Hi, This is Nancy. I'm guest blogging this one...

So, the GT20. What's this and why Corsica? Admittedly Corsica was not first pick. The original plan, in the wake of the wonder of the Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) was to hike the Alta Via 1 (AV1) in the Dolomites on the recommendation of an Italian couple we met on the TMB. Also, we were too late. The AV1 has far less infrastructure than the TMB so January (which was early for booking the TMB) proved about 6-months too late. So, now what...

We looked to Bike France a tour company and explored their offerings. We considered mountain biking from Chamonix to Zermatt. But this would be similar terrain to the TMB. Then something caught my eye. They offered a trip to Corsica, a French island in the Mediterranean. I had heard Corsica mentioned in passing, mostly by the French - who refer to it as l'Île de Beauté—the Island of Beauty. Corsica is where jagged mountains meet turquoise coves, and where centuries-old villages cling defiantly to cliffsides.

Note: Though politically part of France, Corsica retains its own fierce identity, with a culture shaped by a unique blend of French and Italian influences—and a language all its own.

Long story short we set our eyes on Corsica and did a bit of digging. Turns out Corsica is host to the GR20, alegendary, brutally tough footpath that cuts across the island’s mountain spine. It is billed as the hardest through-hike in Europe. Thanks, but no. But Corsica is also a favorite for cyclists and I came across the GR20's newly hatched (2019) sibling, the GT20. Corsicans designed the GT20 route to showcase Corsica’s untamed interior, away from the more touristed coastal roads, I have little doubt Corsica’s tourism board designed not just as a sporting challenge, but also as a way to breathe life into the island’s remote villages and lesser-known regions.

The GT20 route stretches nearly 370 miles from the northern port town of Bastia all the way down to the southern tip at Bonifacio. Over the course of the ride, Jeff and I climbed more than 33,000 feet—up through chestnut forests, across high mountain passes, and down into remote valleys where time seems to slow. This wasn’t just a bike ride; it was an immersion into Corsica’s wild soul, one pedal stroke away from heat stroke each day. :-)

Yeah, it as hot. Really hot. And humid. But hey, we are Arizonian so no sweet. Wrong. Still, there was beauty and adventure in the pain. And a cold shower and comfy bed each night. We bikepacked out gear but left our tent at home!

So here's our story of "What It’s Like to Ride Corsica’s GT20 from Bastia to Bonifacio."

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DAY 0: Nice to Bastia

I had been in Cannes, France for the Cannes Festival of Creativity to which I lead a study abroad program for ASU students. Jeff joined me at the end and so Corsica was a short flight from nearby Nice. From here we caught a flight to Bastia, Corsica.

Bastia, a port city full of energy and faded grandeur—colorful facades, narrow alleys, and a Mediterranean buzz in the air. By chance, we arrived during the Fête de la Saint-Jean, celebrated every June 23rd. The old port was lit with bonfires and fireworks...But first things first. Bikes.

We arranged to rent bicycles from a Swiss company with a location on Corsica - Bcyclet. They outfitted delivered our road bikes to our hotel (well sort-of) - the street where to crowded and narrow so a nearby park proved best. They then fetched the bikes from us in Bonifacio. The bikes were brand new and quite nice - Di2, disk brakes, and carbon rims. Onto which we attached our bikepacking gear.

Here are a few photos from our evening in Bastia. We had a front row seat from our patio table at a local seafood restaurant (what else in a port city?) and our hotel.

The port. So many boats!

The St. John Festival preliminaries - speakers and liturgical music.

Along the harbor promenade. Read into this as you will.

Dinner. Fresh from the Med. An odd looking but tasty fish.

And the bells tolled, and tolled, and tolled....

And, of course, ice cream!

A parade. Notice the smoke in the background. Was Bastia burning?

In a way. On or way back to the hotel we found people gathered around a giant bonfire.

More fire. Works that is.

•••••••

Day 1: Bastia → Saint-Florent

We kicked things off riding north through Cap Corse, a rugged finger of land that juts into the Mediterranean. At Macinaggio the route branched off to the west and the topography rose. The Serra pass revealed beautiful panoramas of the Cap Corse mountains. At the top of the pass appears the Mattei mill which punctuated the ascent.

From there, we dropped into a dramatic balcony road – descending all way into the tiny town of Centuri. This small village with pastel-colored walls is famous for its lobster fishing. But no time for eating lobster now - we were feeling boiled ourselves.

We continued down the northeast coast of the Isle of Beauty. The breathtaking view of Alisu Cove is the highlight of this stage. Far below our cliffside route – small hamlets were build into the coves. A little further south, the black beach of Nonza was striking with its lunar gray pebble shore contrasting the intense blue of the sea.

What we remember: The wind off the sea, sharp climbs, and coasting into Saint-Florent as the sun lit the water gold. And it being really, really hot.

Notes on Saint-Florent. Charming, low-key. I heard it called the "St-Tropez of Corsica," but it's way more relaxed and less flashy. The old town is all narrow lanes, pastel buildings, and a little citadel perched over the bay. We grabbed drinks and watched the boats come in while sitting of a wall of the fort that overlooks the city.

Here are photos outtakes from dawn until dusk.

Sunrise over Bastia.

Bikes loaded. Time to ride.

But not before a good breakfast at a Bastia Boulangerie (aka Bakery)

Hike-a-Bike. Already.

