Trekking on the island of Corsica: GR20 from Ajaccio to Bastia

Ajaccio is the capital and largest city of the island of Corsica. You can get here by plane or ferry. Upon arrival, we check into a hotel, check our equipment and enjoy a walk around the city.

Today we get up early. We take the first train to the village of Tattone, where our route begins. After passing through the village, we will walk along the Ruisseau de Manganello river. Gradually passing through the enchanting forest, we will gradually gain altitude, the trees will become fewer and fewer, and beautiful views of the nearby peaks will open up to us.

We will pass a very beautiful waterfall – de Monte Rotondo – more than 10 metres high, which falls from a narrow rocky canyon of the river. You can't do without photos :)

We continue climbing along the stone path and arrive at the first refuge, which stands majestically in the middle of the mountains. We rest and have dinner.

We covered 13 km. The hike took 6.5 hours. We climbed 1,150 m and descended 100 m. We spent the night at an altitude of 1,850 m.

We climb the rocky slopes and reach the Bocca Muzella pass at 2,210 metres. We continue along a narrow rocky path into the Monte Ritondu nature reserve, a beautiful place reminiscent of the Slovak Tatra Mountains, with rocky peaks and lakes.

The largest of the three lakes we will see is Lac di Melo, a crystal blue lake nestled between the mountains. We will definitely stop here to catch our breath and admire the view. The terrain is moderately difficult, so we will move slowly. Here we will encounter a small obstacle – a chain that we will need to climb – but we are on the most difficult route for trackers, after all! There is a lot of loose rock underfoot, so we must remain vigilant. We move along the rocky ridge, climbing a little more and keeping a slow pace, and pass the Bocca alle Porte pass at 2,270 metres.
After a long descent on the other side of the ridge, we reach our next shelter, Refuge de Manganu. On this day, you can walk another 40 minutes and spend the night at Bergeries de Vaccaghia, a very atmospheric place.

We covered 8.5 km. The hike took 6 hours. We climbed 550 m and descended 800 m. We spent the night at an altitude of 1,601 m.

Today will be an easier day – spacious mountain pastures, a dirt path, practically no rocks.

We pass through the mountain pastures, where farmers live and graze their flocks during the season, and reach Lac de Nino. The flora of this lake is very different from the surrounding area - whole mossy fields, half submerged under water and humid air - very contrasting compared to previous days. We rest on the shore of the lake, collect water from the spring and move on.

We climb up and reach the Bocca Reta pass at 1,883 metres. From here, you can see the boundless expanse of the Ligurian Sea, which separates Corsica from mainland France. If you look far into the distance, you can see Paris!

If time permits, we can climb the nearby two-thousander - Capu a u Tozzu (2,007 m).

We continue along the ridge and gradually descend into the forest. We reach an asphalt road, next to which stands a luxurious hotel - Castel de Vergio - where we will spend the night in comfort with hot showers.

We covered 16.5 km. The hike took 6.5 hours. We climbed 450 m and descended 650 m. We spent the night at an altitude of 1,360 m.

We have breakfast at the hotel and continue on our way with renewed energy. We pass some interesting stone buildings, which are the Bergeries de Radule farm.

In less than an hour, we reach Cascade de Radule, a beautiful waterfall with cold water and a small lake at the bottom — it's gorgeous.

We gradually climb the gentle slope and reach the Ciottulu di i Mori refuge, one of the cosiest refuges on the route.

We covered 9 km. The hike took 4 hours. We climbed 700 m and descended 50 m. We spent the night at an altitude of 1990 m.