Walking in Corsica: 8 Best Walks, From Bonifacio to Cap Corse

Walking in Corsica means mountains and sea in the same day. The island's granite spine rises above 2,000 m a short drive from the beaches, and old mule tracks, customs paths and village trails link the two.

Most guides to the island are written for the GR20, the hardest long-distance trail in France. This one is for walkers: day walks of 2 to 6 hours, a centre-based week in the mountains, and every walk on this list can be reached without a car.

The essentials:

• Where: the mountains around Corte and Vizzavona, and the coasts of Piana, Cap Corse, Calvi, Bonifacio and the Agriates

• What: coast paths, mule tracks, a high lake and forest walks from railway stations

• Difficulty: 2 to 19 km a day, from flat cliff paths to 730 m of climbing

• When: May, June, September and October; April to October for the walking week

Why Walk in Corsica

The island has about 1,000 km of coast, a regional park across its mountain interior, and a narrow-gauge railway through the middle. The highest peak, Monte Cinto, reaches 2,706 m. A walking day here changes scenery faster than almost anywhere in France, from beech forest at 1,000 m to red granite cliffs above the sea.

The history is on the paths too. Between 1530 and 1620 the Republic of Genoa built about a hundred watchtowers around the coast, and about 80 still stand. Several of the walks below end at one, such as the 1608 tower on Capu Rossu.

The GR20 and the Gentler Long Trails

The GR20 crosses the island from Calenzana to Conca in 16 stages, and the regional park calls it one of the hardest trails in Europe, with passes above 2,000 m and chained sections. Its refuges are staffed from 16 May to 4 October 2026, and every night has to be booked. For the full route, stage by stage, see our sister site's GR20 guide.

For walkers, the long Corsica walking routes are gentler, with gîtes and orange waymarks. The Mare e Monti Nord runs 121 km from Calenzana to Cargèse in 10 days, with stages of 4 to 6 hours 30. The Mare a Mare Sud covers 73 km from Porto-Vecchio to Propriano in five days, and it rarely sees snow, so it can be walked all year.

The 8 Best Walks in Corsica

The list starts with our walking week in the mountains, with its stages and route map. Walks 2 to 8 are day walks, with the distance, the time and how to reach the start without a car.

1. Vizzavona and the Corsican Mountains (8 Days)

• Walking: 56 km over six walking days of 8 to 14 km

• Elevation gain: 360 to 825 m a day, the most on the Richjusa day

• Base: Bocognano, with trains to Vivario, Vizzavona, Corte and Ajaccio

• Grade: 3 out of 5 for fitness, 3 out of 5 for terrain

• Season: April to October

Our Corsica Walking Holidays week is centre-based, seven nights in Bocognano with the island railway for the transfers. You walk with a day pack from one hotel, which suits a mountain island where the stations are the trailheads.

The week takes in the waterfalls and pine forests around Vizzavona and the Tavignano gorge below Corte. Day 5 is free, for a train ride to Ajaccio and the sea.

The walking days are 8 to 14 km, on forest tracks and mountain paths. The last two days climb the most, to Bocca Palmente and up the Richjusa gorge.

The price covers seven nights in 3-star hotels with breakfast, a digital guidebook, the GPS app and support during the trip. The tourist tax is paid locally.

The rest of the list moves out to the coasts and the north-west mountains, the best Corsica walking trails for a single day. Each walk is a day trip from one of the bases further down this page, and each can be reached by train, bus or boat. The next one starts from Piana, on the west coast north of Ajaccio.

2. The Calanques de Piana and Capu Rossu

• Mule track: 3.2 km and 125 m of climbing from the Piana stadium, about 1 hour 30

• Château Fort: 1.2 km and 70 m from the Tête de Chien rock on the D81, about 1 hour return

• Capu Rossu: about 8 km return and 500 m to the Turghiu tower, 3 to 4 hours, almost no shade

Above the Gulf of Porto, the Calanche are red granite pinnacles, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983. Before the road was built, the mule track was the only way from Piana to Ota, and it still winds through the rocks below the road.

The Château Fort path ends on a rock platform with a view over Capu Rossu, Scandola and Girolata. For a longer day, the Capu Rossu walk climbs to the 1608 Genoese tower on a 331 m cliff, and the heat is the hard part, so start it early.

