Highlights:

• Rugged mountain landscapes

• Native pine and beech forests

• Dramatic coastline

• Attractive towns and villages

Brief:

⏱ Duration: 5 - 6 Days
🗺 Distance: 60-80 km
⛰ Difficulty: Moderate
🗓 Best Time: Apr - Oct
🛏 Accomm: Hotels and inns

Walk Overview

The French Mediterranean island of Corsica is a magnificent walking destination. It has an untamed feel and combines rugged mountain landscapes with forests, lakes, gorges and a dramatic coastline. On top of that, its combination of French, Italian and local cultural influences delivers a man-made environment as enthralling as the natural one.

Corsica is blessed with an extensive network of walking paths, some of which are historic shepherd and traveller routes while others have been constructed more recently to provide walkers with access to the island’s natural beauty. One of the best known trails is the GR20, a challenging high ridge walk that runs almost the length of the island. You need a high level of fitness and preparedness to tackle the GR20.

The walk described here is far more accessible. It follows one of Corsica’s ‘across-island’ waymarked tracks, the ‘Mare a Mare Nord’ (Sea to Sea North). The walk runs in an east to west direction, passing through Corte, the ancient capital of the island. Undertaking the full Mare a Mare Nord is an enticing option, but our description here is confined to part of it - the section commencing near Corte and running to the picturesque west coast.

This section of the Mare a Mare Nord takes you though mountain passes and river gorges and past natural pools and waterfalls. Mountainside villages provide overnight accommodation and appealing rest spots. The west coast is reached at the attractive beach resort of Porto from where the final stretch of the walk takes in the spectacular red cliffs known as the Calanches de Piana, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Generally, this walk involves five walking days with the total distance varying between 60 and 80 kilometres, depending on the exact route you choose to take. Operators of self-guided walks that offer this walk, present it as a seven or eight day trip to allow for transfers to the start and from the finish. The self-guided operators provide accommodation in comfortable hotels or guesthouses and their packages include luggage transfers to each night’s accommodation.

Further information:

• For more information on walking in Corsica, click the button below.

• For assistance in organising a walking holiday of Corsica - Mountains to Sea, click the button below.