A few more hikes in Corsica
To the centre of Corsica
Having savoured the joys of Ajaccio it was time to head off for a hike again. After a bit of searching, we found what looked like a beautiful hike through the Tavignano valley near Corte, right in the centre of Corsica. We caught the train from Ajaccio to Corte, a two-hour trip winding up through gorgeous mountain scenery and forests.
Corte, like many other towns in Corsica, also had a very impressive citadel.
Once in Corte we set out on foot and climbed up through the steep, cobbled streets to the town square. Here we stopped at a very Corsican café, that is, with lots of gnarly-looking men sitting around discussing the latest vendettas or whatever it was they were discussing, for one of the best espressos ever.
The Tavignano trail
Properly caffeïnated, we set off for our 12.5 km hike along an old mule track that follows the Tavignano river upstream along a steep mountain valley.
The mule track following the river valley upstream
Initially, it meandered through open scrubland with wild herbs, and areas bordered by small rockwalls and dotted with deserted stone huts; presumably back in the day this was country for grazing goats and sheep and for citrus orchards.
Open scrubland with well-known kitchen herbs, and rock walls at the start of the hike.
Higher up, the valley narrowed, the cliffs got steeper and the trail entered open forest, bringing some welcome shade to a hot day. After about 2.5 hrs we arrived at the top of the pass, where we had lunch on smooth rocks next to the river and filled up our water bags at a pipe with spring water.
The valley narrowed and, luckily, got more trees and shade the higher up we got.
A refreshing dip
The pools in the river looked rather inviting but, being in the shadow, the water felt too cold to go for a dip.
F checking out the river pools from up high. They looked very enticing but, weren’t they too cold for us tropical whimps?
That hesitation evaporated later on the return trip, when we took a detour closer along the river and came across a deep pool of crystal-clear water of such a deep emerald green that we couldn’t resist the temptation to strip down and take a leisurely swim through the tight canyon the water had cut between the rocks.
Beautiful steep cliffs next to the river.
This was one of our better decisions, the water was delightful: crisply cool, soft and so refreshing. We dried off in the sun and feeling very much reinvigorated, we meandered back to Corte, had a quick bite to eat, washed it down with a litre of fresh mandarin juice each and jumped on the train back to Ajaccio. A long but very satisfying day!
More scenery from the valley on the way back to Corte.
A walk to Bonifacio
The next Corsican town on our itinerary was Bonifacio however, we decided against staying in the marina following a severe weather warning (see our blog ‘On the water in Corsica – the south coast’) and its busyness. Having seen the spectacular harbour and its surroundings from, we were still keen to explore the town and in particular its citadel. So, another walk was planned from our anchorage in the Golfe de Sant’ Amanza to Bonifacio.
A nice shady bit along the walking path to Bonifacio.
Drystone walls everywhere
While the first part of the walk was rather unimpressive, going through a newly developed industrial estate, we soon entered dense maquis on an old cobbled track bordered by high, and sometimes very high, drystone walls.
High drystone walls.
With all these citadels, towers and stone walls everywhere one couldn’t escape the impression that the Corsicans were rather defensive of their bits of land – neighbours might be all very well and good but unless (or perhaps even if they were) family they couldn’t be entirely trusted.
Very high drystone walls, including very new ones.
The citadel of Bonifacio
Once we popped out of the maquis at the other end, we could see Bonifacio in all its glory, a huge citadel perched high above the water on a rock promontory, protected all around by cliffs and high ramparts. A formidable bit of medieval architecture.
The citadel of Bonifacio, seen from the land.
After having a quick look at the marina, packed full with super yachts and expensive people, we decided that we had made a good decision by not mooring there. We then made our way up into the citadel, together with 100s, if not 1,000s of other tourists.
Scenery and views from inside and outside the citadel.
This Genoese citadel, fortified since the 12th century, was huge, imposing, impressive, and oh-so touristy – what a shame. Given its breathtaking surroundings and beautiful medieval architecture though this was not really at all surprising.
Very clear views from the ramparts to Sardinia to spot Barbary pirates and other riffraff.
After a few hours wandering around and taking in the sights of the citadel and Bonifacio, we decided that enough was enough, and, having re-energized ourselves with an ice cream, returned to Yuma along the track through the fragrant maquis.
Cap Corse
The final walk we did was part of the Sentier des Douaniers at the tip of Cap Corse, one which came highly recommended in our cruising guide. From our anchorage at Baie the Tamarone, we explored sections of this 26 km coastal path with spectacular views east towards islands of the Tuscan archipelago, north and west over the bright blue waters of the Mediterranean, and south towards the Corsican mountain ranges.
Spectacular views and scenery all along the Sentier des Douaniers.
Happily, we came across a few more Genoese towers here there along the way. One of these was almost a complete ruin, as a result of an artillery bombardment by early British tourists from the Royal Navy.
A few more Genoese towers on the north coast.
As had been the case during near Calvi, the walking had been a hot and dry affair and an ice cream was very much in order to recover from our exertions. Strangely enough, the local beach bar did not sell ice cream. So, even though walking to the nearest town, Macinaggio, required that another hill be scaled, we decided that this was probably worth the effort. Luckily there was an ice cream parlour in Macinaggio, albeit not a Glace Raugi, and we enjoyed our last ice cream in Corsica before crossing back to Marseille.
