Corsica, sea and mountains from Piana to Calvi

4 to 7 hours of walking and 140 to 1100m of ascent per day, on trails with few technical difficulties. Hiking experience is recommended but not essential.

You only carry your personal belongings for the day and your picnic lunch. Your luggage is transported by vehicle. However, you will need to carry your luggage between your accommodation and the bus departure point at the beginning and end of your stay.
Please note: you will not have access to your bag in the village of Girolata, so you must carry some belongings for your overnight stay.

Day 1: You travel up to Piana on a scheduled bus from Ajaccio (1 hour 30 minutes). The bus ticket must be paid for locally (allow around 12 euros). Timetables vary depending on the season. In low season, there is one departure at 15:45 from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) and at 12:30 on Saturdays. In high season (early May to late September), there are two departures every day, at 10:10 and 15:45.

Day 4: Transfer from Serriera to Partinello at 09:00 (30-minute journey)

Day 6: Transfer from Tuarelli to Calvi at 14:00. The trip ends in Calvi at around 15:00. Connecting trains to Ajaccio and Bastia.

From 2 people.

6 days, 5 nights, 5 days of hiking.

Choose your own departure date, from April to September. Please note that departures are not possible on Sundays or public holidays except in July and August.

This is a self-guided trip, without a guide; we provide a digital travel pack that includes access to our smartphone navigation app, a list of your accommodation, any relevant vouchers and all the information you need for your trip to run smoothly.
If you wish, we can send a printed version of the travel pack to your home, including maps, a route guide and a travel document wallet, for a supplement of 35 € per pack. For printed travel pack requests made less than 45 days before departure, and for residents abroad, the pack will be available at the first hotel of your stay.

Accommodation

Two options are available:

• Option with stays in walkers' lodges: 3 nights in shared dormitories (Serriera, Girolata, Galéria). In Girolata, accommodation is simple and rustic. Shared bathroom facilities. 3 nights in hotels in rooms for 2 in Piana and Porto. The lodges provide blankets; bring a lightweight sleeping bag.

• Double-room option: rooms for 2 people in lodges or simple hotels. Overnight stay in a cabin for 2 people in Girolata, subject to availability. At some overnight stops, showers and toilets are outside the room.

Please note that, due to the practical requirements of running accommodation (cleaning, restocking, etc.), properties may be closed or their owners may be absent before 16 or 17:00. Thank you for your understanding.

Hotel Les Calanches in Piana ® Hotel Les Calanches

Please note: accommodation photos are for illustrative purposes only. Accommodation may change. Depending on availability, we may book other hotels of an equivalent standard and level of comfort.

Note: bedbugs

Bedbugs have appeared in recent years. Despite treatment measures, you should remain vigilant wherever you stay by checking the bedding and avoiding placing your bag on the bed throughout the walk.
If you wish, we recommend bringing a suitable insecticide (e.g. Clako punaises).
At the end of your hike, if you have encountered bedbugs, we recommend putting all your clothes into bags (soluble bags are available) before machine washing them. This type of precaution helps prevent and reduce the risk of spreading bedbugs to other accommodation and your home.

Note: water treatment

The island has many springs along the trails and fountains in the villages. As we cannot guarantee that this water is safe to drink, we recommend chemically disinfecting it using water purification tablets.

Hotel ratings

In France, increasing numbers of hotels and guesthouses are choosing not to have an official rating, including establishments that were still rated a year or two ago. This does not mean that their quality has declined—far from it. Many guesthouses offer charming rooms.
If we indicate, for example, a level of comfort of “3* or equivalent”: this means that the establishment does not necessarily have an official rating, but offers comfort comparable to that of a 3* hotel.

Meals

• Continental breakfast (tea, coffee, milk, butter, jam)
• Evening meals at your accommodation, very often featuring local specialities. The evening meal on Day 1 in Piana is not included.
• Picnic lunches are not included; food can be purchased locally along the way.

Please tell us about any food allergies or special dietary requirements when booking; we will do our best to adapt your meals.

Start

On Day 1 at Ajaccio bus station at around 10:00 or 15:00 (12:00 on Saturdays), depending on the season.

Finish

On Day 6 at 15:00 in Calvi.

By air

Ajaccio Airport.
Then take a shuttle bus to Ajaccio bus station (line 11 - Sainte-Lucie stop), approximately 10€.

By boat

* Corsica Linea: 0825808880 - sailings from Marseille to the ports of Ajaccio, Bastia, Île-Rousse and Porto Vecchio
* Corsica Ferries: sailings to the ports of Ajaccio, Bastia, Île-Rousse and Porto Vecchio from Toulon, Sète, Nice, Piombino, Sagone and Livorno (Italy) - also serves Sardinia and the island of Elba from Corsica and Italy
* La Méridionale: 0970832020 - sailings from Marseille to the ports of Ajaccio, Bastia and Propriano

* Sailcoop: A crossing option with a carbon footprint close to 0, thanks to our new partner Sailcoop, which offers crossings from Saint-Raphaël to Calvi or Calvi to Saint-Raphaël (290 € / per crossing per person: including a cabin berth and meals during the crossing). Daily departures from 15/06 to 15/09, and every 2 days during the rest of the period. The crossing takes between 15 and 22 hours. If you are interested in this option, please contact us for further information.

