Mare e Monti Sud

Mare e Monti Sud goes between bays of two seaside resorts Propriano and Porticio, and connects another two long-distance trails, the Mare a Mare Sud and the Mare a Mare Centre.

Mare e Monti Sud goes between bays of two seaside resorts of the soutwestern Corsica, Propriano and Porticio, and connects another two long-distance trails, the Mare a Mare Sud at Burgo and the Mare a Mare Centre at Porticcio. It can be walked throughout the year, but spring and autumn are the best seasons.

Mare e Monti Sud map

The map below shows the Mare e Monti Sud route in green with red markers indicating larger villages and towns, or places offering an accommodation. Altitudes in metres are given at every marked place. The other two trails - Mare a Mare Sud and Mare a Mare Centre - are marked by the grey lines.

1. Burgo (190 m)
2. Olmeto (360 m)
3. Porto Pollo
4. Serra di Ferro (137 m)
5. Coti-Chiavari (486 m)
6. Pietrosella (485 m)
7. Bisinao (632 m)
8. Porticcio

Points of interest

1. Tour de la Calanca
2. Tour de Micalona
3. Tour de Capriona
4. Tour de Campannella
5. Tour de Capu Neru
6. Tour de Capu di Muru
7. Tour de la Castagna
8. Tour de l'Isolella
9. Tour de Capitello
10. Megalithic site of Filitosa

Note: For the best online map of Corsica go to G?©oPortail.fr, click on "Corse" on its home page, then select "Carte" left of the map and zoom to the ratio scale of at least 1:13000, where major hiking trails are mapped in purple and even contour lines are displayed.

Itinerary

The following table lists all five daily stages of the Mare e Monti Sud route:

From	To	Highest point	Ascent	Descent	Time ↓	Time ↑
Burgo (190 m)	Olmeto (360 m)	800 m	780 m	607 m	5h54	4h30
Olmeto (360 m)	Porto Pollo (0 m)	420 m	395 m	629 m	4h30	5h
Porto Pollo (0 m)	Coti-Chiavari (486 m)	525 m	525 m	177 m	5h45	5h
Coti-Chiavari (486 m)	Bisinao (632 m)	650 m	451 m	311 m	5h30	5h
Bisinao (632 m)	Porticcio (0 m)	870 m	323 m	945 m	4h20	6h

Getting there and out

Both Ajaccio and Propriano (that is 7 km from Burgo) are accessible by ferries from France. In addition, Ajaccio has an airport. Bus routes connect Ajaccio - Porticcio, Ajaccio - Propriano - Porto Vecchio and Ajaccio - Sartene - Zonza.

Highlights of the trail

• Nine Genoese watch towers along the coast between Propriano and Porticcio (see the point of interest in the map above. Although the towers are not located right on the Mare e Monti trail, most of them are visible from the path.
• A megalithic site of Filitosa north of the trail between Olmeta and Favallelo. If you can extend your trip, you should't miss this famous monument of Corsica.

Additional resources on the Mare e Monti Sud trail

• Mare e Monti Sud on Corsica-hiking.com - a detailed description of all five stages and a photo gallery of the trail.
• Porticcio photos on TrekEarth (including photos of the Capitellu Tower.
• Tours génoises (Genoese towers) - description (in French) and many photos of the Genoese towers including la tour de Capitello, la tour de la Castagna, la tour de Capo di Muro etc.
• Filitosa in Wikipedia - history, description and a couple of photos of the archeological site.