Sentier du Littoral around the Agriates Desert

Sentier du littoral (sometimes call the Coastguard Path) is about 50 km long coastal trail from the town of Saint Florent across the Agriates Desert to the famous beaches of Saleccia, Loto and Ostriconi. It's an easy 2- or 3-day walk suitable especially for early spring, but passable all year round.

Map of the trail

The map below shows the Sentier du littoral in purple with red markers indicating important way points (numbered) and points of interest (alphabetized).

Waypoints

1. Saint Florent
2. Official trailhead
3. Mouth of the Buggiu River
4. Mouth of the Santu River
5. Plage de Loto
6. Plage de Saleccia
7. Plage de Trave
8. Plage de Ghignu
9. Plage de l'Ostriconi
10. Road N1197

Points of interest

1. Fornali Tower
2. Phare de Fornali (lighthouse)
3. Mortella Tower
4. Genoese Tower

Itinerary

The Sentier du littoral consists of three stages that can be walked within two or three days:

1. Saint Florent - Saleccia : 5h30
2. Saleccia - Ghignu : 2h45
3. Ghignu - Ostriconi : 6h30

Lodging

Saint Florent offers a wide range of accommodation possibilities, e.g.:

• Hotel Tettola (tel. 04 95 37 08 53)
• Hotel de la Roya (tel. 04 95 37 00 40)
• Hotel les Galets (tel. 04 95 37 09 09)
• Camping Acqua Dolce (tel. 04 95 37 08 63)
• Camping La Pinede (tel. 04 95 37 07 26)
• Campsite U Pezzo
• Campsite Kalliste

In the Agriates Desert there are only two places, where you can stay overnight:

• Camping de la plage U Paradisu at the beach of Saleccia (tel. 04 95 37 82 51)
• Refuge Les paillers de Ghignu Malfacu (tel 04 95 37 09 86 or 04 95 37 06 04)

There is a campground and a gite in Village de Vacances de l'Ostriconi at Ogliastro.

Highlights of the trail

• Saint Florent -- a fishing port and a popular summer vacation resort located at the bottom of the Golfe de St-Florent.
• Tour de Mortella -- a Genoese tower from 16th century, partially destroyed by British navy in 1794.
• Désert des Agriates -- a vast area of deserted land, dotted with clumps of cacti and scrub-covered hills.
• Plage de Loto, Plage de Saleccia, Ostriconi Beach -- three most famous and most beautiful beaches of Corsica.

Practical tips

• Take a lot of drinking water with you, because there is no water sources along the route, except at Saleccia and Ghignu.
• Between May and October you can take an excursion boat from St-Florent to plage de Loto.
• The path leads through the Conservatoire du Littoral -- the longest stretch of protected shoreline in the Mediterranean. Please, don't camp outside campgrounds and don't pick wild flowers.