By car

You can plan your route on Via Michelin.

Parking your car

Ajaccio
Paid, unattended parking: approximately 15€/day
Margonajo public car park (station roundabout)
Sampiero public car park (Boulevard Sampiero)

Public transport

Full information is available on the Corsica Bus website

Bus services:

• Eurocorse voyages
• Les rapides bleus

The Chemins de Fer de la Corse railway company.
Ajaccio, Bastia, Corte and Porto Vecchio have shuttle services for travelling around town and reaching transport terminals (bus stations, ferry terminals and airports).

Please note: timetables are provided for guidance only and are subject to change. We accept no responsibility for their accuracy, and they must be checked.

A number of our trips offer opportunities to swim, either along the day’s route or at the end of the day. It would be a shame to miss out. However, we emphasise that you alone must decide whether it is appropriate to swim; any swimming is therefore undertaken under your own responsibility and at your own risk.

Member of Agir pour un Tourisme Responsable (ATR)

Since 2012, Grand Angle has been a member of ATR, the leading association for more responsible tourism. We design our trips – on foot, by bike and on snow – to invite everyone to discover the world differently: with curiosity, respect and kindness.

As members of the board of directors since 2018, we actively help the sector develop more meaningful practices. In practical terms, we are committed to:

• Transparency in our practices and pricing
• Respect for our partners and local communities
• Protecting the environment on every trip

We also share the values of the Traveller’s Ethical Charter, which encourages everyone to take simple steps to protect the places they visit and create opportunities for rewarding encounters.

Travelife Partner

Since 2025, Grand Angle has held Travelife Partner status, an international label that certifies our responsible practices in environmental protection, ethics and sustainable management, both within our company and in our work with partners and the organisation of our trips.

This label, the second level of a rigorous international certification scheme, recognises our practical steps towards responsible tourism. We are actively working towards the next level, Travelife Certified, in line with our sustainability policy

In this section, you will find links to products from our partner Alpinstore, a French online retailer specialising in outdoor equipment, based in Annecy.

Carrying your belongings

• A comfortable 30 to 50 L backpack with a hip belt to carry your personal belongings and picnic lunch during the day
• A bag for luggage transfers: a backpack, a travel bag in good condition or a suitcase that is not too bulky. One bag per person, limited to 15 kg

Read our magazine guide to packing your hiking backpack.

For hiking

For maximum comfort, choose a layered clothing system: warm base layers (leggings + top) such as “Carline” or “Capilene” (hollow fibres that wick away perspiration) + a sweatshirt or fleece jacket + a mountain jacket and overtrousers with a waterproof, breathable membrane (such as Gore-Tex or equivalent) for bad weather. As a general rule, except in hot climates and countries, avoid cotton, which holds moisture close to your body (and takes a long time to dry), and choose suitable synthetic fabrics instead.

• Hiking boots with ankle support, well-treaded soles, a supportive heel counter and good waterproofing
• Comfortable hiking socks (at least 3 pairs)
• A fleece
• Comfortable walking trousers (quick-drying technical fabric)
• Comfortable technical shorts
• Technical T-shirts or base layers (quick-drying fabric)
• A long-sleeved shirt
• Walking poles (telescopic), which are very important for making walking easier. Discover all the benefits of hiking poles in our dedicated article, or read how to choose your hiking poles

Note: synthetic technical clothing performs very well. Merino wool clothing has also become available; it performs very well, is comfortable to wear and has the added benefit of resisting perspiration odours!

For your picnic lunch

• Your eating kit: a plastic bowl, container or plate, and cutlery (spoon, fork, knife)
• 1 or 2 water bottles (a total capacity of at least 1,5 L) – compulsory –; an insulated flask for winter

Protection from sun and rain

• Sunscreen (high protection)
• Sunglasses
• A hat, cap or bucket hat
• A rain poncho or a waterproof jacket such as a softshell or Gore-Tex jacket, and possibly waterproof trousers

After your hike

• A pair of running-style trainers for the evening
• A change of clothes and underwear
• A toiletry bag and a small towel
• Swimwear and a towel for wellness facilities (if specified) or swimming
• A small medical kit: personal medication, surgical masks, hand sanitiser, plasters, sterile dressings and a bandage, gauze, disinfectant, arnica granules and aspirin, etc. (please note that this list is not exhaustive and should be adapted to your own medical needs).

Find these tips in our article #“What to take with you on a hike”.

This list is intended as a guide and should be adapted to your trip and the season in which you travel.

Country: France
Capital: Paris

Corsica

Area: 8748 km2; Length: 183km; Width: 83km; 1000km of coastline.
12km from Tuscany and 160km from Provence.
Corsica is surrounded by islands and islets such as Elba and Capraia.

