Popular coastal walk to the northern tip of Cap Corse
The Sentier des Douaniers (tax collector’s path) is one of the most popular coastal paths on Corsica – it connects the villages of Macinaggio and Centuri at the northern tip of Cap Corse. Since this is a significantly longer walk of 7 to 8 hours and there’s no suitable bus service from Centuri to Macinaggio, we have limited ourselves to the especially interesting, but also much visited section as far as Barcaggio, which offers spectacular views of the neighbouring islands of Capraia and Elba. You can return by boat from Barcaggio (after making a reservation), but most walkers like to stop at one of the inviting beaches along the way…
Starting point: Macinaggio harbour, at the northeastern tip of Cap Corse.
Height difference: just under 650m in total.
Grade: easy walk on well-marked trails.
Refreshment and accommodation: bar-restaurant in Tamarone, in Macinaggio and Barcaggio bar-restaurants and hotels, campsite in Macinaggio.
Alternative: from Barcaggio you can continue along the Sentier des Douaniers via Tollare (¾ hr.; very pretty) as far as Centuri-Port (4¾ hrs. from Barcaggio).
Tip: the U San Paulu boat operates a service during the tourist season from Macinaggio to Barcaggio, and you can buy a single ticket (daily 11.00/15.30) or a return (daily 12.00/16.30) by boat (reservation needed: tel. 04 95 35 07 09 / 06 14 78 14 16, www.sanpaulu.com). If you prefer a shorter round walk, turn back at Chapelle Santa Maria to return to Macinaggio (3 hrs. in total).
Map: IGN 4347 OT (1:25.000).