GR20 South: Vizzavona to Conca

Seven days on the southern half of the GR20, reputed to be Europe's hardest long-distance path, though this section is the more approachable one. The route starts at Vizzavona, the junction between north and south in the heart of the laricio pine forest, reaches the Capannelle shepherds' huts, the Col de Verde, then the Usciolu refuge set on a ridge with views down both sides of the island, before the Aiguilles de Bavella, a cathedral of red porphyry, and Conca, the finish above the sea. Stages still involve around a thousand metres of daily ascent over rocky ground. Refuges must be booked online with the Corsican regional park, from the January opening for summer dates. June and September avoid the heat and the crowds.