Earlier in the month I took you on a mini tour through Corsica by car and showed you just a few of the breathtaking views and delightful hill-top villages that can only by reached by car (or the most arduous of bike rides). Today I’d like to take you to the hamlet of Girolata on the edge of the Scandola Nature Reserve. This is one place you can not get to by car or bicycle as no roads lead to Girolata!
The lovely hamlet of Girolata clings to the hill-side near Scandola, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A Genoese watch tower overlooks the bay, the hamlet, a small pebble beach and out to sea. With no roads leading to Girolata, the easiest way to get there is by boat.
Day trips from Porto and Calvi are popular and these also give you a fantastic view of the red cliffs of the nature reserve. From June to September, day trippers descend en masse, for a couple of hours every day around lunch time. Once they have departed Girolata returns to being a sleepy little village, barely touched by time.
As well as getting there by boat, it is also possible to walk to the hamlet through the marquis covered hillsides. The closest road, accessible via a mule track, is a 90 minute walk away.
At one point there was talk of building a cliff railway, some luxury holiday homes and even an underground car park but luckily these plans were overturned in order to preserve the natural beauty of the area.
I think you’ll agree that Scandola and Girolata and perfect just the way they are.
Looks like such a lovely place
louslabyrinth.wordpress.com
It is! Hope I get to go back there one day.
Kathryn Burrington recently posted..A time for Romance #FriFotos
How gorgeous is that – so glad the plans didn’t get put though. Beautiful photos
Suzanne (Travelbunny) recently posted..The View from The Shard
Thanks Suzanne. So am I!
Kathryn Burrington recently posted..Exploring Corsica by car or even by bicycle!
Yes, they look perfect just the way they are. They are picture perfect. Love the blueness of water and sky, and the earthy color of the cliff. Stunning shots.
Marisol recently posted..Vietnam: The Colorful Hilltribe Market of Bac Ha
Thank, Marisol and I REALLY love your photo of the Vietnam market.
Kathryn Burrington recently posted..Cabo Verde Urban Photography #FriFotos