Capu Pertusato, Bonifacio

An additional loop walk from the SEMAPHORE towards the lighthouse at PERTUSATO with impressive underhang sections along the cliffside. The walk is short, and relatively easy physically but has a challenging section for anyone with vertigo.

6km, 2h30, +/- 180m

DUE CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN ON OR UNDER THE CLIFFS ! DO NOT GO OFF TRAIL & STAY AWAY FROM ANY UNGUARDED EDGES.

• Semaphore (to Cala Sciumara) 0h45 / 2km

Park near to the SEMAPHORE or connect to the CAMPU RUMANILU walk. From here, head along the road passing the chain barrier, the road descends away from the sea into a gully and at a hairpin climbs the otherside in the direction of the sea cliffs (your return route). In the hairpin bend, take the track that leads left. You can see the ILES LAVEZZI ahead of you. After 800m on the track, the track continues ahead through a stone wall, you need to take a path into the maquis on your left that follows around a private property (NB if you miss this, you will soon find out, a little further on the track there is a wooden gate to a private property – if you reach this you have gone too far !).

Continue along this path through the maquis, you are passing the property. You reach an (open) gate made out of a pallette – go through this along the path – and soon reach a second metal gate and broken wall. You soon reach a larger track. Take the track to your right, and continue along the track when you near the sea (take note of a gate on your right – you’ll be taking this later) . Soon you will be dropping down to the pretty beach of CALA SCIUMARA with its small stone hut and yellow maritime crosses.

• Cala Sciumara (to Phare de Pertusato) 0h45 / 1.5km

Retrace your steps and go back up the track to the gate you saw earlier, go through the gate, turning left onto the headland. The views over to SARDINIA and ahead of the cliffs open up in front of you.

THE NEXT SECTION THROUGH CALA DI LABRA IS NOT TECHNICAL UNDERFOOT BUT THIS BALCONY PATH COULD BE A CHALLENGE FOR ANYONE, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH VERTIGO. YOU NEED TO BE SURE FOOTED. DO NOT PROCEED IN BAD WEATHER AND BE AWARE OF THE FRAGILITY OF THE CLIFFS AT ALL TIMES.

Just 200m along this coastal path, the path starts its climb steeply up the rocky cliffside at CALA DI LABRA. The path levels at around 35/40m above the sea on a relatively flat, balcony path.

There is little and low vegetation on your left – but stunning crystal blue water and breathtaking views. Below your feet is the powdery, worn chalk, and the impossing cliff face is a couple of metres to your right. Above your head the cliff overhangs with stalectites, and there are springs at the far end of the cliff.

You cross under the overhang and the path exits this area by climbing steeply up again at the end of the overhang, by some trees. The path heads away from the coast initially, then turns back to climb around the coast with views towards the lighthouse, or out over the straits. Following the clifftop all the way, when you reach a point where you can see the PLAGE & ILE SAINT ANTOINE – GOUVERNAIL DE LA CORSE. Turn right away from the cliff to reach the PHARE DE PERTUSATO.

• Phare de Pertusato (to Plage Saint Antoine) 0h20 / 1km

Take the road along the side of the PHARE DE PERTUSATO, after 400m you see that someone has helpfully written PLAGE in green paint on the road, with an arrow to your left (just before the road itself turns left). Turn off the road to your left, and left again, the start of the path is limestone strata, care should be taken, especially in the first 50m or so of the descent. The path then becomes gentler, dropping down to the beach at SAINT ANTOINE, A tip, before reaching the beach, a path crosses to your right, so that you can see the GROTTE DE L’ORCA, a collapsed seacave. The beach is a great spot for a picnic.

• Plage Saint Antoine (to Semaphore) 0h40 / 1.5km

Retrace your steps uphill along the same path you used earlier. Rejoin the road (many paths lead the way from the start of the path – close to or further from the cliff edge), you’ll find viewpoints just off the road towards BONIFACIO. Continue along the road all the way back to the SEMAPHORE.