Niolu and Tavignano valleys with donkey

At 2pm, meet the donkey hire company in the village of Albertacce. After receiving your initial instructions, you'll take a very pretty path lined with chestnut trees, some sections of which are still paved. This path will take you to the Saint-Antoine oratory, which marks the arrival point on the banks of the Viru river. A Genoese bridge crosses the river and gives access to the Muracciolu chestnut mill. The site is very picturesque and also offers bathing opportunities. You return to Albertacce along the same path. 

Leaving the village, you'll take the road with your car to the meeting point with the donkey hire company, in the heart of a beautiful pine forest. Continue along a forest track to the Tillerga sheepfolds on the banks of the River Golo. Here, you can go in search of the best swimming spots and relax on the sunny rocks while enjoying the coolness of the river. You can continue your exploration by heading back up through the forest to join the legendary GR20. This path winds through a birch forest and leads to Castel de Vergio, once a ski resort.

Leaving the accommodation, you'll take the GR20 route through the magnificent Valdu Niellu forest. This forest, made up of beech, fir and pine trees, is often home to groups of free-roaming pigs in search of food. You will then leave the GR20, which climbs towards Lake Nino and its verdant pozzines, to follow the footpath. This path offers superb views over the Niolu valley and slopes gently down to the Popaghja forest house. There you will meet up with your vehicle and the donkey hire company for the return journey to the village of Albertacce.

In the early morning, meet the donkey hire company in the village of Casamaccioli, not far from Albertacce. This will be the starting point for your walk towards the A Sega refuge. The path rises gently under the cover of the Cavallu Mortu forest, offering magnificent views of the lake and the high mountains, including Monte Cintu (2,706 m), the highest peak in the region. Once on the ridge, you'll discover the Tavignano valley below, as well as the A Sega refuge, nestling among the pine trees. After settling in, you can take advantage of the river, which offers superb natural pools in which to relax.

Not far from the refuge, a chestnut grove still bears witness to the historic importance of this fruit, nicknamed the ‘breadfruit tree’ because it once fed the population. Turned into flour, the chestnuts were used by every family to prepare pulenta, a traditional dish. At the end of the morning, after enjoying the magnificent natural pools, it's time to set off on the return journey. Arriving at Bocca Croce, marked by the presence of a small oratory, you can try to catch a glimpse of the gaping hole in Capu Tafunatu (2,335 m). Legend has it that this mountain, with its impressive opening 35 metres wide and 10 metres high, is the work of the devil's plough. Soon, you'll be plunging beneath the majestic foliage of the Laricci pines, an endemic species that will accompany you all the way to the village of Casamaccioli. It's here that you'll meet up with the donkey hire company to round off your stay.