The GR 20 is one of Europe's most challenging and iconic long-distance hiking trails, traversing the rugged spine of Corsica from north to south over approximately 180 kilometers. First waymarked in 1972, the route connects Calenzana in the Balagne region to Conca near Porto-Vecchio, cutting through the dramatic high mountains of the Corsican interior. It passes through the Parc Naturel Régional de Corse, a protected area rich in biodiversity, home to wild boar, mouflon, golden eagles, and endemic plant species.
The GR 20 trail between Carrozzu and Asco.
Geographically, the GR 20 crosses some of the island's most remote and mountainous terrain, including jagged ridgelines, deep valleys, alpine lakes, and exposed granite slopes. It offers sweeping views of both the Mediterranean coast and inland peaks, often above 2,000 meters. The trail passes close to the summits of several, so it's possible to take a summit detour. The trail also moves through traditional Corsican shepherding zones and occasional mountain hamlets, where you’ll find remnants of the island’s pastoral heritage and strong cultural identity shaped by centuries of resistance and autonomy.
Hikers are likely to encounter Corsican French and some regional Corsican language, along with a fiercely independent mountain culture. The GR 20 is not a casual hike. It demands strong physical fitness, mountain experience, and sure-footedness. Many sections involve scrambling, steep ascents, and technical descents, especially in the northern half. The trail is best suited for experienced hikers seeking a physically and mentally demanding adventure through one of the Mediterranean’s most striking landscapes.
'"`UNIQ--maplink-00000005-QINU`"'
Map of GR 20
The trail is normally done in 16 days if you stay at all the refuges, however, people often do it in less. Some of the stages are very short and can be combined. So don't just naively book all the refuges, do some planning about which stages to combine and which refuges to skip. In addition, you don't always have to stay in refuges: there are some private bergeries and hotels. Sometimes staying in a bergerie or hotel makes more sense if it breaks the route into more manageable stages. Also check transport timetables before making any bookings: buses don't run every day.
The route may be walked in either direction. Most people start in the north, however starting in the south creates a nice build up in required effort. Many people walk just half the route, and come back the following year to do the other half. Vizzavona is an ideal place to start or stop, because it has a train station. If you only have time to do half the route, the northern half has the rugged highlights including Monte Cinto, but is slightly longer.
The route is very regularly marked with the white and red stripes of the GR symbol. The route is so well marked that if you lose sight of the markers, you must retrace your steps immediately until you find the route again. It is completely possible to do the whole route without a map, but take one, anyway, as a safety backup. Several options for paper maps are available:
Corsica High Route GR20 IGN 89027. One map covering the whole route, plastified for waterproofing. Scale 1:50000.
Carte de Randonnée 4149 OT - 4253 OT and 4253 ET (6 maps). Scale 1:25000. Much more expensive because you have to buy six maps.
Le GR 20 Corse (Fra li monti). Editions Didier Richard.
ISBN 9782344000434
. Scale 1:50000.
Refuges along the route provide full board options, offering dinner, breakfast, and packed lunches. Dinner must usually be reserved by 17:00, sometimes as early as 16:30. As of 2022, expect to pay around €20 or more for dinner and about €10 each for breakfast and a packed lunch. Wine and beer are also available, and the local chestnut beer, typically €8 for 50cl, is worth trying. Meals are hearty but simple. Dinner is usually a three-course meal dominated by pasta, with occasional additions such as tuna, tomatoes, cheese, or a chocolate mousse for dessert. Although the food can seem expensive for what it is, the price reflects the cost of transporting ingredients up the mountains, and most refuge guardians make a genuine effort to provide good meals. Breakfasts are generally modest, consisting of stale bread with butter and jam, fruit juice, and a hot drink. They are not especially good value, so if you are on a budget, this is the easiest meal to skip. An energy bar can easily replace it, and you can make up calories at dinner. Many hikers find that three refuge meals a day is more than they need.
Refuges also sell a small range of food items such as cheese, saucisson, and snack bars. In the southern part of the island below Vizzavona, you can often find fresh bread, while elsewhere you will usually have to settle for long-life bread. In towns like Asco and Vizzavona there are restaurants and small shops offering a wider variety of food.
If you prefer to self-cater, whether to save money or to meet dietary needs, carrying your own supplies will increase pack weight, so it is best to bring lightweight, energy-dense foods. Most refuges have basic cooking facilities, including stoves and pans, but these can get busy or may not always be in working order. Bringing your own stove offers flexibility, although if you are content with cold meals, leaving it behind will save some weight.