• Crystalline Corsica: this covers the largest part of the island and includes its highest peaks, aligned along a north-northwest to south-southeast axis. These include the volcanic rhyolite massif of Monte Cinto, which is also Corsica’s highest point at 2710m, the granite massif of Rotondo, and Monte d’Oro. Further south, the Aiguilles de Bavella form some of the island’s most distinctive and rugged terrain, followed at the southern tip by the unusual jumbles of granite boulders on the mountain of Cagna. Finally, in the northwest, the Calanche de Piana, an extension of the Cinto massif, merge into the sea.

• Alpine or schist Corsica: this occupies the northern and eastern parts of the island and is characterised by gentler slopes and lower elevations than the central range. Cima di Follicie is the highest point of Cap Corse at 1322m, rather than Monte Stello (1307m), as guidebooks so often mistakenly state. Further south, Castagniccia, a fertile region rich in chestnut woodland, includes the San Petrone massif.

• The central trough: forming the boundary between alpine and crystalline Corsica, this is a central depression running from L’Île-Rousse to Solenzara via Corte.

• The eastern plain: extending from Bastia to the mouth of the Solenzara, this area is formed of alluvial deposits that have created lagoons such as Biguglia.

• Limestone Corsica: limestone outcrops are one of the most distinctive features of Corsica’s geology. Although small in extent, these areas are nonetheless remarkable. Examples include the cliffs of Saint-Florent and Bonifacio.

Documents

Travellers, including minors, must carry a national identity card or passport (EU nationals).

Health

Bring your Carte Vitale health insurance card and enough of your usual medication for the duration of your stay.

Left luggage in Ajaccio:
At the station bar (behind the railway station), 5 € per bag.

For additional nights in Ajaccio
Hôtel Le Dauphin**: 0495211294
Hôtel Le Kallisté **: 0495513445
Hôtel Fesch ***: 0495516262

Albion Hotel ***: 0495216670
Les Mouettes Hotel **** : 0495504040

San Carlu Hotel****: 0495211384

For your extra nights in Bastia
Sud Hôtel **: 0495302061
Babbu Hotel **: 0495310253

Best Western Montecristo Hotel ***: 0495550510

Le Bastia Hotel***: 0420190190
Ostella Hotel***: 0495309770

For your extra nights in Calvi
Les Arbousiers Hotel** : 0495650447
Christophe Colomb Hotel *** : 0495650604
Grand Hôtel *** : 0495650974
La Villa Hotel **** luxury : 0495651010

France: +33.

No time difference: GMT +1.

Corsica is first and foremost an island, so its climate is humid. The Alpine foothills affect the climate locally, and rainfall varies considerably depending on the wind direction. To put it briefly, when the libecciu blows (a wind from the south-west), it brings heavy rainfall to the whole western side of Corsica, drenches the island’s highest peaks and becomes a cold, dry wind in eastern Corsica.

The highest recorded rainfall is in Vizzavona and the surrounding area, at 1498 mm. The lowest figures are recorded along the coast, on the Sanguinaires Islands near Ajaccio, at 450 mm, and on the Bonifacio plateau, at 481 mm. Rainfall frequency is typical of a Mediterranean climate, with little rain in summer, although violent thunderstorms can occur, particularly in mountainous areas.

From November to mid-April, it is not unusual to see snow-covered mountains above 1000m. Average temperatures on the coast range between 5° and 8° in winter and between 22° and 25° in summer. Naturally, temperatures in mountainous areas vary with altitude. Hikers should be aware that sudden drops in temperature are not uncommon, even in summer, above 1200m, as a result of an abrupt change in the weather. Hikers are therefore strongly advised not to judge conditions by the coastal climate and to be prepared for any sudden drop in temperature.

General works – tourism – gastronomy

• Corsica, by A. and F. Rother (Arthaud)
• Blue Guide to Corsica (Hachette)
• Practical Guide to Corsica, by Olivier Jehasse (Éditions de la Marge, Ajaccio)
• Good Corsican Cooking, by Christine Schapira (Éditions Solar)

Geography – nature

• Corsica Regional Natural Park: Plants and Flowers Encountered, by Marcelle Conrad
• Rocks and Landscapes of Corsica, by A. Gauthier (Regional Natural Park and BRGM)

History – archaeology – art

• History of Corsica, by Michel Vergé Franceschi (Éditions du Félin)
• Traditional Arts of Corsica, by Loviconi (Edisud)

• Éditions Richard, scale 1/60000, no. 09 Southern Corsica
• IGN Top25: 4254 ET Porto-Vecchio, 4254 OT Sartène

Wildfires and mountain area closures

From mid-June to mid-September, access to some mountain areas may be dangerous, depending on weather conditions. Mountain areas may be closed to the public at any time of day if the risk is severe.
The prefecture publishes a map, which is updated at 18:00 for the following day: visit the website http://195.221.141.5/Portail/corse.gouv.fr/.
If a mountain area is closed, we will do our best to inform you and work with you to find a solution so you can reach your next accommodation.
Remember: from 1 July to 30 September, lighting fires and smoking are prohibited in forests, scrubland and mountain areas.