levie, then Serra-di-Scopamène, Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano and Burgo. Magnificent mountain scenery and a change of scenery guaranteed!

The abandoned hamlet of Pruna

Do you like making up stories? Then head for the abandoned hamlet of Pruna, above Piccovaggia in Porto-Vecchio. Built, according to legend, by four brothers fleeing a vendetta, the hamlet was gradually deserted and finally abandoned in the mid-1930s. All that remains today are the remnants of this past life, and plenty to get the imagination going in this timeless place lost in the scrubland.

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