Fuel availability varies across the island. Methylated spirits, sold as cooking alcohol, are easy to find in supermarkets and work well in Trangia stoves without clogging them. Press-top gas canisters are also fairly common, but screw-top gas canisters are harder to find, though they were available in Calvi as of 2008.
There are usually marked water sources near all of the refuges, though some years a refuge will lack water. There are also the occasional marked sources on route which are safe to drink. Springs dry up in the summer months and there are some long ridges without points of resupply. You should carry at least 2 L of water, and drink a litre of water before you leave each refuge.
You must bring your own sleeping bag.
The "official" refuges can be booked through the
National Parc website
. It is cheaper to book in advance, and guarantees you a place. For example, a dorm bed (
bât flanc
) is €20 in advance or more on the day, as of 2026. Booking opens in late January. Official refuges can be booked for 22 May until 2 October. You can't book the refuges out of season. Refuges will be open but unstaffed, with no food or fuel. The water may be turned off. A few additional private refuges ("bergeries", literally "sheepfolds") and hotels exist on the route. Bergerie accommodation is similarly priced to the national park refuges. Hotels are present at a couple of places along the trail but are much more expensive.
Most refuges have a dormitory, as well as tents with air mattresses for rent, and space for your own tent. Some refuges do not have dormitories. If you cannot book a dorm bed, try booking a tent ("bivouac") for that refuge instead. Tents are a bit more private. There is little reason to bring your own tent or roll mat, it is just extra weight to carry and time to set it up. Wild camping is not allowed, you must pay to stay at the refuges even if you bring your own tent.
Most refuges do not accept payment cards, so you must bring cash. As a general rule, if a refuge doesn't have phone signal, it will not accept payment cards. You should book refuges in advance to reduce the amount of cash you have to carry (and to save money), however this reduces your flexibility. As of 2022, approximately €40 a day will cover 3 meals. You can save money by bringing your own food, but this adds considerable weight. You can also save money by eating lots at breakfast and dinner and skipping lunch. If you want to drink alcohol, bring extra money to cover it.
Refuges typically have hot showers, space to cook, a drinkable water supply, and a small shop selling food and alcohol. They will sell you dinner, breakfast and a packed lunch if you want. Dinner must typically be booked by 17:00 (sometimes 16:30). Breakfast and packed lunch must be booked the night before.
Most refuges have plug sockets to charge your phone, but some charge for this service. At refuges where it's free, the plug sockets are typically in high demand!
Most refuges don't have phone signal, but you will typically find phone signal during the day at some point along each stage.
Snow often lingers into late May but usually clears by June, so specialist equipment such as ice axes or crampons is not needed during the main season. July and August bring the hottest weather and a higher risk of thunderstorms, and some water sources may dry up. Early September is an excellent time to visit, as you will avoid the intense summer heat while still enjoying warm, mostly dry conditions. However, buses may not operate daily, taxis can be expensive, and flights often stop by mid-September. From October onwards, refuges are typically unstaffed and lack food or fuel, and snowfall becomes likely, obscuring the route and making travel more hazardous.
Starting in
42.508056
8.855278
Calenzana
in the north of Corsica, you can stay at the official Gîte municipal de Calenzana. Restaurants and limited Airbnbs available. Buses run from Calvi, but buses to Calvi only operate until September 4.
According to the signposts, it is 6.5 hours from Calenzana to Ortu, or 5 hours Ortu to Calenzana. In practice going north from Ortu to Calenzana can be done comfortably in 4 hours (2 hours from Ortu to Bocca u Saltu (1,250m), then 2 hours winding gradually down a pine-covered slope to Calenzana).
42.5104
8.8512
Gîte municipal de Calenzana
€15 per bed, limited tent space (no rental tents available). Showers (in poor condition), plenty of plug sockets for charging, good cooking facilities. Spar supermarket is a 5-minute walk away. Book by phone/email or pay cash on arrival (office open from 16:30).
42.460559
8.90981
Refuge d'Ortu di u Piobbu
No dormitory, tents only (refuge burned down in 2019). One hot shower. Dinner €20 (reserve by 16:30), breakfast €9, packed lunch €9, beer €6. No phone signal or charging. One hot shower. Watch the sunset over the sea.
Trail signs suggest 6-6.5 hours; experienced hikers often complete it in about 5 hours. The trail descends to Refuge de Carrozzu.
42.426239
8.900476
Refuge de Carrozzu
No phone signal. Sheltered from the sun even at midday, so it can be chilly. Many hikers choose to skip this refuge and complete the Asco to Ortu stage in one day.
