A cycling adventure to discover the natural beauty of Corsica, with its fine sandy beaches, rocky coastline and hidden coves. 

Setting out from Ajaccio, this holiday programme will take you across some of the most attractive parts of the island allowing sumptuous mountain and sea views and a variety of landscapes. From the gulf of Sagone, to the Greek village of Cargèse and perched Piana, on through the Calanches, up to the col de Verghio, before dropping down to the valley of the Niolu. Corte the island’s historical capital is a rare treat to be discovered before the climb up through the majestic pine trees to the forests of Vizzavona.

Highlights

  • Sea and mountain loop
  • Private or hire bike
  • Point to point  - 5 days cycling
  • Choice of ** or *** Hotels
  • Start and end in  Ajaccio
Duration
7 days / 6 nights
Type of holidays
Cycling
Access
Ajaccio
Level
3 - Challenging
Carrying
Without bags

Itinerary

Day 1

Ajaccio

Arrive in Ajaccio and check into your hotel. The day is devoted to discovering the town of Ajaccio: its old fishing port, its citadel, its shopping streets and numerous monuments to the glory of Napoleon... The nearby beaches may well tempt you to go for a swim. You can also visit the Sanguinaires islands by boat.

Night
Night in Ajaccio
Day 2

Ajaccio to Cargese

Take a winding road to the Listincone Pass, which overlooks the Gulf of Lava. You then have to cross San Bastiano, where the panorama of the Corsican mountains is grandiose. The road then descends to Sagone and its fine sandy beaches. The stage ends in Cargèse, a former Greek colony. Two churches face each other, one Orthodox and the other Catholic: you'll love visiting them. Several variations are possible.

Distance
50 km
Ascent / descent
+800 m / -740 m
Night
Night in Cargèse
Day 3

Cargese to Evisa

Today's stage begins with a climb to the village of Piana, perched high above the Gulf of Porto. The views are magnificent. The route then crosses the listed Calanches de Piana, a chaotic tangle of spires and granite peaks sculpted by erosion and plunging into the sea. The images are astonishingly beautiful. Descend to Porto and then climb to Evisa, a village rising to almost 900m above sea level and overlooking the Spelunca gorges.

Distance
54 km
Ascent / descent
+1730 m / -1000 m
Night
Night in Evisa
Day 4

Evisa to Corte

After riding in the shade of the Lariccio pines in the Aïtone forest, then the Valdu Niellu forest, you will cross one of the island's most mountainous regions: Le Niolu. Surrounded by the high peaks of Corsica, this valley of pastoral tradition has retained its authentic charm. Before beginning the descent of the Scala di Santa Regina gorge, take a moment to relax in the village of Calacuccia. The varied landscapes and grandiose scenery make up this stage.

Distance
63 km
Ascent / descent
+1050 m / -1455 m
Night
Night in Corte
Day 5

Corte to Vizzavona

The route crosses the Vénacais, a region with a strong pastoral tradition and famous for its cheese. It climbs steadily up to Vizzavona in the shade of the beech and larch pines that populate its forest, one of the most beautiful in Corsica. Vizzavona is a small hamlet with a special character, a vestige of the English tourists who came here at the beginning of the century in search of freshness and rest in a very mountain setting.

Distance
34 km
Ascent / descent
+1245 m / -530 m
Night
Night in Vizzavona
Day 6

Vizzavona to Ajaccio

A few pedal strokes and you'll reach the Vizzavona pass before starting the long descent to Ajaccio. You'll follow the schoolchildren's path from village to village, dominating the valley and offering numerous views of the gulf. Several variations are possible.

Distance
61 km
Ascent / descent
+ 655 m / - 1800 m
Night
Night in Ajaccio
Day 7

Ajaccio

Holiday ends after breakfast in Ajaccio, extra nights available.

Programs have been drawn up according to the latest information available at the time of writing: imponderables are always possible and situations beyond our control may alter the course of the program.

Dates and prices

Departures everyday from May until the end October.

Please select your departure date from the calendar below to find out the rate and begin your booking.

Pick a date
Price includes

Half board accommodation, (except day 1 and 7, evening meal not included), internal transfers, the moving on of baggage between hotels, the dossier containing your maps, route notes and all necessary details needed for your holiday.

Price does not include

5€/ Person reservation fee, travel insurance, drinks, picnics, site visits, travel to Corsica, bike rental.

Supplements/Discounts

Supplement Hotel Upgrade to higher category (except Vizzavona): €125/person in low season and €140/person in high season (July-August).

