This walking tour shows you breathtaking coastal sceneries of the North End Point of Corsica Island. This part of the island is a balcony overhanging Thyrrenian sea with view on tuscany islands. It offers rich architectural heritage of cap corsin villages, character accomodation, traditional food and a taste of Italie.
This moderately challenging family and epicurian walk (4 to 5 hours walk a day) is escorted by a professional local guide. You walk on old muletracks that leads from village to village all along the wild and rugged coast. You stop to visit local producers (cheese, wine, fruits), take a bath in the blue clear mediterranean sea and sleep in charming family homestays and country lodges where you can taste delicious corsican food.
Departure from the small antique port of Maccinagio to reach the big sandy clear beach of Barcaggiu surrounded by beautiful dunes. The way follows the track untill small villages of Ersa and Centuri, a fishermen village, renowned for its lobster fishing. You can visit some old stone sheepfold and majestic american houses.*
The path goes down towards the steep and rocky west coast of the péninsule untill Morsiglia, a beautiful perched village with it very old monastry facing the sea, Pino and Barrettali, wonderful villages at the sun set time in middle of wineyards and cedrats plantations. You can admire there a lot of baroque chapels (150 chapels in Cap Corse) and genovese towers.
The last stage, the longest, connects the two shores of the Peninsule from Barrettali to Pietracorbara using a path, the name is Chemin de Lumiere because going from the sun set on the east coast to the sunrise on the west . You can see a megalitic spot on the top, Pinzu a verghine, with amazing stone natural sculptures. Arrival at Pietracorbara village gives you beautiful big sandy beach and charming hamlets with a lot of heritage architecture from genovese time (XVI to XVIII): bridges, fountains, chapels and water mills restored by local associations.
* There are 30 genovese towers all around the Cap Corse coast. They have been built on second half of the 16th century to help watch for raiding Moorish pirates.
*American houses in Cap Corse are architectural curiosities from XIX century, built by corsicans who returned home after making fortune with plantations in Mexico, Peru, Panama, Venezuela, Porto Rico. Some of them are true palaces, crafted by italian with painted ceilling, statues, terraces and luxurious gardens.
Partnership with NGO Mare a Monte in Barretali that is working to open again, some old mule tracks used long time ago by paesants with their donkeys from village to village. The association wants to give a new life to these remote villages bringing soft and natural tourism. They have also created a community kitchen garden to feed the inhabitants of the village with organic food. They employed to day a young family in the village to cultivate and sell the food.
A taxi pick up you at the airport or at the boat arrival to take you at the point of departure (1h).
You spend night in a confortable gîte, not far from the small port by foot. The owner Marie Paule has a farm with a few goats.
Tasting corsican food in a local restaurant.
To start easy 4 hours walking to visit the picturesque Rogliano, eagle’s nest village, above 250 m overhanging Macinaghio. Rogliano has 9 hamlets and Macinaghio is the marine hamlet. There are wonderful views on wineyards and tuscany islands, Elba and Capraia.
Visiting and tasting wine, Clos Nicrosi, very famous and delicious wine that belongs to the Luigi family for 19th century and tasting local goat cheese with Stephanie.
After breakfast, start on the sentier des douaniers ( customs officers route ) untill the very beautiful clear sand beach of Tamarone. Take a bath then walking untill the spectacular tower of Santa Maria that seems floating in the sea. Admire Santa Maria chapel on the way then the three Finochiarolla islands. The path go through Capandula Nature Reserve, a classified area for its exceptional flora and fauna.
Stop for the night in hotel restaurant on the picturesque port of Barccagio and taste delicious fresh fish.
10km, D+300
Chemin des douaniers goes to the North end point of the island, where you can see the island of Giralia with its semaphore and tower. Visit the small port of Tollare where the houses have arched ground floor.
We meet there a goathered before to visit the different and charming hamlets of Ersa untill Poghu t where we spend the night in a very beautiful old corsican american house.
8km, D+400
We reach to day the west coast of Cap Corse, walking in the maquis untill the Moulin Mattei, full restored mill tower over the sea that will afford you magnificent views on the fishermen port of Centuri We reach Morsiglia, famous for its square genovese towers, wineyards landscape and rich religious heritage, churchs and Convent de l’Annonciation, one of the oldest of Corsica. You admire nice american houses as Palazzu Ghelfucci.
Visit the family De Pietri ‘s wineyards to taste wine as rappu (sweet red wine) or impassitu made with malvoisie, rare grape variety.
Night in Marie and Daniel ‘s house, old corsican family house.
7km, D+600m
Ascent to day to the Seneque Tower, 564 m overhanging the two sea, Ligurian and Thyrrenian sea. Legend says that the roman philosopher has spent a part of his exile in this place.
Night in homestay .
6km, D+500m
We use coast trail to Barrettali village set in middle of mountain circle facing the sea and maquis outlined the majestic Pinzalone Peak above. Here, Cedrat (Citron) plantations have made the fortune of the village with trees planted terraces untill the lovely Marine of Giottani, very small wild beach surrounded with high cliffs.
Visit Family Calizi cedrats plantation.
Night in a corsican family guest house and gite in Conchiglio hamlet.
15km, D+700m
Departure very soon from hamlet A chiesa and church Saint Pantaleon for this long walking day (7h).
See rich families ‘s somptuous mausoleums on the way untill Petricaghu to visit baroque chapel Saint Jean Baptiste.
Ascent through greek landscapes with a lot of mountains facing huge horizon to reach fabulous megalitic site Pinzu a verghine . Take a steep path to ascent Mont Alticccione where you can see the two sides of the island , tuscany islands and many villages of the 4 valleys of the Cap, Sisco Luri, Cagnano and Pietracorbara.
Way down to hamlet Lapedina to see Beautiful restored Saint pancrace chapel.
Last swimming bath in Pietracorbara beach before the drop in Bastia.
Night in a small hôtel near the “Vieux Port”.
Departure for airport after breakfast
Charming family guest houses *
Hotel *** in Barcaggio and Bastia
Pique nique lunch with local corsican products.
Evening meals in guesthouse or restaurant
Double room, 2 persons sharing base.
Price by person on base of a 6 persons group.
Supplement for single in a room.
Insurance repatriation, accident.
Transportation with taxi from Bastia to Maccinaggio and from Pietracorbara to Bastia.
Accommodation and all meals (packed lunch)
Professionnal local guide.
20 € for the developpement fund.
Transport from and to the continent.
Meals in Macinaggio and Bastia
Cancellation insurance (extra +3,7%)
Subscription mandatory to association.
Drinks.