3. The Sentier des Douaniers on Cap Corse

• Path: Macinaggio to Centuri, about 19 km and more than 8 hours in all

• Stages: Macinaggio to Barcaggio 3 to 3 hours 30, then 45 minutes to Tollare and 4 hours to Centuri

• Back: the San Paulu boat from Barcaggio or Centuri in summer, or a local taxi

• Rules: no camping, bivouac or fires; avoid windy days

At the tip of Cap Corse, the customs officers' path runs past Genoese towers, lime kilns and a Romanesque chapel, with the Giraglia island offshore. The Cap Corse tourist office calls it a walk for every season, and the first stage to Barcaggio is the classic day.

The path is one way, so arrange the way back before you set off. The San Paulu boat from Macinaggio runs walker shuttles in summer, and taxis in Macinaggio and Centuri do the road transfer.

4. Bonifacio Cliffs to the Pertusato Lighthouse

• Path: Campu Rumanilu to the Capo Pertusato lighthouse, about 6 km return, 2 hours

• Start: the Saint-Roch chapel between the upper town and the marina

• Grade: easy to moderate, with some rocky stretches

• Views: the citadel, the Lavezzi islands and Sardinia

Bonifacio stands on limestone cliffs nearly 100 m high at the island's southern tip. The path starts with the 2 km Campu Rumanilu loop, with stone viewpoints over the town, then follows the cliff top east to the lighthouse, built in 1844.

There is almost no shade, so walk it early or late in summer. You can come back by Saint-Antoine beach and the old town walls, and it is the easiest walk on this list for a half day.

5. The Aiguilles de Bavella

• Walk: the Trou de la Bombe loop from the Col de Bavella, about 5 km, 2 to 2 hours 30

• Climbing: 140 to 300 m, depending on the source

• Ground: a scramble on bare rock for the last stretch, after the Sainte-Marie chapel

• Access: Via Corsica buses C3 and C4 from Ajaccio; in July and August, a shuttle from the Viseo car park at Zonza

In the south of the island, the Aiguilles de Bavella are jagged granite peaks with pine forest below them. The Trou de la Bombe is a hole about 8 m across in the Paliri ridge, carved by wind and rain.

The path is easy as far as the chapel, then rough. On high fire-risk days the massif closes: Bavella was shut to walkers on 18 and 19 July 2026, so check the daily access map first.

6. Lac de Nino From the Col de Vergio

• Walk: about 9 km return from the Maison forestière de Poppaghia, 1,076 m

• Climbing: 730 m, 4 to 6 hours, with a short scramble below the Bocca a Stazzona

• Lake: 1,743 m, 6.5 ha, the second largest in Corsica

• Bus: Corte to Poppaghia and the Col de Vergio, 18 May to 11 October 2026, Monday to Saturday

Lac de Nino lies on a high plateau in the Niolu, ringed by peat bogs called pozzines, where horses, cows and pigs graze loose. It is the source of the Tavignano, the river whose gorge you walk on day 4 of our week.

It is the gentlest of the island's high lakes, but still a full mountain day. Keep off the pozzines, which are fragile, and carry a warm layer, as the plateau is at 1,743 m.

7. The Désert des Agriates to Saleccia

• Walk: Lotu beach to Saleccia on the coast path, about 3.5 km, 1 hour 30 each way

• Boat: from Saint-Florent to Lotu or Saleccia, April to October, 15 to 20 minutes

• Area: 15,000 ha of protected maquis and 35 km of coast with no roads

• Fire risk: the western Agriates closed on 18 and 19 July 2026

The Agriates is a roadless stretch of maquis west of Saint-Florent, with two of the island's best beaches. Take the boat out to Lotu, walk the coast path to Saleccia, and catch a boat back from there.

The full coast path runs 35 km to Ostriconi, about 14 hours. For a day, the Lotu to Saleccia section is enough, and the boat both ways turns it into an easy walk.

8. Calvi to the Revellata Lighthouse

• Loop: the Revellata customs paths from Calvi, 14 km, 4 hours 30, 350 m of climbing

• Waymarks: yellow, on coastal paths and past small beaches

• Lighthouse: in service since 1844, now home to the STARESO marine research station

West of Calvi, the Revellata is a protected peninsula, and the loop from town is the island's best walk from a railway station. The lighthouse is closed to visitors, but the point in front of it is open to walkers.

Walking Corsica Without a Car

Most guides to Corsica tell you to hire a car. The island railway is the walker's alternative, and its stations are trailheads. Vizzavona has the Cascade des Anglais and Monte d'Oro, Corte the Restonica and the Tavignano, and Calvi the Revellata.