A small waterfall on the GR 20 between Carrozzu and Asco.
From Carrozzu, reach the metal bridge (Passerelle) in about 15 minutes, then continue another 3 hours to Refuge d'Asco Stagnu. Asco is accessible by road. Credit cards accepted everywhere in the town.
42.403507
8.922352
Refuge d'Asco Stagnu
Good hot showers, plenty of electric sockets, and strong phone signal. 2022 prices: Dinner €19, breakfast €8, packed lunch €9. Also a small shop. The refuge offers better value than most due to competition from the hotel and café.
42.403452
8.923205
Hotel Le Chalet
The hotel does a buffet breakfast (05:30-08:00) for €14 (2022); you must book the day before.
updated Mar 2026
42.403038
8.923026
Snack L'Altore
Open 10:00-19:00. Makes good burgers.
updated Mar 2026
The sign at Asco says 6-7 hours to Refuge de Tighjettu, but this is likely pessimistic; the return journey from Tighjettu to Asco takes about 5 hours.
An optional diversion to
42.379722
8.945833
Monte Cinto
, the highest mountain in Corsica (2,706m), adds approximately 2 hours (1 hour ascent, 15 minutes to admire the view, 45 minutes descent). The route is initially marked with white squares, then mostly with red circles. Follow the sign leading away from Lac Cinto.
About 40 minutes above Asco, there is a bridge, and just above that, some lovely pools where you can paddle and sunbathe.
The GR20 route previously passed through the Cirque de la Solitude, but in 2015, a landslide tragically killed several hikers. In 2016, all aids and markers were removed from this route, and the new route now passes near Monte Cinto. While it is possible to hire a guide in Asco to explore the Cirque de la Solitude, the area remains dangerous due to unstable rubble. Without a guide, the route is nearly impossible to find, and without the chains and ladder, it is more akin to rock climbing than trekking.
As an alternative to the official refuge, the Auberge u Vallone is 30 minutes south of Tighjettu and offers a higher standard of accommodation. However, Tighjettu is closer to Monte Cinto so is a good place to stop before or after tackling the mountain.
42.362242
8.908815
Refuge de Tighjettu
Dinner (€23, served at 19:00), breakfast (€10). Charcuterie available for dinner - a rare protein source. Pietra beer (€7 for 50cl), red wine (€10 per liter), and rosé (€12 per liter, poor quality). Phone charging available for €2. No phone signal.
42.3529
8.9078
Auberge u Vallone
Bergerie de Ballone
).
Private accommodation with hot showers. 2.5 hours from Ciottulu, 30 minutes from Tighjettu. Dinner €25, breakfast €8, packed lunch €15. Beer (€5 for 33cl Paolina, three varieties available). Specialty:
gâteau à la farine de châtaigne
(chestnut flour cake, €4). Camping €8.50 per person, or rent their tent for €12.50 per person. No phone signal.
Enjoy swimming in the pools 10 minutes south of Tighjettu before continuing on the trail. You can make a detour to the summit of Paglia Orba. This stage ends at Refuge de Ciottulu di i Mori. From Auberge U Vallone to Hotel Castel di Vergio is 15km, with 850m of ascent and 870m of descent.
42.334956
8.868134
Refuge de Ciottulu di i Mori
Dinner (€22, order by 17:00, served at 18:30), breakfast (€7), and limited phone charging available. No phone signal. On a clear night, the valley is illuminated by moonlight, offering stunning starry views.
Alternative accommodation is available at Hotel Castel de Vergio, located about halfway through the stage. The hotel serves hot food from 12:00, while cold food is available before then. Minimum card payment is €20. Food is also available at the Bergerie de Radule, also about halfway through the stage. From Hotel Castel Di Vergio to Refuge de Manganu is 17km, with 670m of ascent and 475m of descent.
42.2867
8.8927
10
Hotel Castel de Vergio
Located about halfway between Manganu and Ciottulu. Offers meals and accommodation. Hot food is served from 12:00, cold food before then. Minimum card spend: €20.
42.3036
8.8753
11
Bergerie de Radule
Located about halfway between Manganu and Ciottulu. A good stop for refreshments along the route.
42.219816
8.980459
12
Refuge de Manganu
Known for its pleasant atmosphere. Dinner (€19), breakfast (€8), beer (€7). No phone reception or charging.
The route to Refuge de Pietra Piana involves rocky and occasionally challenging terrain.
