The mountainous Mediterranean island of Corsica is paradise for people who love exploring the great outdoors. Jagged rocky peaks are smattered with salt-and-pepper wildflowers, and cliffs give way to secret sandy coves where crystal clear seawater laps. It’s an absolute marvel, I’m telling you. There’s an infinite number of hiking trails criss-crossing through the rugged landscape, but Pointe de la Parata is super easy to reach from Ajaccio and you can take your pick of easy or tricky routes to follow.
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Arriving at Pointe de la Parata
The bus had been cruising along the extremely scenic Route des Sanguinaires for about half an hour, breezing past beach clubs and retro-looking hotels, until the resorts thinned out, giving way to a wilder looking landscape. In the far distance we could make out Pointe de la Parata, unfurling like a fern away from the mainland, crowned with a stout stone tower. There was no need to press the bell- Parata is the end of the line- but we pressed it anyway to be sure, and the doors hissed open to deposit us into the late May heat.
Pointe de la Parata is on the west coast of Corsica, not far from Ajaccio, and the view from here out towards the Iles Sanguinaires is considered to be one of the most beautiful views on the island. Living on a cruise ship, I’m so used to the constant whirring and humming of engines and air conditioning that I’m always on the hunt for quieter parts of the world, and not only is the view here wonderful, but the silence is golden, too.
How to get from Ajaccio to Pointe de la Parata (by bus)
Getting from Ajaccio to Pointe de la Parata by bus couldn’t be easier. The L5 is the beach shuttle (navette) service which runs regularly between Ajaccio and Parata. (So there are plenty of other stops you might want to get off and explore at as well.)
The bus fare for the beach shuttle is slightly higher than other services. Pay €2.20 in advance via app or SMS, or pay €3 to the driver as you board the bus.
Check bus times and tickets on Muvistrada.
An easy hike in Corsica
I’ll be honest: I had presumed that the main hike around the little Genovese tower would be a bit more of a challenge. This is a very easy walk, but it was actually perfect for such a scorching hot day. I’d spent a long and sweaty afternoon several years before, scrambling up and down unstable ground to reach Santorini’s Skaros Rock, so when we walked up the path and discovered something rather more petite I was pleasantly surprised.
The hike to the end of the peninsula and back doesn’t take long, but even in May the temperature was already starting to soar. We strode past carpets of swaying yellow grass and pink and purple wildflowers, up a very well-marked out pathway, and finally stood at the end of the point admiring the ridges of the Iles des Sanguinaires which looked to me like the spines of moss-covered mythical creatures surfacing from the deep. There really is something magical about this place.
Suitably soaked in sweat (even on a less-than-strenuous walk, you can’t help but sweat in the Mediterranean sun), we headed back down to a little sandy beach for a refreshing swim in some of the most incredibly clear water I’ve ever swum in. In fact, the temperature and scenery reminded me of the Caribbean; the beach isn’t dissimilar to Pigeon Island in St Lucia. And naturally, we’d brought a picnic freshy-sourced from le supermarche in Ajaccio. Wine, bread, cheese and strawberries went down a treat. (Even if the wine was a little warmer than you’d normally like it to be.)
A summer in Corsica
Over the next few months docking in Ajaccio, I went back to Pointe de la Parata several times to uncover new hiking paths around the area and swim at more isolated beaches. The flowers changed from pinks and purples to fiery reds and oranges as summer’s heat intensified, and jellyfish passed through the area and then back out again. (I stayed out of the sea on that day.) The textures of this landscape are multi-layered; the dried husks of purple sea urchins sit on mossy grass, devoured by gulls, and hardy plants are deeply rooted in cracked rocks.
This is a popular area for rock climbers, and several times I strolled past groups of hard-hat-clad people scaling their way with ropes and carabiners onto jagged boulders. Rock climbing’s great, but I’m more about the secret beaches myself, and we managed to find plenty that summer just by walking from Parata and seeing what we stumbled across.
(Of course, if you’d rather have an exact route in mind, you could head to AllTrails to choose one.)
Tips for hiking at Pointe de la Parata
- There’s a public bathroom at Pointe de la Parata (hurrah) and it’s free to use! You’ll also often find a van or two there, selling ice creams and drinks.
- The car park is also very spacious, so if you have a car on Corsica, Parata is very easy to drive to.
- Make sure you bring plenty of water, even if you’re only walking the easiest route. Also- suncream. There’s not a scrap of shade in the area.
- Pointe de la Parata is (I’m told), a glorious place to watch the sun set. Plan accordingly, pals!
- The Brasserie i Sanguinari is a restaurant with a stunning view out towards the Iles des Sanguinaires; so if an alfresco picnic isn’t your thing, consider this.
Hiking around the world:
Hiking Through the Sa Pa Hills
A Hidden Seychelles Beach Hike