The Mare e Monti Nord is one of Corsica's most famous trails. It starts in Calenzana above the Gulf of Calvi and crosses the western part of the island, ending in Cargèse. 

The Mare e Monti North is a fabulous long distance walk along the beautiful west coast of Corsica. From Calvi, you will head inland towards the high summits and the forest of Bonifatu. The trail leads past the natural reserve of Scandola, an area protected by UNESCO and classed as a world heritage site, to the Gulf of Porto. You stay in the unique little fishing village of Girolata which is only accessible by boat or foot, before walking on towards Ota and Evisa, in the Spelunca Gorge. The walk finishes in the ‘Greek’ town of Cargèse, a spectacular village with twin churches high above the sea. You can expect hotel accommodation, a friendly atmosphere and good food.

Highlights

  • One of Corsica's most famous trails
  • Luggage access
  • Point to point  - 7 days walking 
  • Choice of gîte and **Hotels or  ** Hotels every night 
  • Start in Calvi and end  in Cargèse
Duration
8 days / 7 nights
Type of holidays
Hiking-Walking
Accesses
Calvi / Ile Rousse
Bastia
Level
3 - Challenging
Carrying
Without bags

Itinerary

Day 1

Calenzana to Bonifatu

Transfer to the trailhead in Calenzana. The route follows the GR 20 to Bocca u Corsu, from where you can admire Calenzana, the villages of Balagne and the magnificent Bay of Calvi. The route descends into the Figarella valley, offering fine views of the Bonifatu cirque. Along the way, you'll have plenty of opportunities to swim.

Distance
12 km
Duration
4h30
Ascent / descent
+540 m / -300 m
Night
Night in Bonifatu
Day 2

Bonifatu to Galeria

From Bonifatu you follow a forest track that is known as the Chemin de Ronde, that gently climbs towards the south-west. You walk through a forest of maritime pines and oak trees before crossing the col at the Bocca di Bocassa and dropping gently down to arrive at Tuarelli rock pools, the perfect place for a laze on the sun baked rocks and a swim. A taxi will take you to your accommodation in Galeria.

Distance
16,5 km
Duration
6h30
Ascent / descent
+730 m / -1170 m
Night
Night in Galeria
Day 3

Galeria to Girolata

Leaving Galéria, the path, which joins the reservoir on the Tavulaghju, is pleasant and shady, and climbs up the bed of the stream to reach an area of abundant vegetation. Stopover in Girolata, a picturesque fishing harbour inaccessible by road. You will carry your personal belongings for the night, the rest of your luggage will follow to Bussaglia.

Distance
13,5 km
Duration
6h00
Ascent / descent
+750 m / -780 m
Night
Night in Girolata
Day 4

Girolata to Serriera

From Girolata's beach, you follow the postman’s path that runs alongside the coast, to Col de la Croix. From here you leave the Mare e Monti and continue down to the coast to walk along magnificent ridge path in a south-westerly direction - this path offers beautiful views – perhaps some of the best in Corsica - an explosion of colours and fantastic landscapes.

Distance
17 km
Duration
7h30
Ascent / descent
+850 m / -850 m
Night
Night in Serriera
Day 5

Serriera to Ota

The San Petru forest track leads up to a rocky escarpment, an ideal vantage point from which to contemplate the Gulf of Porto and the surrounding area. Pass by a chestnut drying facility before descending into the Vitrone ravine, hemmed in by imposing walls of red porphyry. Stop at Ota, a superb little village.

Distance
13,5 km
Duration
6h00
Ascent / descent
+1150 m / -880 m
Night
Night in Ota
Day 6

Ota to Evisa

The route leads through the Gorges de la Spelunca to the confluence of the Aïtone and Tavulella rivers, crossing the Genoese bridge at Zaglia, before returning to the village of Evisa. You can then extend your hike to the natural pools in the Aïtone forest. 

Distance
15 km
Duration
6h30
Ascent / descent
+950 m / -400 m
Night
Night in Evisa
Day 7

Evisa to Cargèse

At 8am, transfer to the start of the hike in Marignana. The path rises above the Fiuminale valley, offering beautiful views in the shade of the chestnut trees. It then continues to Revinda, criss-crossing the Vaccarecciu chestnut grove. Transfer after the hike from Revinda to Cargèse. 

Distance
15 km
Duration
6h30
Ascent / descent
+500 m / -780 m
Night
Night in Cargèse
Day 8

End of stay in Cargèse

Holiday ends after breakfast in Cargese. Extra nights and transfers to Ajaccio available, please ask for details.

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

Departure on request every day from April to end of September. 2 persons minimum.

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

Price includes

Accommodation on half board (except D7 in Cargèse), local internal transfers, luggage transfers, travel dossier with A4 copies of IGN maps, walking notes and access to our guidance application.

Price does not include

Reservation fee of 5€ / person, travel insurance, drinks, picnics, site visits and transfers to Ajaccio or Calvi, travel to Corsica.

Supplements/Discounts

Supplement hotel  accomodation in double or twin rooms (except D4 and D7)  : 130€ / person ( low season) and 155€ / person ( high season).

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

At 8.30am at the Calvi war memorial (under the citadel).

Ends

At your hotel in Cargèse, after breakfast.

Access

Ajaccio or Bastia Airport or port, Calvi airport or Ile Rousse port. Please ask for details of transport connections.

Accommodation

  • Mix of rooms and dormitories: 4 nights in gîte with dormitory (Bonifatu, Galéria, Girolata and Ota ) and 3 nights in double/twin rooms in hotels (** in Evisa and *** in Serriera and Cargèse).
  • Double or twin rooms available in hotels and guest houses throughout the stay. Supplement to be selected at the time of booking.
  • 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. The dinner  in Cargèse is not included.

Number of participants

Reservations for minimum of 2 participants.

Guiding

Self-Guided Walking. We provide you with a Travel Dossier complete with A4 copies of the IGN maps and a walking guide created by our team. During your hike our 24-hour assistance service will also be able to answer all your questions and, if necessary, assist you with the smooth running of your stay.

Level

Challenging, with few technical difficulties.

Luggage transfers

During this walk you will carry only a day sack with a water bottle, camera, picnic, trailfood, sun and wet weather gear. Luggage is transported by vehicle, point to point with the exception of the night in Girolata.

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 Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

(4.1)

Thank you Nicola and the whole team for arranging an amazing holiday for us. We were really amazed by how well everything was organised....

Gabriela 24/05/2024Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

We had the most wonderful time exploring and hiking on your beautiful island, thank you/ Some of our favourite parts were finding the friendly loca...

Jennifer 14/09/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

Accomodation was never luxury - which we did not want - but always friendly and comfortable....

Michael 17/08/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

We had a fantastic holiday. In the first week of July we found it very hot and sometimes uncomfortably so....

Pippa 19/07/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

Just finished a slightly shorted version of the Tra Mare y Monti with my two teenage children....

Mark 11/07/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

Accommodation varied as expected but on the whole good. Highlight was the hotel you found us near Bussaglia beach. Excellent food....

Roger 22/06/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

Thanks for arranging a top-notch experience for us on the Mare e Monti....

Marty 15/06/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

We habitually take mountain holidays and this is certainly not the first one where we've changed plans mid-way....

David 21/05/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

Nicola went out of her way to make this trip possible for us....

Martha 13/05/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse

Dear Team Corsica-Aventure Your outstanding professionalism and your knowledge of Corse resulted in a great holiday experience. Thank you....

Rolf 04/05/2023Mare e Monti North - Calvi to Cargèse