42.1981
9.05242
13
Refuge de Pietra Piana
Serves French fries (€5), ice cream (€5), dinner (€20), breakfast (€10), and picnic meals (€10). 50cl beer (€8), 50cl wine (€7). Free phone charging. Phone signal available. Dormitory closed as of 2022 due to bedbug infestation; guests with reservations are offered tents instead.
Ends at Refuge de l'Onda. There is an alternative high-level route which is slightly quicker.
42.1528
9.0736
14
Refuge de l'Onda
Vegan dinner (€25), breakfast (€9). 50cl beer (€8). Phone charging available for €1. No phone signal. The refuge is closed due to a bedbug infestation; guests are accommodated in tents instead. The campsite is closer to the restaurant and has a better atmosphere.
An optional detour to
42.1375
9.098611
Monte d'Oro
adds around 2.5 hours. The summit must be approached from the east, requiring a detour around the mountain if coming from the west. The route is marked infrequently with yellow circles.
Stop at
42.116943
9.11005
Cascade des Anglais
, a waterfall where you can swim and purchase refreshments during high season.
An alternative, more challenging route goes over the top of Monte d'Oro then straight down to Vizzavona. If coming from Vizzavona, the turn-off is quite soon after you leave Vizzavona.
Vizzavona has no refuge, but a variety of campsites and hotels. It is accessible by train.
Bergeries de E Capanelle has no official refuge but is a good place to break the route if you want to climb Monte Renoso.
42.07736
9.15029
18
Gîte U Fugone
Comfortable accommodation at Bergeries de E Capanelle. Offers half-board (accommodation, dinner, and breakfast) for €49 as of 2026. Camping is available, and tents can be rented. Cash only.
An optional variant route via
42.0583
9.13361
Monte Renoso
extends the total time to around 8 hours.
The official refuge is Refuge de Prati. Alternatively Relais San Petru Di Verde is 1.5 hours north of Refuge de Prati, so a good option for those hiking Monte Renoso.
42.0084
9.21824
19
Refuge de Prati
Basic mountain refuge offering meals and accommodation. Limited facilities available.
42.028023
9.194089
20
Relais San Petru Di Verde
Chalets, camping and showers. Hot food available. Half board in a dormitory is €49 as of 2025.
updated Mar 2026
This stage ends at Refuge d'Usciolu.
41.9181
9.2053
21
Refuge d'Usciolu
Basic mountain refuge with meal options and accommodation.
Refuge Matalza is not an official refuge but a good place to break the route.
41.8742
9.1524
22
Refuge Matalza
Privately operated refuge, open from May 26 to September 30. Offers meals and accommodation.
€49 half board
updated Feb 2026
This stage goes over
41.849466
9.20738
Monte Incudine
(2,134m), also known as Alcùdina.
41.84145
9.21434
23
Refuge d'Asinau
The original Refuge d'Asinau burned down in 2016, but camping and food are available.
41.8396
9.2157
24
Bergeries d'Asinao
Private accommodations.
Some people stay in the Col de Bavella, or just stop for lunch there, about 1.5 hours north of Refuge de Paliri. Private accommodations and meal options are available at Col de Bavella. You can view the village statue of the Virgin Mary. From Asinau, Col de Bavella is about 3.5 hours along the main route.
This scenic alternative route takes about 3 hours from Asinau to the Village (Col) de Bavella. It traverses the
41.811244
9.217872
Aiguilles de Bavella
(1,855 m), characterized by jagged peaks and rocky walls, offering breathtaking views of the Corsican landscape. However, this route is technically demanding, with sections requiring scrambling and the use of hands, including a passage equipped with chains for assistance.
41.7941
9.25939
25
Refuge de Paliri
Basic mountain refuge offering meals and accommodation.
41.794952
9.228924
26
Auberge du Col de Bavella
Restaurant, bar and accommodation.
€58 half board
updated Feb 2026
41.796057
9.226008
27
Les Aiguilles de Bavella
Double rooms, dormitory beds, and a restaurant.
€48 half board
updated Feb 2026
The final stage finishes in
41.735
9.333333
Conca
, where hikers can stay at Gîte de la Tonnelle or Hotel San Pasquale. Alternatively, hikers may stay in Sainte-Lucie-de-Porto-Vecchio to catch the coach to Bastia the next morning. The hike from Conca to Sainte-Lucie-de-Porto-Vecchio is a little over 1 hour.
41.73317
9.33766
28
Gîte de la Tonnelle
Dorms, meals, and camping available. Laundry facilities, towel rental. Shuttle services to Sainte-Lucie-de-Porto-Vecchio are suspended as of 2024. Website shows prices from 2024.
€55 half-board as of 2024
updated Feb 2026