In summary
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Sports
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Duration14 days
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LevelAdvance
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DestinationSouth Corsica / Ajaccio
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AgeFrom the age of 18
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CO₂-Emissions134.16 kg CO2
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Type of stayIndependent traveler
In a few words
The highlights
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The legendary GR20 and its breathtaking views
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From south to north, starting gently and ending in a grand finale!
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Choose your baggage assistance package!
Photos
Thierry - verified review - july 2024
Thierry - verified review - july 2024
Thierry - verified review - july 2024
Thierry - verified review - july 2024
Sport
Level
Hiking / Trekking
In figures
Hiking
- Average duration/day: 6h30
- Average distance/day: 12 km
- Average daily elevation gain: 744 m
- Average daily descent: 801 m
Management
Program
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Ajaccio - Bavella
- Transportation Minibus - 02h - 95km
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch not included
- Dinner included
Arrival in Ajaccio. Meeting with a member of our team for a presentation of the circuit. Ascent to Bavella and check-in at the gîte.
Day 1 -
Bavella - Bavella Needles - Asinao
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Distance 7 km
- Positive elevation gain 700 m
- Negative elevation 550 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Beautiful stage on the alpine variant of the GR 20, passing through the heart of the Aiguilles de Bavella and bypassing one by one the granite towers of Acellu, Ariettu, di a Vacca and Pargulu.
Day 2 -
Asinao - Incudina - Cuscionu
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Distance 8 km
- Positive elevation gain 610 m
- Negative elevation 560 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Ascent to the summit of Incudina (2134 m). The view is very panoramic and gives a taste of the hikes to come. Crossing the Cuscionu plateau which will remind some of green Ireland, a surprising image in the heart of an island in the middle of the Mediterranean.
Day 3 -
Cuscionu - Pozzines - Usciolu
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Distance 14 km
- Positive elevation gain 820 m
- Negative elevation 600 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
You'll pass some beautiful natural pools (pozzines) as you follow a small river. You'll then reach the ridge leading to the Usciolu refuge. The views over the upper Taravo valley and the Tyrrhenian Sea are breathtaking. Early in the season, if there's heavy snowfall, the stage may end in the village of Cozzano.
Day 4 -
Usciolu - Taravu - Fiumarbu - Col de Verde
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 8h
- Distance 15 km
- Positive elevation gain 850 m
- Negative elevation 1250 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
A superb traverse along the ridge on the watershed between the Taravu and Fiumorbu valleys. The scenery is magnificent. You can see the sea and the villages of the lower valleys in a granite setting.
Day 5 -
Col de Verde - Col de Flasca - Capanelle
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Distance 13 km
- Positive elevation gain 580 m
- Negative elevation 350 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
From the Col de Verde to Capanelle (1590m), a balcony trail along the mountainside. In the shade of magnificent Laricio pines, the GR 20 climbs to the Col de Flasca, crosses the Marmanu stream, before reaching the sheepfolds of Traghjette and Capanelle.
Day 6 -
From Capanelle to Vizzavona
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Distance 14 km
- Positive elevation gain 190 m
- Negative elevation 860 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
The final stage of the southern section of the GR20. A path will easily lead you to Bocca Palmente (1640m). Discover several sheepfolds still in use during the summer grazing season. Enjoy a pleasant descent into the Vizzavona forest (920m).
Day 7 -
Vizzavona - Monte Oro - Onda
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 9 km
- Positive elevation gain 1220 m
- Negative elevation 710 m
- Accommodation Refuge
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
The trail follows the Agnone stream upstream towards the Vizzavona pass, before reaching the Cascade des Anglais waterfall. It then enters the upper Monte d'Oro valley and joins the ridge, where you can enjoy breathtaking views. You will descend into a small valley and cross a beech forest before arriving at the refuge.
Day 8 -
Onda - Serra Di Tenda - Punta Pinsi Di Corbini - Petra Piana
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 5h
- Distance 8 km
- Positive elevation gain 680 m
- Negative elevation 260 m
- Accommodation Bivouac / Tent
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
If the weather is good, we recommend taking the alpine variant, via the Serra di Tenda ridge, then continuing towards Punta Pinzi di Corbini. This stage follows the ridgeline entirely, surrounded by the island's highest peaks. If the weather doesn't permit traversing the ridges, you'll descend through the forest alongside a pretty stream before reaching the upper Manganellu valley, which you'll then follow up to the Petra Piana refuge.
