Sentier du Facteur Girolata: The Ultimate Hiking Guide

Sentier du Facteur Girolata (Postman’s Path to Girolata) is hands-down one of the best coastal walks in Corsica. The highlights of this walk include visiting a hidden beach (Tuara Beach) featuring cows and reaching the secluded village of Girolata, accessible only by foot or boat. Girolata has its own gorgeous beach with a 16th Century Genoese fort perched on its northern headland.

In this guide, we’ll run through all of the things you need to know about doing Sentier du Facteur Girolata. Beck and I thoroughly enjoyed this walk, and we’re sure you will too.

What Is Sentier du Facteur Girolata?

Located in the west of Corsica, north of Porto Ota, in the Scandola Nature Reserve, you’ll find the well-known village of Girolata. As mentioned, the village can only be reached on foot or by boat.

When it comes to walking to Girolata, there is a breathtaking coastal path that starts in Osani and stretches to Girolata. This coastal path, Sentier du Facteur Girolata, translates in English to the Postman’s Path to Girolata.

Interestingly, the path is named after a local former postman, who used to deliver mail to Girolata via this path. Because Girolata lacks access by road, using this path was the only way to deliver mail to the village. Sentier du Facteur Girolata is the path that the postman took for years!

These days, it’s a truly memorable hike for visitors. Beck and I agree that it was an unforgettable walk.

Trail Details

Here are the main trail specs for this walk. The accumulated elevation gain on this walk is pretty physically demanding. Because of this, you’ll want to avoid the midday heat and do this walk either earlier or later in the day.

• Type: Figure 8
• Distance: 10km
• Time: 3–4 hours
• Accumulated elevation gain: 575m
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trailhead: Col de la Croix

Sentier du Facteur Girolata Map

Here is an AllTrails map to help with trail navigation on the walk.

How to Get There

There are a few ways to access this walk. Most people will drive to the trailhead (Col de la Croix), where there is a large car park. That’s exactly what we did.

If you don’t have your own vehicle, another way to access the walk is by boat. Boats are running between Porto Ota, Osani and Girolata.

The operators of this service generally include ‘Alpana Porto’, ‘Scandola Boat Trips’ and ‘Girolata Boat’. You may want to check the operator’s websites beforehand to help plan your trip if you want to arrive by boat. Otherwise, it might be best to check the boat timetables when you arrive.

Sentier du Facteur Girolata: Our Experience

Now that you know some more details about the walk and how to get there, let’s show you highlights from the walk through our photos and a brief description of our personal experience. Beck and I were blessed with a clear, sunny day, which has helped bring the pictures to life!

Beck and I were staying in Porta Ota when we did this walk. From Porta Ota, it takes around 35–40 minutes to get to the trailhead. We set off bright and early to do this walk in the morning, before the midday heat. We were the first hikers to arrive at the trailhead’s car park.

Hiking to Girolata

From the trailhead, you’ll quickly enter a dense area of maquis shrubland, void of coastal views in the early stages. The undulating descent eventually reaches the coastline, where you’ll spot immense views of the Gulf of Girolata.

Parts of the coastline that make up the Scandola Nature Reserve, near Girolata, are characterised by sensational pink granite rocks. These rocks, set against the turquoise waters, are absolutely mesmerising.

Tuara Beach (Plagede Tuara)

Soon enough, you’ll reach a well-concealed beach called Tuara Beach. Before a trip to Corsica, we’re sure that you’ve seen the classic image of cows on the beach when researching the island. Tuara Beach is one of those beaches where you’ll see cows frolicking along the shore. It’s quite the sight!

If you don’t see cows on the beach when you first arrive, don’t worry, as you’ll return to the beach later on in the walk. Hopefully, the second time’s a charm!

Once we were at a safe distance from the cows, we took the opportunity to rest and fly our drone. If you want to see more drone content of the area, check out our Corsica Hikes YouTube video.

The Gulf of Girolata

Once you depart the beach, you’ll commence your first ascent of Sentier du Facteur Girolata. This part of the walk provides stunning views looking back towards Tuara Beach.

Between the beach and Girolata, you’ll continue to walk alongside the Gulf of Girolata. This has to be one of the most beautiful stretches of coast in Corsica! It’s no wonder that this area is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage site.

Girolata Fort and Beach

Eventually, the rocky coastal trail steers you to the southern end of Girolata. From a vantage point, you’ll enjoy far-reaching views of the beach and the fort at the opposite end.

Girolata Fort, like many of the other forts and watchtowers along the Corsican coastline, was built in the 16th Century by the Genoese. The purpose of these forts was primarily defence.

If you fancy it, it’s possible to walk along the beach and explore the area around the fort. If the fort isn’t undergoing restoration works, it’s sometimes possible to even access the fort for free.

Personally, Beck and I didn’t explore the fort itself. We simply took in the views, had a rest on the beach, and then continued the walk.

Once you climb away from the village, you’ll once again enjoy exquisite views of it. For sure, some of the best views along Sentier du Facteur Girolata are from the vantage point slightly inland and above the village.

Once you leave Girolata, a challenging ascent continues. Eventually, the trail descends towards the coastline, back to Tuara Beach. From there, to complete the Figure 8 loop, you’ll take a different path back to Col de la Croix.

Corsica Hiking Guides

• Corsica Hikes Guide: The 17 Best Day Hikes in Corsica
• Sentier des Douaniers Cap Corse – The Ultimate Walking Guide
• Sentier des Douaniers Saint-Florent – The Ultimate Walking Guide
• Pointe de la Revellata – The Complete Walking Guide
• Sentier du Facteur Girolata – The Ultimate Hiking Guide
• Sentier du Château Fort Piana – The Complete Walking Guide
• Calanques de Piana Hike via Sentier Muletier (Piana Mule Trail)
• Capo Rosso Hiking Trail – The Ultimate Guide
• Sentier des Crêtes Ajaccio to Monte Salario Walk – Visitor’s Guide
• Sentier des Douaniers Ajaccio – Pointe de la Parata to Petit Capo
• Capu di Muru (Capo di Muro) – The Complete Walking Guide
• Sentier du Littoral de Campomoro – Tour de Campomoro Walk
• Sentier Littoral des Bruzzi (Sentier des Bruzzi) – Visitor’s Guide
• Capo di Feno Bonifacio Walk (Includes Sentier de Fenu)
• Strada Vecia Madonetta – An Excellent Coastal Walk in Bonifacio
• Campu Rumanilu – Bonifacio Cliff Walk (The Ultimate Guide)

Where to Stay Nearby

Perhaps the best place to stay if you want to explore the incredible Calanques de Piana and the surrounding areas, such as Girolata, is either Porto Ota or Piana. Beck and I had a lovely two night stay at Hotel et Résidence Cala di Sole in Porto Ota.