Practicalities

Meditteranean cuisine

 

When to Go

June – October. July and August are the peak tourist months, but temperatures will be high and thunderstorms should be expected.  The best time is September and early October when the sea is still warm and temperatures more conducive to walking. The huts on the GR20 start to close at the beginning of October.

Getting There 

The finest and most sustainable way of reaching Corsica to take the train to Marseille or Nice and proceed on an overnight ferry to Bastia or Ile Rousse.  There are also direct flights to the island. Ferry times and prices are available at www.directferries.co.uk/corsica_ferries.htm.

Getting Around

Outside the summer months, the bus service is infrequent and limited. Taxis are very expensive. Hitch hiking is possible but the usual security provisos apply. Bus and train times are available at https://www.corsicabus.org/.

Camping and Accommodation 

Wild camping is strictly prohibited (and enforced) along the coast so camp sites should be used here. Camp sites are quite variable. The ground is often hard and dusty. Wild camping is also prohibited in the national parks including the GR20. Huts can be used along the GR20 but bedbugs are a real problem so camping in designated places outside the huts is to be preferred. 

Water 

Potable water is widely available on the GR20, both from huts and mountain streams. In other areas, water may be scarce. Filtering water or taking sterilising tablets is recommended where livestock are present and in lowland areas.

Resupply 

There are many villages outside the mountains of the GR20 making resupply easy. Opportunities for resupply on the GR20 are more limited but sufficient.

Fuel

Gas canisters are widely available on the GR20 and at camp sites, although not always suitable to fit non-Camping Gaz stoves. The most widely available fuel in supermarkets is Alcohol de bruler – ethanol that is cheap and works well in alcohol-based stoves.

Terrain 

The route is highly varied.  The coastal paths are generally marked and of good quality.  The GR20 is very well marked and travelled. The Mare a Mare Sud trail is also easy to follow. Away from this, some of the trails may be overgrown or non-existent. Be prepared to be scratched and tripped up!  Some of the peaks involve serious scrambling that requires rock climbing experience.

Difficult route finding on the Paglia Orba