Another mini-walk, this was one of our COVID 10km lockdown walks along the Mare e Monti Sud.

“Our last lockdown walk. The path follows lovely stone walls through the woods, at times opening up to some great views of the Ajaccio Golfe. The track down from MONTE TIGNOSO is steep with loose stones but it does the trick and the once abandonned village of Sant Amanza is being stunningly renovated and is a real highlight of the walk.”

12km, 5h00, +430m /-395m, ORANGE (Mare e Monti) YELLOW (Accellesca Pietrosella)

This walk starts at the village of PIETROSELLA. You need to take the D255a from the coast, heading out of PORTICCIO, turn left after AGOSTA PLAGE, or the D255 from the BOCCA DI BEDDI VADI near BISINAO. The village is lovely, there is some parking near the church. Park correctly in the village, the path you are taking leaves from the bottom of the village, facing away from the coast walk gently down hill (in the direction of PORTO POLLO and BISINAO).

• Pietrosella village (to Monte Tignosu) 2h00 /5km

Cross the village and take a steep right, onto a path that climbs into the dense woods at a house with white shutters signposted COTI CHIAVARI and GIRU DI PIETROSEDDU. The path climbs up through the woods alongside old stone walls, covered in bright green moss. After 30 minutes you drop down to reach a path junction, with a wonderful vista over the southern Ajaccio Golf, keep left, signposted and heading towards COTI CHIAVARI. The trail joins the PRUNU plateau with mid height maquis and woodland and stone blocks.  Stay attentive to the ORANGE waymarks. After crossing through a stone wall, you reach a track signposted right BUVETTE / POINT DE VUE PANORAMIQUE (you could stop for a refreshment and a panoramic view if it is open), head left along the wide track, you continue along this past the large pylons for approx 400m. The track meets another coming in from the right, keep left signposted COTI CHIAVARI and continue along for another 250m, and as the track heads off left downhill, you head right steeply uphill to the trees to reach MONTE CANARELLU (630m). The view soon opens up and you continue on the ridge, stay attentive, for the loop walk you are heading towards the next pylons at a junction with a falling rutted track (low cairn – direction BOCCA DI GRADELLE) take the short climb to the summit of MONTE TIGNOSU.

• Monte Tignosu (to Sant’Amanza) 1h00 / 2.75km

From the summit and the pylon on top of the MONTE TIGNOSU and the great panoramic view, take the rocky track to your left that drops and follows under the power lines. The track meets a second pylon with a view of the coast, keep left of it again on a narrower rocky track that continues to drop down steeply. You continue on this track that contourns the hillside, there is some flatter track, then sections that are pretty steep, and after 700m the path takes a distinctive left hairpin just before the next pylon. The path flattens again and you continue along it for another 300m until you reach a T junction. You are turning right, initially following the power lines, then turning towards the left. The dirt track drops down steeply into woodland, on turning the corner, you see some cylindrical tanks, the track is easier after this. Ignore a track that heads downhill on your right towards a house (after 300m), continue straight ahead on the flat track and do not switch back downhill right when the track does (about 500m from the T junction). Continue straight ahead into the wood clearing and you come across the waymarks of the trail ACCELASCA to SANT’AMANZA crossing your route. Turn right and continue along the path (waymarks are now YELLOW). The path continues and meets the dirt track at an hangar. Continue straight ahead, uphill along the dirt track you soon see the newly renovated houses of SANT’AMANZA.

• Sant’Amanza (to Pietrosella) 2h00 / 4.25km

After the first large house, take the climbing track behind between other houses in the hamlet, you will see that some houses are still abandoned. You can explore, just watch out for the dogs ! At the last house with the bread oven in the garden take a falling path on your left, that soon levels onto a balcony path, then starts to climb under trees again. The path is easy to follow, shortly after the village there is a rocky bank to climb but this can easily be avoided by taking a switch back path to your right. Continue up the hill, views open up from time to time, climbing between stone walls. 2km after leaving the hamlet at Sant’ Amanza, after passing a bergerie on your left, and a track that crosses the path, you arrive at the 531m alt pt and a signposted junction GIRU DI PIETROSEDDU (in two directions) and ACCELESCA in the direction you have come from.

Take the path to your left, (the path on your right goes to the junction you were at earlier signposted COTI CHIAVARI). Following again The path follows the contour on a balcony path almost all the way to the village of PIETROSELLA. Views open up again towards the AJACCIO Golfe. After 1.5km on the flat, the path drops steeply alongside a stone wall on a worn rocky path. At the bottom of this path, turn right along the lane, continue straight on past the small cemetery and all the way to the centre of the village of PIETROSELLA, by the church.