Corsica's Great Outdoors

This Mediterranean French island is like a miniature continent for its geographical diversity – come and explore its natural treasures…

Whether you’re hiking or horse-riding along a beautiful coastal trail, mountain-biking through secluded forests or scuba-diving around coral reefs, you’ll soon realise that Corsica is the perfect playground for outdoor adventurers and sports enthusiasts of all types.

Hiking, trekking and trail running

Experienced hikers can stride out along the marked trails of the GR20 long-distance path, conquer the summits of the Aiguilles de Bavella, or plunge into the natural pools of the Gorges de la Restonica. The east-west ‘Mare a Mare’ and north-south ‘Tra Mare e Monti’ trails combine hiking with an exploration of Corsica’s heritage – and there are also plenty of easy, family-orientated country trails (taking between one and four hours) spread across the island.
Trail running is growing in popularity in Corsica too, with a busy calendar of events: the 69-kilometre Restonica run in July, along the mountainous central spine, is the island’s most challenging and only for the superfit!

Canyoning and paragliding

Try canyoning in spring and summer while Corsica’s rivers have sufficient water flow, in the Bavella region (Purcaraccia, Pulischellu and Vacca), in Bocognano (the Richjusa canyon), in Propriano (the Baracci canyon) and in Galeria (the Fangu canyon). Alternatively, take to the air for a bird’s eye view of the island’s amazing landscapes – from Cap Corse across to the west coast, through the fertile Balagne.

Cycling and mountain-biking

Corsica is ideal for cycling! Cross the interior of the island or venture down the west coast in the footsteps of the 100th Tour de France (2013). There are scenic routes around Cap Corse, Castagniccia and Alta Rocca. As far as mountain biking’s concerned, trails in the Niolu area provide a suitable challenge – while those keen on more gentle riding can follow coastal routes or enjoy some relaxed pedalling from village to village, meeting locals along the way. Corsica’s long-distance cycling trails are also some of the best in Europe. Take a short detour via the Cuscione plateau, an area popular with top-level cyclists.

Explore all outdoor activities on Visit-Corsica.com (External link)

Corsica, France