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Corsica’s Beautiful West Coast

Highlights

Wonderful varied walking along coastal slopes, through gorges and mountain ridges. Enjoying beautiful secluded beaches enclosed by spectacular cliffs with azure blue waters lapping at your feet. Holiday Profile : 6 nights / 7 days – 5 days independent walking between accommodation. Extra days and nights are possible. Dates : Departures from Monday to Thursday (except bank holidays), subject to availability during April, May, June, September & October.

At a Glance

A beautiful trail along the dramatic west coast of Corscia between panoramic mountains and the Mediterranean Sea

Price

From € 2,106 per person

Every journey is tailor-made and can be personalised to your travel style, preferred accommodation and budget.

Walking

All highlights

West Coast of Corsica . This self-guided French walking holiday explores the west coast of Corsica , setting off from the Calanques of Piano and finishing in Calvi. It follows the most beautiful stages of the Mare e Monti but also incorporates other interesting trails. The hike includes crossing the Gulf of Porto and the Scandola nature reserve, which is classed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Each day is varied providing a new source of amazement. The trail weaves its way between the sea and the mountains, meaning that the walk offers a wide variety of countryside. These include the famous sculpted rocks known as the calanches of Piana, paths zigzagging through the Corsican undergrowth and crossing former chestnut plantations, and the Chemin des Douaniers (literally the customs path), which follows the ragged coastline of Corsica. Furthermore, your evenings will be spent in charming historic Corsican villages such as Piana and Ota where the houses are made of vibrant red granite stones. On most days you’ll descend to secluded creeks and coves where there is the possibility to swim in the clear azure Mediterranean sea. One of the high points of the trip is arriving in Calvi and pottering around the cobbled streets of its imposing citadel. In spring, you will be delighted by the smells and the flowering of the Mediterranean vegetation, whilst in October, you will be treated to vibrant Autumn colours. Holiday Profile . 6 nights / 7 days: 5 days independent walking between accommodation. Extra days and nights are possible.

Wonderful varied walking along coastal slopes, through gorges and mountain ridges
Enjoying beautiful secluded beaches enclosed by spectacular cliffs with azure blue waters lapping at your feet
A pleasant Mediterranean climate makes this walking holiday perfect for spring, or autumn
Beautiful perched villages and the historic fortress of Calvi
A circuit that has one foot in the Mediterranean Sea and the other in the mountains
The option of adding additional days and rest stops as you wish

Corsica's Beautiful West Coast - Image 5

At a Glance

Challenging

This independent walking holiday is suitable for regular walkers or those who take regular exercise. The walks are on good footpaths and trails, but the terrain is varied and often rocky. You should be used to walking on a variety of paths and be comfortable on rocky and occasionally steep ground. A choice of walks on most days allows you to vary the difficulty with some walks being moderate in grade, whilst others are more challenging. You can vary between the grades as you wish. On the moderate options, the walking days average about 4 hours and the amount of ascent in the day varies between 350m and 600m over less than 10km. On the challenging options, the walking days average about 6 hours and the amount of ascent in the day varies between 650m and 1000m covering about 14km. This walking holiday is graded moderate/challenging. See more information about walking grades.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival - Welcome to Corsica

Arrive in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, and take the bus to the Piana, a pretty village perched at 450m. The bus trip passes via the gulfs of Sagone and Cargese said to be amongst the most beautiful gulfs in Europe. Piana is made up of pink granite houses that tower above the sea. The panoramic view from the village square is particularly splendid at sunset. Night in Piana in bed and breakfast. Dinner in a family restaurant that cooks traditional Corsican dishes from tasty local produce.

Overnight: Piana

Day 2: Walking tour from Piana

A choice of two walks to start your walking holiday, either a challenging hike to the summit of Capu d'Orto or a linear walk to the Beach of Ficaghiola.

Capu d'Orto: Hike from the Calanques de Piana to the Capu d’Ortu with fantastic pink-red rocks formation to enjoy great views over Porto Bay. The path affords stunning views over a long stretch of the wild western coast of Corsica, and the vegetation, as usual, is unexpectedly abundant. There is an option to climb to the summit at 1293m. Even if you don't make it to the summit the views are wonderful throughout. At the end of the day, you'll receive a transfer to Porto or Ota.

Walk: moderate option: +/- 600 m , 4h30, 11 km; challenging option: +/- 1000 m, 7h, 15 km

Beach of Ficaghiola: Descend into the Mezzanu Valley and follow this to reach the beach of Ficaghiola. This secluded beach is surrounded by 100m cliffs and hills.

Walk: 3h, +/- 424 m, 6 km

Option of additional day and night in Porto to enjoy the beach surrounded by immense walls of red rock, and walk to the Port of Castagna and Porto Tower, built in the 16th century for great views over the bay.

Overnight: Porto or Ota

Day 3: Ota - Bussaglia

Your path rises gradually between the mountain tops and the Gulf of Porto, accompanied by the smells of the Mediterranean vegetation brought alive by the sea breeze. After crossing the Vitrone ravine with its imposing red porphyry rock face, the path reaches the Capu San Petru ridge, a splendid rocky panoramic viewpoint at 900m that dominates the Gulf of Porto. Descend towards the village of Serriera and then head towards the coast at Bussaglia.

Walk: moderate option: + 350 m et – 650 m, 4h, 7 km; challenging option: + 780 m et – 1080 m, 12 km, 7h

Overnight: Bussaglia

Day 4: Bussaglia - Gratelle

A superb stage that takes you along the coast via many beautiful, secluded creeks. The path meanders through forest and bushes, above the jagged coast to reach Caspiu beach in its natural setting before your short walk to Gratelle beach.