Day 9 -
Petra Piana - Breche De Capitello - Camputile
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 9 km
- Positive elevation gain 650 m
- Negative elevation 870 m
- Accommodation Bivouac / Tent
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
A long, high-mountain stage overlooking the Melo and Capitello lakes. Until June, snow patches remain at the Capitello pass. Then, a magnificent foray into a glacial cirque leads to the Manganu refuge.
Day 10 -
Camputile - Lake Ninu - Col de Vergio
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 7h
- Distance 16 km
- Positive elevation gain 570 m
- Negative elevation 750 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
A transition day between Camputile and Castellu di Vergio. This very easy stage follows mostly trails. You'll discover Lake Ninu and some beautiful panoramic views of the Great Barrier Reef.
Day 11 -
Vergione Pass - Ciuttolu I Mori - Foogiale Pass - Vallone
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 6h
- Distance 14 km
- Positive elevation gain 950 m
- Negative elevation 970 m
- Accommodation Bivouac / Tent
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
Ascent into the Golo Valley. A ridge walk offering exceptional views towards the west coast will lead you to the Ciuttolu i Mori refuge (2000m). Via the Foggiale pass, descend over rocky slabs to the Melarie Valley.
Day 12 -
Vallone - Cintu Massif - Pointe des Eboulis - Haut Asco
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 9h
- Distance 9 km
- Positive elevation gain 1200 m
- Negative elevation 1150 m
- Accommodation Cottage
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner included
A hike in the heart of the Cintu massif (2706m), offering a fantastic panoramic view of the island's peaks. With the highest point of the GR20 at 2604 meters altitude at Pointe des Eboulis, this challenging, alpine, mountainous, and exposed route offers a magnificent panorama in a stark, rocky landscape. This demanding stage requires good physical and technical abilities.
Day 13 -
Top Asco - Bocca Di Stagnu - Bonifatu - Calvi
- Transportation Minibus - 00h30 - 18km
- Activity Hiking
- Duration of the activity 8h
- Distance 10 km
- Positive elevation gain 650 m
- Negative elevation 1530 m
- Accommodation Bivouac / Tent
- Breakfast included
- Lunch included
- Dinner not included
You will reach Bocca Di Stagnu at the foot of the Muvrella (2150m). The proximity of the sea signals the end of the GR20. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful sections of the route. Descent into the Bonifatu cirque. Transfer to Calvi at the end of your stage. You will arrive in Calvi around 6 pm; an extra night is highly recommended, please contact us!
Day 14
Note
Specific Recommendations for Self-Guided GR20 Hikes: While the GR20 is becoming increasingly popular, it remains the most challenging trek in Europe. Forgetting this would set you up for failure from the outset, or even put you in danger. Don't overestimate your abilities; do your research and prepare your trip properly! Hike the GR20 independently with our organization is reserved exclusively for individuals in excellent physical condition who have prior experience with multi-day treks and are capable of managing their hikes independently, with all that this entails (determination, a taste for exertion, route planning skills, map reading and navigation, weather knowledge, a willingness to forgo usual comforts, and appropriate equipment). It's important to know that, despite our recommendations, every year some people overestimate their abilities and embark on the GR20 only to abandon it after a few days. To avoid the unpleasantness of such a situation, we advise you to gather as much information as possible before making your decision. Furthermore, it's worth noting that mountain huts in Corsica are quite old, have limited capacity, and offer basic comfort (cold showers, few or no toilets, no blankets, etc.). In bad weather or at certain times of year, the huts can be overcrowded, with accommodations sometimes offering very basic amenities.
Accommodation
Access
Go to the starting point
Shuttle service to Ajaccio city centre available all year round: https://ajaccio-aeroport.cci.corsica/navettes/
Price details
The price includes
- Accommodation in hostels, mountain huts, guesthouses or in tents in dormitories
- 2 nights in a double or twin room
- Meals (from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 14)
- Local transfers
- The travel kit includes IGN maps and a road book.
