Walking Holidays
France

West Coast of Corsica

This self-guided French walking holiday explores the west coast of Corsica, setting off from the Calanques of Piano and finishing in Calvi.  It follows the most beautiful stages of the Mare e Monti but also incorporates other interesting trails. The hike includes crossing the Gulf of Porto and the Scandola nature reserve, which is classed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Each day is varied providing a new source of amazement. The trail weaves its way between the sea and the mountains, meaning that the walk offers a wide variety of countryside. These include the famous sculpted rocks known as the calanches of Piana, paths zigzagging through the Corsican undergrowth and crossing former chestnut plantations, and the Chemin des Douaniers (literally the customs path), which follows the ragged coastline of Corsica. Furthermore, your evenings will be spent in charming historic Corsican villages such as Piana and Ota where the houses are made of vibrant red granite stones.

On most days you'll descend to secluded creeks and coves where there is the possibility to swim in the clear azure Mediterranean sea. One of the high points of the trip is arriving in Calvi and pottering around the cobbled streets of its imposing citadel. In spring, you will be delighted by the smells and the flowering of the Mediterranean vegetation, whilst in October, you will be treated to vibrant Autumn colours. 

Holiday Profile

6 nights / 7 days: 5 days independent walking between accommodation. Extra days and nights are possible.

Dates

Departures from Monday to Thursday (except bank holidays), subject to availability during April, May, June, September & October

Walking Profile & Grade

This independent walking holiday is suitable for regular walkers or those who take regular exercise. The walks are on good footpaths and trails, but the terrain is varied and often rocky. You should be used to walking on a variety of paths and be comfortable on rocky and occasionally steep ground. A choice of walks on most days allows you to vary the difficulty with some walks being moderate in grade, whilst others are more challenging. You can vary between the grades as you wish.

On the moderate options, the walking days average about 4 hours and the amount of ascent in the day varies between 350m and 600m over less than 10km. 

On the challenging options, the walking days average about 6 hours and the amount of ascent in the day varies between 650m and 1000m covering about 14km. 

This walking holiday is graded moderate/challenging. See more information about walking grades.

Accommodation & Meals

Your accommodation is a mix of 2 and 3 stars guest houses and hotels. They are located in beautiful settings either in historic perched villages or at coastal bays. Your night at Girolata is in a shared dormitory. There is no road access to this coastal hamlet so you won't have access to your overnight bags. Your meals are traditional Corsican dishes. Your holiday price includes breakfast and evening meals.

When to Travel

Our self-guided walking holiday on the west coast of Corsica is available from April to June and in September and October. We usually do not run this holiday in the height of the summer due to the high temperatures and the difficulty in securing accommodation. Even as early as March the coast is awash with wildflowers. Because much of the vegetation is evergreen the landscape remains relatively colourful the whole year round. Ideal walking temperatures are experienced up to mid-June, after which it can become very warm. Average daytime temperatures are 18°C for mid-April and 23°C for mid-May. By mid-June temperatures have reached 27°C on average in the afternoon whilst September highs average 25°C. March can still be fresh with morning temperatures averaging 6°C and highs of about 16°C. It is also a relatively dry and calm period. October remains warm with temperatures often still reaching 20°C. The autumn is wetter than the spring in general due to the chance of stormy weather.

Please note that during June and September, there is a higher chance of access restrictions being put in place due to high fire risk caused by high winds and dry conditions. Detailed information and contact numbers will be provided in your walking guide.

Navigation, Walking Notes & Maps

The walks are on good footpaths and trails, but the terrain is varied and often rocky. You should be used to walking on a variety of paths and be comfortable on rocky and occasionally steep ground. A choice of walks on most days allows you to vary the difficulty with some walks being moderate in grade, whilst others are more challenging. You can vary between the grades as you wish. Most of the trails have waymarkings but there are some options on unmarked paths which can be more difficult to follow. Your walking notes indicate the points where you need to pay particular attention to finding your way. As well as the detailed walking notes we supply official walking maps produced by IGN at a scale of 1:25,000.

Luggage Transfers

Your bags are transported each day between your accommodation with the exception of your overnight stop in Girolata where you'll need to carry your overnight gear.

Travel Info

Travelling to Ajaccio

Flights to Ajaccio, Corsica from several French airports including Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Nantes, plus from Geneva. There is a large choice of corresponding flights from other European cities.

Ferry services to Ajaccio run from Marseille, Toulon and Nice including overnight ferries.

From Ajaccio, you'll need to take a bus to Piana at the start of your walking holiday. At the end, you can catch a train from Calvi to Ajaccio for your onward journey.

Please contact us for further information.

• From €................ 
• Price per person based on 2 sharing
• Prices for additional nights are available on request - please contact us for a quote