Hiking and trekking in Corsica

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Estelle Torterotot

Travel expert in France and Switzerland

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Cassandre Dufour

Travel expert in France, Switzerland and Italy.

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Cécile Henard

Travel expert in France and Switzerland

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Where sea and mountains meet, Corsica is a place of wild scenery and strong character. Over the years it has become a favourite destination for walkers. Almost 1,500 km of paths cross the island, including long-distance routes with evocative names: Mare a Mare, Mare e Monti and the Transhumance Trail, as well as the famous GR20. There is plenty here to take you away from the everyday.

Mare e Monti: walking between sea and mountains

Between Piana and Calvi, the Mare e Monti can lay claim to being Corsica’s most beautiful trail. This gentler route takes walkers through colourful scenery and fragrant maquis, past rock formations and picturesque villages, from small secluded harbours to sweeping views over the sea and its indented coastline. With well-planned, moderate stages, Mare e Monti is especially well suited to self-guided walking in Corsica.

The GR20: Corsica’s emblematic trek

With its reputation as the world’s most difficult trek, the GR20 has helped make long-distance walking on the Island of Beauty so popular. Created in the '70s, around the same time as the Corsica Regional Nature Park, this demanding high-level route crosses the island and the park from north to south, over its major mountain ranges, most of which rise above 2,000 metres, and through spectacular scenery. Experienced hikers can tackle this legendary trail with Grand Angle in several ways: complete the whole guided GR20 without carrying your main luggage, or walk it self-guided with or without luggage transport. Prefer to split the journey? The GR20 South and GR20 North offer distinctly different experiences.

When should you hike in Corsica?

For the GR20, aim to travel from June to September. The mountain huts are staffed from May to September, but conditions in May can be uncertain, with snow in the mountains and cloud around the island’s summits and the route. Avoid hiking the GR20 from October to early May, especially in winter: the trail is completely snow-covered, hard to pass and the huts are unstaffed. In July and August, it is very busy. June is the ideal month: the weather is warm and fine, without the summer thunderstorms; days are long and the paths are quieter. Whenever you go between June and September, book your hut nights to avoid disappointment. Less demanding Corsican hikes, at lower altitude or over shorter distances, such as Mare e Monti and the coastal paths, have a wider season. Depending on the route and weather, some can be walked year-round.

See also our selection of walking holidays in Corsica from April to June →

Our articles about Corsica