The Chemins de fer de la Corse run Ajaccio to Bastia in about 3 hours 50, with a branch from Ponte Leccia to Calvi. Vizzavona is about 1 hour 10 from Ajaccio and 50 minutes from Corte. In 2026 a ticket from Corte to Vizzavona costs €4.50, Bastia to Ajaccio €21.60, and a seven-day pass €50.

Buses fill the gaps. Via Corsica lines run from Ajaccio to Bavella and Porto, the Restonica shuttle runs from Corte station from May to September, and a seasonal bus runs from Corte to the Col de Vergio. Boats reach Saleccia and Girolata, and local taxis do the one-way walks.

Fire Closures, Water and Waymarks

From mid-June to mid-September, the state publishes a daily access map of the forest massifs at about 18:00 for the next day. Red means no entry, and orange means leave by 11:00. On closure days walking is banned too, as on 18 and 19 July 2026 in Bavella and the Agriates.

Lighting a fire is banned everywhere from 15 June to 30 September. Treat or filter water from streams and refuges, as the health agency's advice is to treat all water. In July 2024 more than 236 walkers on the GR20 fell ill with gastroenteritis.

Waymarks follow a simple code: red and white for the GR20, orange for the Mare e Monti and Mare a Mare, and yellow for local paths such as the Revellata. On the smaller paths they can be sparse, so carry a map. Wild camping is banned along the GR20 and on the Sentier des Douaniers.

Where to Base Yourself

Corte is the best base for the mountains, with the railway, the Restonica shuttle and the bus to the Col de Vergio. It is about 1 hour 40 by train from Bastia and 2 hours from Ajaccio. It was the capital of independent Corsica in the 18th century, and its citadel stands on a rock above the old town.

For the coasts, Calvi has the Revellata and trains to Corte, and Saint-Florent has the boats to the Agriates. Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio suit the south, with buses to Bavella. Ajaccio links the train, the ferries and the airport, with trains to Corte and Vizzavona from the station by the port.

When to Walk in Corsica

May, June, September and October are the best months. July and August are hot and bring the fire closures, so walk early, keep to the coast in the morning and the forests in the afternoon.

Eat and Drink Along the Way

Corsican food comes from the mountains: chestnuts, pork from the native Nustrale pig, sheep's cheese and wine from small appellations. A picnic from a village grocer is the walker's lunch, as many restaurants close between lunch and dinner.

These three are the ones to look out for on the walks.

Getting There

Corsica has four airports: Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi and Figari. In 2026 easyJet flies from London Gatwick to Bastia from May to October, and British Airways flies from Heathrow to Figari; there are no direct flights from the US, so connect through Paris, Nice or another European hub.

By sea, ferries sail all year from Marseille, Toulon, Nice, Livorno and Savona. Nice to Bastia takes about 6 hours 30 with Corsica Ferries, and Corsica Linea's overnight Marseille to Bastia crossing takes about 13 hours. On our Corsica walking week, the tour notes give the train times from Ajaccio and Bastia to Bocognano.

How Much It Costs

Most of these walks are free, and the transport is the main cost. In 2026 the train from Corte to Vizzavona costs €4.50, the Restonica shuttle €4 return, the bus from Corte to the Col de Vergio €20, and a boat to Saleccia about €25 to €35 return.

On the GR20, a refuge bunk costs €20 a night in 2026 and a bivouac pitch €12. A gîte on the Mare e Monti, such as Chez Marie in Ota, charges €53 for half board. Our walking week includes 3-star hotels with breakfast, the digital guidebook, the GPS app and support; dinners, train tickets and the tourist tax are extra.

What to Pack

Wear trail shoes or light boots with a good grip: Corsican granite is rough, and the Bavella and Nino walks end in short scrambles. Carry at least 1.5 litres of water, a water filter or tablets, a sun hat and sun cream, as the coast paths have almost no shade.

In the mountains, take a warm layer and a waterproof even in summer, as Lac de Nino is at 1,743 m. Download the map offline before you go, as waymarks can be sparse on the smaller paths, and carry cash for the boats and village shops.

Ready to Walk in Corsica?

Our self-guided walking holidays in France include Corsica from April to October, a week of mountain walking from Bocognano with the island railway as your transfer. For walking on the mainland, the guide to walking in France has the twelve best walks.