Why this ride
A 206 km round trip from Ajaccio - roughly 3 h 54 in the saddle. The stops in between: Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana and back through Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Ajaccio day out · Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 206 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 54
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Corsica West Coast D81
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 1 km this is Corsica West Coast D81, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Rider note
Check the pass is open before you commit to it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 1 km
- Named road
- Corsica West Coast D81
- Pass
- Col de la Croix
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Ajaccio
Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Ajaccio in 1769, a year after France bought Corsica from Genoa, and the town has never let anyone forget it. His family house is now a museum, a statue of him on horseback stands in the main square, and street names, cafés and shops all carry his name. The old town is a cluster of tall ochre houses along the harbour, with a modest cathedral where he was baptised, and the best way to feel the place is to sit at a harbourside table with a coffee and watch the ferries and fishing boats come and go.
Read the complete Ajaccio write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Ajaccio is where the day begins. Next is Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana.
2. Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana
The Calanques of Piana are red. Not a polite pink, but a deep rust-orange, the granite eroded by wind and sea into spires, arches and strange figures that people have been naming for centuries, such as the heart, the dog's head and the bear. They rise hundreds of metres straight out of the sea along the western coast of Corsica, with the maquis, the dense scrub of strawberry tree, myrtle and rock rose, clinging to every ledge. The scent on a warm day is overwhelming, and the whole area is part of a UNESCO site that also covers the Gulf of Girolata and the Scandola reserve.
Read the complete Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana comes up 30 km in. Next is Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana.
3. Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
61 km in you reach Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana. Next is back through Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana.
4. back through Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, late in the day. Next is Ajaccio.
5. Ajaccio
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Ajaccio write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Ajaccio. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Ajaccio to Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana
Ajaccio → Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana to Ajaccio
back through Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana → Ajaccio is 61 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Corsica West Coast D81 (173 km) · 157 km
- Calanques de Piana and Porto Gulf · 154 km