- Our 24/7 support
The price does not include
- Transportation from your home to the meeting point
- Drinks
- Transfers not included in the program
- Meals on Day 1 (excluding dinner) and Day 14 (excluding breakfast)
- Application fees
- Insurance
Options
- Supplement for 4 nights in a hotel in a double room : CHF214.98 / person
- Flex fare and insurance
Practical information
Specific formalities
Specifics
Before your departure, check with the embassy or consulate regarding the entry and stay requirements for your destination country. You can also find this information on the France Diplomatie website ( https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/ ).
In the case of flights with stopovers operated by different airlines, also check the entry requirements of the countries you are transiting through.
It is your responsibility to ensure you are in compliance, particularly regarding the validity of your identity documents (for example, some countries require your passport to be valid for at least six months after your return) , visa requirements, necessary vaccinations, and health recommendations. And don't forget to consider any customs restrictions and other potential requirements of your destination or transit country.
ℹ️ Information may change up to the departure date, remember to regularly check official websites.
Equipment
Equipment provided on site
For nights spent camping, we provide the necessary equipment (tent, sleeping mat).
Equipment to bring
- A pouch to wear around your neck or on your belt for your passport and/or identity card, your driving licence, your vaccination record, your European Health Insurance Card, your travel insurance leaflet, your currency, your credit card and your personal papers.
- Plastic bags to ensure the watertightness of your belongings, cameras and clothes.
- Dirty laundry bag
- Earplugs, always useful!
- Notepad and pen, book, deck of cards,
- Walking sticks.
- Pair of binoculars,
- Camera,
- Gaiters (may be useful)
- survival blanket,
- Mobile phone,
- Sleeping bag: +0°C (comfort temperature), not too heavy and not too bulky. We also recommend a silk or cotton liner. You'll gain a few degrees.
- Survival blanket (which can also be used as a groundsheet under the tent for better insulation)
- Noise-canceling earplugs
- Sleeping bag liner,
- Toiletry bag,
- Bath towel,
- Pair of sunglasses,
- Sunscreen cream (face and lips),
- Flashlight or headlamp with spare batteries,
- A 1.5-liter minimum water bottle, lightweight and insulated. You can also bring a 2-liter hydration bladder. The latter has the advantage of allowing direct drinking thanks to its drinking tube. You therefore don't have to take off your backpack to grab the bottle. This way, you drink more regularly and in small amounts, which is recommended for proper hydration.
Tip: Having two containers allows you to consume one while the other is being processed.
- A multi-purpose pocket knife is preferable (to be packed in checked baggage if you are flying).
- Toilet paper and a lighter,
- Hygienic gel
Clothing to bring
Clothing, from head to toe:
- Hiking boots. They are a hiker's best friend. They must possess three qualities: sturdiness, good foot and ankle support (high-top boots), and waterproofing. Choose boots with non-slip and relatively rigid soles, such as Vibram.
- Light shoes (tennis shoes or sandals) to wear in the evening in towns and villages.
- Swimming shoes,
- Underwear. It's the first layer of insulation you'll have, so take good care of it! Thin technical fibers, like Carline or Polartec, are very effective, warm, flexible, comfortable, and lightweight. They dry very quickly.
- Hiking pants,
- Shorts,
- Fleece jackets. These are durable, warm, lightweight, and quick-drying. The most suitable, well-known to mountaineers, are those made with Polartec, Carline, and Ulfrotté fibers.
- T-shirts (technical preferred),
- Rain cape or waterproof jacket (Gore-tex type),
- Hat,
- Pair of gloves and hat (depending on the season),
- Swimsuit and bath towel,
They traveled with us
Thierry
100% Verified Reviews: Only travelers who have booked with us can leave a review. All reviews are subject to human moderation. Reviews that do not comply with the moderation rules are rejected.
july 2024
In a couple
Brigitte
100% Verified Reviews: Only travelers who have booked with us can leave a review. All reviews are subject to human moderation. Reviews that do not comply with the moderation rules are rejected.
july 2023
In a couple
Brigitte
100% Verified Reviews: Only travelers who have booked with us can leave a review. All reviews are subject to human moderation. Reviews that do not comply with the moderation rules are rejected.
july 2023
Alone
I highly recommend it to anyone who loves sporting challenges in an absolutely stunning setting. The organization was perfect, and the course description was entirely accurate. An exceptional experience from start to finish!