Bike hire: contact us for a quote

Insurance

We offer comprehensive multi-risk insurance specifically adapted to our adventure trips (contract no. 7482 Assurinco). The rates are as follows: 4.00% of the price of the trip for French residents, 6% of the price of the trip for residents from the European Union (EU) outside France. For non-EU residents, the rate is €90 per person. See insurance details.

Group discount

Groups of 3 people or more can benefit from a discount. Please contact us for details.

Technical informations

Starts

In your hotel in Ajaccio.

Fin

In Ajaccio, after breakfast.

Access

Ajaccio Airport or port. If you arrive into Bastia or Calvi, please ask for details of transport connections. 

Accommodation

  • Hotel in double/ twin rooms: 5 nights in ** Hotels (Ajaccio, Evisa, Corte and Vizzavona) and 1 night in *** Hotel (Cargèse).
  • Superior category hotels available at extra cost.
  • Single room supplement to be requested when booking.

Meal

  • Continental breakfast (tea, coffee, milk, bread, butter, jam).
  • Evening meals are often based on local specialities and include a starter, main course and dessert. 
  • Dinners in Ajaccio are not included. 

Number of participants

Reservations for minimum of 2 participants.

Luggage transfers

You need to carry a small day sack only with a water bottle, camera, picnic and wind jacket. The main luggage will be transported by vehicle between the different accommodations.

Level

Challenging - A mix of seaside and mountain stages. The mountain stages sometimes involve significant changes in altitude. Stages of between 30 and 60 km, with variants to shorten or lengthen certain stages.

Guiding

Self-Guided Biking. We provide you with a Travel Dossier complete with IGN map and Topoguide created by our team. During your bike tour our 24-hour assistance service will also be able to answer all your questions and, if necessary, bring you useful tips for the smooth running of your stay.

The digital roadbook

Once you have confirmed your holiday, you can download our application. It's easy to use and it offers a number of functionalities:

  • Precise route guidance with alerts in the event of deviations.
  • View your starting point, accommodation, current position, mileage.
  • Discover points of interest via interactive content with descriptions, photos and audio. 
  • In an emergency, send an SOS alert with your GPS coordinates. 
  • Contact function to share messages, photos and videos with our team during your stay.

Extensions

Take advantage of a stay extension during your tour with Corsica Aventure.

If you'd like to discover Corsica before or after your holiday, our team can offer you ideas for accommodation and activities. If you prefer to arrive a few days earlier or extend your stay for a few days, we can book your extra nights on the island, depending on your arrival city.

Here are a few hotels we recommend for those of you who would rather organise their extra days themselves:  

Ajaccio

  • Hôtel Le Dauphin 2* /Tél : 04 95 21 12 94.
  • Hôtel Kalliste 3* / Tél : 04 95 51 34 45.
  • Hôtel Albion 3* / Tél : 04 95 21 66 70.
  • Hôtel San Carlu 3* / Tél : 04 95 21 13 84.

Propriano

  • Hôtel Bellevue / Tél : 04 95 76 01 86.
  • Gîte-hôtel U Fracintu / Tél : 04 95 76 15 05.

Porto

  • Hôtel Kallisté / Tél : 04 95 26 10 30.
  • Hôtel Le Belvédère / Tél : 04 95 26 12 01.
  • Hôtel Le Méditerranée / Tél : 04 95 26 10 27.

Piana

  • Hôtel Les Calanques / Tél : 04 95 27 82 08.
  • Hôtel Les Roches Rouges / Tél : 04 95 27 81 81.

Calvi 

  • Hôtel Belvédère 3* / Tél : 04 95 65 01 25.
  • Hôtel Les Arbousiers 2* / Tél : 04 95 65 04 47.
  • Hôtel Christophe Colomb 3* / Tél : 04 95 65 06 04.
  • Hôtel Balanea 3* / Tél : 04 95 65 94 94.

Bastia

  • Best Western Montecristo Bastia / Tél : 04 95 55 05 10.

Map

Your itinerary:

Pictures
of the holidays

Reviews for Around West Corsica leisure Cycling

(4.3)

A complete itinerary that gave us a great overview of Corsica, a super logistical stay!

Sherry 17/09/2023Around West Corsica leisure Cycling

Excellent holiday in an idyllic setting, very well organised, good quality information provided, reasonable price, very well-designed bike routes, ...

Luis 05/09/2023Around West Corsica leisure Cycling

We loved the mountain and sea loop!

Pear 19/06/2023Around West Corsica leisure Cycling

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