Corsica in Sunlight Style: Grand itineraries, wild nature, and unmissable spots (ENG)

Markus Lindl is a photographer and one of Austria’s best ultra-trail runners. He recently explored Corsica in our CLIFF 601 Adventure and brought back some great tours and tips to share.

When we vacation, we usually head for the mountains – even though I already live in the Austrian Alps… Corsica is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean, sitting about 180 kilometers southeast of mainland France and just 80 kilometers from the Tuscan coast (with Elba in between) and a mere 12 kilometers from Sardinia to the south.

The coastline drops off spectacularly in places – plunging up to 2,500 meters into the depths. And inland, rising up there’s Monte Cinto, the highest peak in the northwest at 2,706 meters. This combination of sea and alpine mountain ranges really appealed to us – and spoiler alert: it didn’t disappoint. You can go trail running, mountaineering, rock climbing, and still lounge on a sandy beach the same day.

Here are my tips and highlights for the island:

Great Tours

Tour #1: Monte Cinto is pretty much a must-do. BUT come prepared with solid fitness, alpine experience, and the right gear. The terrain is alpine! The route across scree and boulder fields requires some scrambling here and there, but it’s as challenging as it is varied. And you won’t run into many people…

We started from Calasima, Corsica’s highest village, which clings to the slopes of Cinque Frati. We covered 2,000 vertical meters and 23 kilometers, but you can also tackle Monte Cinto from the north via the Asco Valley (about 1,500m elevation gain) or from the south starting at Lozzi via Refuge de l’Ercu (about 1,600m elevation gain).

Campsite:
U Monte Cinto or right next door, Camping L’Arimone. Peaceful and nestled in the mountains. Cash only.

Tour #2: In the south, Monte Incudine (2,134m) stands out. It sits on a large high plateau called Cuscione (or U Cuscionu). On our run (20km / 1,900m elevation gain), we bagged two peaks, starting from Bavella, first climbing Punta di u Pargulu, then continuing along the GR 20 to Incudine. But you can also climb it with significantly less elevation gain, especially coming from the northern San Pietru parking area.

Tour #3: From Plage de la Tonnara, we set off on a beautiful coastal tour. You can run all the way to Bonifacio right along the sea – not many vertical meters, but with sensational views.

Tour #4: In the heart of the island lies a picturesque high valley, the Vallée de la Restonica, which runs about 15km from Corte to the end of the valley. Here we did a solitary tour to Lac de Melo and continued up to the ridge where the GR 20 also runs.

Beautiful Places

Bonifacio totally captivated us. This harbor town sits at the island’s southernmost tip – you can wave across to Sardinia from here. But most spectacularly, it perches on white limestone cliffs that drop 60 meters down to the sea, which slowly erodes them away. The “City of Cliffs” seems to teeter on the edge. Add narrow alleys and the mighty Bastion de l’Étendard, the medieval fortress built by the Genoese in the 12th century.

Another place that surprised us was Porto on the west coast between Calvi and Ajaccio. The stunningly beautiful bay with its red cliffs is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Porto is otherwise surrounded by eucalyptus trees, the mountains of the nature park, and to the north, the La Scandola nature reserve. One culinary tip in Ajaccio: Mille et une Saveurs Sauvages, a small vegan restaurant with excellent and truly unique food.

Note: Especially for driving along the west coast, bring time and patience. The roads are narrow and winding. The east coast is easier to drive.