From the highest peaks to the Gulf of Porto, explore the Niolu valley and discover its hilltop villages, nestling in ancient oak and chestnut forests.

The route runs through the north-west of the island. In the mountainous part, at Calacuccia, the route alternates between pastures and forests of beech, chestnut and Laricio pine. On this tour, you'll enjoy a varied discovery of Corsica, with fabulous sites such as the Niolu valley, the Aïtone forest, the village of Evisa, the Spelunca gorges and the village of Ota. The tour culminates in the Gulf of Porto, with its deep blue waters and the famous Calanques de Piana, an incredible tangle of needles, peaks and ridges of red granite.

Highlights

One of the most beautiful walks on the island
Luggage access
Point to point - 5 days walking
** and *** Hotels
Start in Corte and end in Piana

Duration

7 days / 6 nights

Type of holidays

Hiking-Walking

Accesses

Ajaccio

Bastia

Level

2 - Moderate

Carrying

Without bags

Customise your holiday Groups, families or businesses, tailor this holiday to your needs or request a discount Download factsheet A question about this holidays? Contact us

Itinerary

Day 1

Corte

This walking holiday starts in the island’s historic capital, Corte. The rocky citadel dominates the town, and after dropping your bags at the hotel, you can take a walk around the old town, to discover the sights of this atmospheric place. Corte is situated on two magical gorges - the Tavignano and Restonica. The Tavignano offers a walk along an old mule path, a route used by shepherds into the isolated Niolu region and it makes for stunning walking. Steep cliffs rise up above the pounding torrent and numerous rock pools allow you to cool off.

Distance

12 km

Duration

5h00

Ascent / descent

+480 m / -480 m

Night

Night in Corte

Day 2

Scala Sta Regina to Calacuccia

In the morning, transfer to the entrance to the Scala Santa Régina. This ancient transhumance path, carved out of a granite canyon above the River Golu, provided access to the Niolu, where some of Corsica's highest villages are located today. You walk down towards the lake and the village of Calacuccia.

Distance

10 km

Duration

4h30

Ascent / descent

+700 m / -340 m

Night

Night in Calacuccia

Day 3

Calacuccia to Vergio

Climb to the Col de Vergio along an old transhumance trail. From sheepfold to sheepfold, you'll discover what life was like for the shepherds. You will then join the legendary GR 20 to reach the Vergio pass.

Distance

17 km

Duration

7h00

Ascent / descent

+ 995 m /- 430 m

Night

Night at Col de Vergio

Day 4

Vergio to Evisa

You'll descend the path from the Col de Vergio along the River Aïtone and its famous natural pools to the village of Evisa. A transitional stage between the high mountains and the Gulf of Porto.

Distance

10 km

Duration

4h30

Ascent / descent

+320 m / -880 m

Night

Night in Evisa

Day 5

Evisa to Porto

You'll walk along the Mare et Monti trail through the Spelunca gorges and its ancient Genoese bridges to the picturesque village of Ota (340 m). Then arrive in a unique setting overlooking the Gulf of Porto, with its magnificent pink cliffs plunging into the sea.

2024: Due to the damages caused by the severe storms in November 2023 the upper part of the Spelunca Valley is not accessible, a transfer will take you to the lower part in the morning from where you will be able to hike to Porto via Ota.

Distance

13 km

Duration

5h30

Ascent / descent

+200 m / -1000 m

Night

Night in Porto

Day 6

Porto to Piana

The route leaves Porto along its pebbled beach and gradually rises above the deep-blue gulf, taking in the superb views of the Scandola reserve and Capu Ceninu.

Distance

12 km

Duration

5h00

Ascent / descent

+520 m / -140 m

Night

Night in Piana

Day 7

Piana

Holiday ends after breakfast in Piana. Extra nights and transfers by bus or taxi to Ajaccio available, please ask for details.

Distance

5 km

Duration

3h00

Ascent / descent

+450 m / -450 m

Programs have been drawn up according to the latest information available at the time of writing: imponderables are always possible and situations beyond our control may alter the course of the program.

Dates and prices

Departure on request every day from April to mid October. 2 persons minimum.

If you are returning to Ajaccio, please note that there is no bus service on Sundays and public holidays except in July and August.

Please select your departure date from the calendar below to find out the rate and begin your booking.

Pick a date

Price includes

Accommodation on half board (days 2, 3 & 4) B&B (days 1, 5 & 6), local internal transfers from Corte, luggage transfers, travel dossier with A4 copies of IGN maps, walking notes and access to our guidance application.