Walk: Moderate option +/-410, 4h, 9 km; Challenging option: +/-650 m, 5h30, 11 km.

Overnight: Gratelle

Day 5: Gratelle - Girolata

Your walking trail takes a path that overlooks the jagged coastline and goes via the isolated hamlet of Osani and the cove at Cala di Tuara. You'll end your walk at the picturesque, remote fishing village of Girolata, which is only accessible by boat or on foot. Protected by a promontory and set on a romantic cove, the hamlet feels like it’s miles from anywhere. This stage from Gratelle to Girolata is short, so there are two additional options to add length and interest if you wish. The accommodation at Girolata is limited and more basic than the rest.

Walk: Moderate option +/- 400 m, 3h30, 8km; Challenging option: +/- 650 m, 6h, 14 km.

Overnight: Girolta

Day 6: Girolata - Galéria

The path rises above the Nature Reserve of Scandola, the kingdom of cormorants, royal eagles, osprey and wild goats. This is a wild and untamed coastline of jagged coves and creeks and towering red cliffs with no development. You will pass through an oak forest, high maquis, and witness outstanding views of Galeria bay. There are two options with one following an old mule path with superb viewing points of the cliffs in the natural reserve of Scandola. On this trail, you have the chance to descend to the secluded bay of Focolara. At the end of the walk, you'll receive a taxi transfer to Calvi, a beautiful town and port with a Genovese citadel dominating the bay. Calvi's beach is a sweeping bay of powdered white sand fringed by tall umbrella pine and is lapped by clear water.

Walk: Moderate option +/- 400 m, 3h30, 8km; Challenging option: +/- 650 m, 6h, 14 km.

Overnight: Calvi

Option of extra nights at Calvi to fully explore the town, to relax on the beach or enjoy a great walk around the Revellata Peninsula

Day 7: Departure

Your holiday ends after breakfast. Train to Ajaccio for your onward journey. Extra nights and activities possible in Ajaccio.

West Coast of Corsica . This self-guided French walking holiday explores the west coast of Corsica , setting off from the Calanques of Piano and finishing in Calvi.

Accommodation & Meals

Your accommodation is a mix of 2 and 3 stars guest houses and hotels. They are located in beautiful settings either in historic perched villages or at coastal bays. Your night at Girolata is in a shared dormitory. There is no road access to this coastal hamlet so you won’t have access to your overnight bags. Your meals are traditional Corsican dishes. Your holiday price includes breakfast and evening meals.

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking holiday on the west coast of Corsica is available from April to June and in September and October. We usually do not run this holiday in the height of the summer due to the high temperatures and the difficulty in securing accommodation. Even as early as March the coast is awash with wildflowers. Because much of the vegetation is evergreen the landscape remains relatively colourful the whole year round. Ideal walking temperatures are experienced up to mid-June, after which it can become very warm. Average daytime temperatures are 18°C for mid-April and 23°C for mid-May. By mid-June temperatures have reached 27°C on average in the afternoon whilst September highs average 25°C. March can still be fresh with morning temperatures averaging 6°C and highs of about 16°C. It is also a relatively dry and calm period. October remains warm with temperatures often still reaching 20°C. The autumn is wetter than the spring in general due to the chance of stormy weather.

Please note that during June and September, there is a higher chance of access restrictions being put in place due to high fire risk caused by high winds and dry conditions. Detailed information and contact numbers will be provided in your walking guide.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

The walks are on good footpaths and trails, but the terrain is varied and often rocky. You should be used to walking on a variety of paths and be comfortable on rocky and occasionally steep ground. A choice of walks on most days allows you to vary the difficulty with some walks being moderate in grade, whilst others are more challenging. You can vary between the grades as you wish. Most of the trails have waymarkings but there are some options on unmarked paths which can be more difficult to follow. Your walking notes indicate the points where you need to pay particular attention to finding your way. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produced by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000.

Luggage Transfers

Your bags are transported each day between your accommodation with the exception of your overnight stop in Girolata where you’ll need to carry your overnight gear.

Travel Info

Travelling to Ajaccio

Flights to Ajaccio, Corsica from several French airports including Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Nantes, plus from Geneva. There is a large choice of corresponding flights from other European cities.

Ferry services to Ajaccio run from Marseille, Toulon and Nice including overnight ferries.

From Ajaccio, you’ll need to take a bus to Piana at the start of your walking holiday. At the end, you can catch a train from Calvi to Ajaccio for your onward journey.

Please contact us for further information.

Extra Nights

The standard holiday is based on 6 nights. It would be possible to add additional nights at most of the overnight stops depending on whether you’re looking for extra walks, relaxing on the beach, or adding some cultural interest.

We can also add additional nights in the town of Calvi or in Ajaccio before and after your Corsica walking holiday.

Tailor-Made Trips

Below you’ll discover a selection of our tailor-made holidays in France, which you can use to inspire your next trip. We are able to create a tailor-made trip for you in Corsica including walking, water sports, cycling, cultural visits, boat trips etc. Please let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll be delighted to create your dream trip.

From Parisian Streets to Corsican Coasts

Prepare your family for an extraordinary French getaway from the elegance of Parisian streets to the paradisiacal beauty of Corsica’s coastline. From exploring famous landmarks in the French capital to diving into crystal-clear waters, every day will be filled with exciting and varied adventures.