A pleasant walk through time with chapels, medieval towers and a roman baths!
A couple of loop walks with nice historical interest if you are willing to look.
Below the beautifully perched village of Speloncato, this historical trail explores the GUISTINIANA. Occupied from Neolithic times there are traces of roman and medieval occupation. Easy family walk.
8km / 3h00 / +352m / -352m, YELLOW
- Speluncato (to Saint Fillipu Chapel) 0h30 / 1km
From the village square, take the cobbled lane between the A SPELUNCA hotel and the beautiful chapel, yellow signpost BOUCLE DE GUISTINIANI and MONTECELLU. Following YELLOW waymarks. You drop down zigzagging through the narrow village alleyways to a large parking area, at the bottom of the village, from here head right as the path leaves the village at a red hydrant next to a house. The path switches back left after gardens and you drop down on the grassy path as it leaves the village behind passing a spring and a first ruined chapel SAN ROCCU (XV/XVI th Century).
You arrive a tarmac road on a hairpin, continue straight on the path leaving the road behind to arrive at the lower D71 road, cross over this and follow again the signposts for BOUCLE DE GUISTINIANI and continue on the cobbled path alongside a magnificent wall that drops down opposite, soon arriving at the SAINT FILLIPU chapel (XVIII the Century).
- Saint Fillipu Chapel (to I Bagni) 0h45 / 1.75km
Continue straight ahead and after just under 200m you arrive at a crossing of paths, ignore the trail to the right passing the ruins of a house and continue straight ahead signposted BOUCLE DE GUISTINIANI E TORRA. After around 100m you cross a stream. Follow the path that remains relatively flat between dry stone walls, closing any gates you cross and continue straight ahead towards the E TORRA ruins of a feudal fort (on your left). From here the path drops down between stone walls to a lower path. At the junction you can turn right and do a there and back (100m) to visit the abandonned village of GUISTINIANA. Had left at the sign. Here the path stays on the contours on a balcony path, crosses a stream then shortly after heads right again downhill before arriving on a flatter pastoral area. The roman I BAGNI are in the field to your right. There is little that remains of these roman baths.
- I Bagni (to blue shuttered house) 0h30 / 1km
Continue on the path across this flat area (care brambles), taking a distinct right turn before crossing a stream on stepping stones, keep following the path until you reach a ramshackle gate with a GUISTINIANI signpost. After the gate, you meet the track from the ruined house (for a shorter walk you can turn right here, climb to the ruined house and turn left retracing your steps from earlier back to SPELONCATO). The sandy lane turns left downhill and arrives at a distinctive blue shuttered house.
- Blue shuttered house (to D71 Speloncato road) 0h45 / 2.5km
For a longer loop walk, turn right after the blue shuttered house. You are walking along a lane passing through farmland with occasional houses and the odd donkey. After 1.25km the lane takes a distinct hairpin left at a gate, climbing gently. Follow the lane for about the same distance again until you reach a path that leaves the lane to your right (just prior to arriving at some newer villas). The path climbs a short distance alongside a wall to the D71 road.
- D71 Speluncato road (to Speloncato) 0h30 / 1km
Cross the D71 and take the path that climbs to the side of the house, the path climbs and crosses the road (the path crosses the road 4 times) each time go straight across following the signs.
After 1km you arrive at the water works, just before arriving at Speluncato. The path at the time of writing was messy. Cross the road here and take the path / alleyway opposite that climbs to arrive near the church, continue to your left past the church to arrive at the main square you departed from earlier.
Walks in Corsica 