Price does not include

Reservation fee of 5€ / person, travel insurance, drinks, picnics, site visits and transfers to Corte hotel and from Piana, travel to Corsica.

Supplements/Discounts

Insurance

We offer comprehensive multi-risk insurance specifically adapted to our adventure trips (contract no. 7482 Assurinco). The rates are as follows: 4.00% of the price of the trip for French residents, 6% of the price of the trip for residents from the European Union (EU) outside France. For non-EU residents, the rate is €90 per person.

Group discount

Groups of 3 people or more can benefit from a discount. Please contact us for details.

Technical informations

Starts

At your first hotel in Corte.

Ends

After breakfast in your hotel in Piana.

Access

Ajaccio Airport or Port, Bastia Airport or Port.

Accommodation

Hotel in double/ twin rooms: 3 nights in ** Hotels (Corte, Vergio, Evisa) and 3 nights in *** Hotels (Calacuccia, Porto and Piana).
Single room supplement to be requested when booking.

Meal

Continental or buffet breakfast depending on the accommodation.
Evening meals are often based on local specialities and include a starter, main course and dessert. Dinners in Corte, Porto and Piana are not included.

Luggage transfers

During this walk you will carry only a small day sack with a water bottle, camera, picnic, trailfood, sun and wet weather gear. Luggage is transported by vehicle, point to point.

Level

Moderate, path with few technical difficulties.

Number of participants

Reservations for minimum of 2 participants.

Guiding

Self-Guided Walking. We provide you with a Travel Dossier complete with A4 copies of the IGN maps and a walking guide created by our team. During your hike our 24-hour assistance service will also be able to answer all your questions and, if necessary, assist you with the smooth running of your stay.

The digital roadbook

Once you have confirmed your holiday, you can download our application. It's easy to use and it offers a number of functionalities:

Precise route guidance with alerts in the event of deviations.
View your starting point, accommodation, current position, mileage.
Discover points of interest via interactive content with descriptions, photos and audio.
In an emergency, send an SOS alert with your GPS coordinates.
Contact function to share messages, photos and videos with our team during your stay.

Extensions

Take advantage of a stay extension during your tour with Corsica Aventure.

If you'd like to discover Corsica before or after your holiday, our team can offer you ideas for accommodation and activities. If you prefer to arrive a few days earlier or extend your stay for a few days, we can book your extra nights on the island, depending on your arrival city.

Here are a few hotels we recommend for those of you who would rather organise their extra days themselves:

Ajaccio

Hôtel Le Dauphin 2* Tél : 04 95 21 12 94.
Hôtel Kalliste 3* / Tél : 04 95 51 34 45.
Hôtel Albion 3* / Tél : 04 95 21 66 70.
Hôtel San Carlu 3* / Tél : 04 95 21 13 84.

Propriano

Hôtel Bellevue / Tél : 04 95 76 01 86.
Gîte-hôtel U Fracintu / Tél : 04 95 76 15 05.

Porto

Hôtel Kallisté / Tél : 04 95 26 10 30.
Hôtel Le Belvédère / Tél : 04 95 26 12 01.
Hôtel Le Méditerranée / Tél : 04 95 26 10 27.

Piana

Hôtel Les Calanques / Tél : 04 95 27 82 08.
Hôtel Les Roches Rouges / Tél : 04 95 27 81 81.

Calvi

Hôtel Belvédère 3* / Tél : 04 95 65 01 25.
Hôtel Les Arbousiers 2* / Tél : 04 95 65 04 47.
Hôtel Christophe Colomb 3* / Tél : 04 95 65 06 04.
Hôtel Balanea 3* / Tél : 04 95 65 94 94.

Bastia

Best Western Montecristo Bastia / Tél : 04 95 55 05 10.

Map

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Reviews for Mountains to the Sea

97 reviews

(4.2)

Excellent for the most part, a few places needed extra clarification (go up slightly to the right) but overall great with feature indicating when o...

Christine 18/10/2024Mountains to the Sea

The Corsica Aventure App is very good. Interesting information provided; very helpful to be alerted if I went off route....

Keren 18/09/2024Mountains to the Sea

Communication was super easy and the organization of the holiday was great!...

Amir 06/09/2024Mountains to the Sea

Corsica Aventure provided a well-planned and organised self-guided walk....

Robbie 12/07/2024Mountains to the Sea

Magnificent stay in a superb country!What beautiful nature,what beautiful landscapes!
We felt so serene during our vacation in Corsica!