Page 294 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

DETOUR:
GORGES DE SPELUNCA
Start: 7 Porto
If you crave a break from blue, head inland to the hills to Ota and Évisa, a twin
set of enigmatic mountain villages that dangle defiantly above a plunging canyon
blanketed with thick woods of pine, oak and chestnut. Quintessentially Corsican,
these magical mountain hideaways are a haven for hikers, positioned halfway along
the Mare e Monti hiking trail and within striking distance of Corsica’s answer to
the Grand Canyon, the unforgettable Gorges de Spelunca.
Until the D84 was carved out from the mountainside, the only link between the
two villages was a tiny mule track via two Genoese bridges, the Ponte Pianella (also
called Ponte Vecchju) and Ponte Zaglia. The trail between the villages is a fantastic
day hike (five hours return), winding along the valley floor past the rushing River
Porto and soaring orange cliffs, some more than 1km high. Or follow the shorter
two-hour section between the bridges; pick up the trail at the arched road-bridge
2km east of Ota.
Carpeting the slopes east of Évisa is Forêt d’Aïtone, home of Corsica’s most
impressive stands of laricio pines. These arrow-straight, 60m-high trees once
provided beams and masts for Genoese ships.
South of Porto, the D84 wiggles direct to Évisa, 22km east and a good 30 minutes
of go-slow, blind-bend driving. Or opt for the narrower, slower D124 to the north that
detours to the village of Ota before hooking up with the same D84.

‘Galeria 5km, Porto 49km’, and and sun-fuelled siesta for walking trails lead down-
at the second fork, bear left. Col de la Croix (260m), hill to the seaside hamlet
about 10km further south. of Girolata (1¾ hours,
Park in the car park 7km) and to Plage de
PROVENCE & SOUTHEAST FRANCE 26 CORSICAN COAST CRuISER
6 Col de la Croix and pick up the dusty Tuara (45 minutes, 3km).
Having driven for a good footpath behind the The Drive » Count on a
hour around relentless snack bar signposted good half-hour of relentlessly
hairpins, you might be ‘Panorama – Table bend-laced motoring to cover
tempted to stop on Col d’Orientation’. Climb- the 25km from Col de la Croix
de Palmarella (405m), a ing gently uphill for 20 south to Porto. The final five
mountain pass with fine minutes through typical minutes reward you with a
views of the W-shaped Corsican maquis, the sudden narrowing of the road
bay of the Golfe de Giro- path suddenly staggers and dramatic roadside rock
lata far below. Pull over out of the Mediterranean formations that flame a brilliant
red. Go even slower than slow.
to photograph the blazing bush into a mind- blowing
blue Mediterranean en- panorama of fiery red and
snared by the flaming-red smouldering black-green TRIP HIGHLIGHT
rock of Punta Rossa, the capes, blue bay and the 7 Porto
dollhouse-sized hamlet spaghetti road you’ve suc- The crowning glory of
of Girolata tucked in the cessfully navigated to get the west coast, Porto
creek of the bay, and the here. An orientation table sits sweet at the foot of
menacing dark green of tells you what’s what. a thickly forested valley
forested Capo d’Osani. Back at the roadside trammelled on either side
But save the picnic lunch buvette (snack bar), longer

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