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With its coastline bordered by red  granite cliffs that plunge into a sea
of intense blue, the Gulf of Porto is
well deserving its classification by UNESCO as a “world
heritage site”. It is a wonderful display of nature at its
finest. To the north, lies the Girolata peninsula that can
only be reached by foot or by boat. This magnificent
landscape developed as a result of a volcanic eruption
with steep cliffs, jagged peaks, lava flows that have set
and formed tube shapes and stairs from where the fish
eagles dive into the turquoise waters. To the north of this
area lies the Scandola nature reserve that is Europe’s only
land and sea reserve.
Porto, a welcoming seaside resort is
famous for its magnificent sunsets.
Its square-shaped Genoese watchtower
station has stood like a sentinel watching over the
sea for the past four centuries. Overlooking the gulf is
Ota, a typical Corsican village built on the side of the
mountain. It forms the starting point of the Spelunca gorge
trail, a veritable canyon whose grandiose aspect is enhanced
further by the heady fragrance of the “maquis”. It is
the ideal place for a family walk.
Further south, you will see the “calanches” of Piana,
amazing giant granite sculptures that change from orange
to red according to the time of day. Here you will discover what are known as “taffoni”, which are natural
caves that provided shelter for the first men on the island.
Cargèse is famous for having given asylum to Greek refugees
that sought refuge in Corsica in 1676. Its two churches,
one Orthodox and the other Catholic, stand facing each
other.
Sagone, a southern resort, will open up a completely
new universe to you: in the space of a few minutes you
can go from its sunny beaches into the coolness of the
forests of the Regional Nature Park, where Vico, a region
of shepherds, offers many excursions to lake Creno and
the Liamone gorges.
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Monte Cinto forming a backdrop with its