Calanques de Piana — Attraction in Ajaccio

A spellbinding landscape of rose-gold stone, these cliffs ignite at sunset—glowing crimson against the sea like molten sculpture. From every turn the shoreline unfurls below, a tapestry of turquoise coves and pine-dusted headlands.

For the perfect taste, follow the Sentier du Muletier trail that sets off behind Piana’s little stadium. In barely 30 minutes you crest a lookout that feels a world away, cliffs tumbling straight into indigo water. I recommend looping back by the road: the changing angles give you an open-air gallery of arches, spires, and hidden grottoes.

Bonus joy: along the roadside you’ll spot pocket-sized rock pools, cool enough to wash off the hike’s heat—nature’s own plunge pools with a front-row view of the coast.

If you can, time your visit for late afternoon; when the sinking sun hits those russet walls, the entire calanque seems to catch fire. It’s Corsica at its...

An island region of France, Corsica lies in the heart of the western Mediterranean Sea. This mountainous and rugged island is ringed by lovely white-sand beaches and coastal cliffs. Our image was taken on the west coast, overlooking the Gulf of Porto and within the Scandola Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dense, low evergreen vegetation growing here is known as maquis shrubland, and it grabs a foothold wherever it can among the jagged cliffs.

The Calanques de Piana are made up of a colorful type of volcanic rock called red porphyry. Over the years it has naturally eroded into the geologic sculptures and craggy cliffs we see today. The best time to view these rocks is in the late afternoon when the sun plays off the pink, orange, and deep-red hues.

Napoleon Bonaparte was born on 15 August 1769 in Corsica (Ajaccio 50 km south of...

Makes for a beautiful, and interesting drive. The roads are very narrow in places and many of the passing points get filled with other road users opportunistically using them as parking so they can get photos of the views, which means you need to be careful of people on the road as well. We ended up driving through in both directions at about 6pm. The roads weren't too busy and worth it for the views. We then parked at the tête de chien (small roadside parking on both sides of the road, space for 10-15 cars in total.) The walk from there is very pleasant and marked with yellow spray paint at key turning points. If you are confident and careful enough, there are some very impressive views to be had by taking a few steps off the track and pushing through the shrubs at...