Second week in Porticcio
Sunday 11 September : 
Parata point : a few kilometers from Ajaccio. If you like sunsets,
you will love it (don’t forget your camera). Climb up to the Parata tower,
it’s easy and takes roughly 10 minutes. From there, you have a view of
the Sanguinaires islands that look red under the setting sun. There are
a lot of people but the car park is free ! It’s a great sight not to be
missed !!!
Monday 12 September :
the
Incudine : 7 hours of trekking to reach the summit (2134m) because
all the signs have been taken down !!! With the signs, it’s feasible in
5h30. At the summit, an extraordinary panorama of all of southern Corsica
and even of the sea. Really excellent, but with the signposts virtually
inexistent, I wouldn’t recommend it unless you are really motivated !!!
Tuesday 13 September : 
the english waterfall : nothing really much to say. Don’t expect
to see a superb waterfall (unless we missed it !). The path follows a
succession of very small waterfalls that have formed small pools in the
rocks, where you can swim. It’s similar to the natural swimming pools
in Zoza but not as good. But if you are in the area, it’s worth a quick
look…
the "défilé de la Scala di Santa Regina" : if
you pass near Corte, go and see this line of rocks. The road, hemmed in
by huge mountains on each side, is actually built into the rock in certain
places. IMPRESSIVE !
The Piana creeks and the gulf of Porto : the D81 road cuts
across the creeks for about 2 kms with excellent viewpoints of the famous
red granite cliffs and the gulf of Porto. Really magnificent, particularly
at sunset. It’s worth the detour, exceptional !!!
Wednesday 14 September :
the Capo Rosso : one of my favorite walks (roughly 3h30 there
and back). A great trek for those with a bit of time and energy. We suffered
in the heat (it was already hot at 10 o’clock), but once at the summit
it was necessary to just climb to the top of the Turghiu tower in order
to see a panoramic view of the coast all the way to Cargèse and the gulf
of Girolata. It’s so beautiful it takes your breath away !
the Scandola nature reserve : it’s part of the UNESCO world
heritage. The richness of its flora and fauna is exceptional…and much
protected. It’s strictly forbidden to walk, fish, dive and cut plants.
This site can be seen only by boat which is quite expensive (26€). The
boat gets quite close to the coast in order to see curious geological
formations : strange cliffs, upside down volcanic rocks…on the animal
side, there are supposed to be fishing buzzards, the largest bat in Europe,
the Audouin seagull, the european shag and lots of other birds species
that we didn’t get a chance to see during the boat trip ! In fact, the
boat trip becomes quite tedious after an hour or so…it actually lasts
for 3h30 !!! On the return journey, there is a 30 minutes stop at the
village of Girolata. Nothing special here apart from its isolated nature
(no road, only access via a footpath and from the sea). From the sea,
you are welcomed by lots of souvenir sellers in small wooden boats on
the beach, selling t-shirts and all sorts of other bric a brac. A real
tourist trap !
To resume, I was really disappointed by this sea trip for several reasons.
The price is excessive, it’s boring (contemplating rocks for 3 hours is
a bit much !) and to crown it all the famous village of Girolata isn’t
particularly interesting and only serves to help us spend more money...
Thursday 15 September :
the “castle” walk : nice hour long walk, the path starts on
the right of the dogs head. While you are in Piana or Porto, this is a
must : at the end of the path, a view of the gulfs of Girolata and Porto.
The waterfalls of Aitone : oh yes, more waterfalls ! You can
also see the remains of a flour mill and between two nice waterfalls a
natural swimming pool. Ideal for those who would like a swim between treks.
From the road, you can get to the waterfalls in 10min.
Friday 16 September :
lake Nino : FANTASTIC
!!! NOT TO BE MISSED !!! Not an easy trek and you will need stout walking
boots (5 hours walking, there and back). Once at the top, it’s sublime.
Different from the other high altitude lakes (Melo and Capitello), Nino
is on a very open site. There are “pozzines”, grassland punctuated by
water holes. There are even wild horses that are so used to tourists that
you can get close to them : A MUST !!!
The Radule waterfalls : if you still have a little energy left
after lake Nino, a nice walk (easy as well) awaits you a few kilometers
from there. This walk starts on the hairpin bend “horseshoe” (fer à cheval).
A circular pathway which takes you to the Radule sheep pens. From there,
you go down to the waterfalls. It’s about 2 hours of walking...
the Sagone beach : coming back to
the camp site, we stop at the Sagone beach next to the road to play some
“beach tennis”…a new sport that I invented with my brother... and is played
on a beach volleyball pitch. After 7 hours walking, we deserve a pause
! ;-)
Saturday 17 September : 
Sunday 18 September :
Leaving for Saint-Florent in the rain. Small detour to see the bride veil
waterfall. It's huge but not enough water…From the car park, it’s about
a 10 minutes walk.