Hiking - Girolata

Details of the activity

Near the Scandola reserve is an emblematic site of Corsica: Girolata.

A small village that could not be more picturesque, its originality results in its idyllic location, accessible only on foot or by boat (departing from Porto and Calvi).

If no road leads to Girolata, it is still possible to reach the village from the Col de la Croix, 22 km north of Porto.

This magnificent hike of about 4 hours round trip will allow you to discover a breathtaking panorama through the maquis, with a possible swimming break on Tuara beach halfway through.

Here, many tourists in summer, of course, but a village far from any seaside resort, without any superfluous tourist equipment.

A route through small alleys, around exquisite eucalyptus vegetation, in front of the immensity of the blue sea, one of the most beautiful bays on the island.

An enchanting village, you will quickly be overwhelmed by this stopover.

The protection of the regional natural park guarantees the site the guarantee of its fauna and its beauty, without fear of possible degradation linked to tourism.

For the little story :

In the Middle Ages, Girolata was considered a very strategic place because it was very isolated and protected, with fresh water and the possibility of monitoring the entrance to the gulf from the rocky promontory. The Barbarians did not hesitate to rest there in complete peace of mind. It is here that the famous Dragut (or Turgut Reis), Barbarossa's protege, Ottoman admiral and privateer feared by all his enemies for his qualities as a sailor and his military genius, was captured in 1540 by Giovanni Doria, nephew of Andrea Doria. After this episode, the decision was taken to fortify the promontory: it was at first only a simple rectangular tower, built in the middle of the 16th century, supplemented over time by a platform bordered by a polygonal enclosure, another tower nested in the first, a barbican… until forming this strongly defended fort, in the first quarter of the 17th century.