Heading out of Bastia. It was actually pretty busy for the first half hour. Rush hour.

It was up and down lots of rollers at first as we moved up the coast.

The Osse Tower.

These towers are typical of Corsica. The island had up to 120 in 1730, including nearly 30 only on Cap Corse.

Starting up the Col de la Serra

Moulin Mattei

The tiny village of Centuri – Famous for lobster.

We tried to have lunch at this restaurant but they wouldn't serve us yet because it was not yet noon. Lunch hours 12-2. Period. We picked up food at the Spar (Corisca's version of QuikTrip) instead.

Ready to roll again. Plenty of miles to go.

The water is insane shade of blue and crystal clear.

"What just happened?!!!"

Actually is looks like occurred some time ago.

If you look closely you can see the road snaking along the cliffs.

Another tower and the black beach of Nonza.

The communal fountains were a lifeline. Respect!

Up a climb.

Back down and into Saint-Florent.

More boats than cars, I think.

Looking for something local.

Found it.

We walked to and from our hotel down the Plage de la Roya. (Plage = Beach). These tribble-like, oval balls were everywhere. We still. have no clue as to what these are. Do you?

The sunsets and so ends our first day along the GT20 Sporif Edition.

73 miles / 113 km
~4,900 ft / 1,500 m gain
120 degrees F / not really, just felt this way

•••••••

Day 2 / St. Florent to Calvi

Today the route moved away from the coast and revealed a more inland and wild Corsica. The day began with the ascent of the Vezzu pass. The climb offered magnificent views of the Gulf of Saint-Florent. Then came the crossing of the Agriates desert. This wild part combines rocky ridges and valleys covered with maquis. The Agriates are actually not really a desert. It is rather a wild area where the abundant scrubby-vegetation has adapted to local climatic conditions. It reminded me of the highlands of Scotland in November. Golden and brown without much green. Then windy descent. From here the route became rather primitive. Jeff at one point remarked that it was more of a bike path. We climbed some more through Novella and up the Col de Croce (511 m), then the Col de San Colombano. AT LAST - a long descent to Belgodère. Lunch time.

We continued down, down past picturesque small villages — Feliceto, Muro, Muru, and Cateri. But guess what…one more pass – Salvi. Finally, a view of the Gulf of Calvi. The descent from the cliffside village of Montemaggiore with its tight and steep switchbacks registered as a reward of sorts.

We rolled into Calvi rather heat exhausted but glad we made it – and that had decided on air-conditioned rooms for this trip over baked earth campsites. We received and went out to explore the town. Jeff grabbed a cold local one, and looked out over the Golf of Calvi from atop the citadel wall.

Notes on Calvi: A coastal town with serious drama—in the best way. The old Genoese citadel towers over the harbor, and the beach stretches for miles. There's a real mix of locals, sailors, and cyclists here, and plenty of places to refuel. We ended the day with a terrific seafood dinner and a view of the sunset from a terrace. Bonus: there's a myth that Christopher Columbus was born here, and the town hasn’t let go of it.

Breakfast at the hotel wasn't until 8 AM so we opted for La Boulangerie again.

Ready to face the furnace.

Up and down the Vezzu Pass

And up again. We found the steepest road sections were through the villages.

A welcome sign. We looked to these official markers for reassurance.

The Agriates Desert. Rather like the Scottish Highlands. Quite barren.

The road becomes more primitive. And remote.

Corsica has a very narrow gauge railroad connecting Bastia and Calvi. See the tracks on the left side of the photo.

We saw a few tunnels too. But sadly, not the train.

[Maybe a good thing. We would have tried to hop on it]

More bike path than road.

And down.

Up again but the road is getting better.

The about halfway point. Belgodère.

Lunch Time! Remember lunch is from 12-2 PM.

We arrived at 11:30 AM.

Yay! The owner was merciful and allowed us to order early.

For lunch - Corscian Salad. A mix of Corsican charcuterie and cheese for me. We ate AT LOT of charcuterie. Jeff opted for an omelette and frites. Perfect fuel.

Back at it after our hour+ long lunch break.

Would need to have stayed another hour to really embrace the Corsican lunch way. Maybe tomorrow.

The Cape of Calvi at last!

Switchback-mania! The descent from Montemaggiore. Photos don't do this justice. So glad we weren't going up it.

It was still a long slog across a flat section into Calvi.

Ah!!!! Cleaned up and taking in the town.

Dinnertime!!!!

Seafood. Again? Lovin' It.

Cool repurposing of a phone booth.

A toast to Corsica with a local rose.

~68 miles / 110 km –

~4,750 ft / 1,450 m of climbing

122 degrees (perceived measure)

•••••••

DAY 3: Calvi to Porto

Shorter day, but a still challenging and stunning. And hot. After a great breakfast at the hotel - we had a shorter day so why not? We started with a good climb over the Col de Marsolinu, then dropped into the Fango Valley – a fun, fast descent of smooth roads. The valley is shaped by local agriculture. Lots of broccoli field and also local farms selling brocciu. Which is the not Corsican word for broccoli - but a tasty, tasty cheese.

We saw several other long-suffering bikepackers this day. All were far more heavily loaded than us – we felt for them. We crossed an e Figarella bridge then turned west and gained height with the Bocca di Marsulinu (the Marsolino pass). It is the entry point into the Corsica regional natural park - very lush and green.

A highlight was the ride past Col de Palmarella and into the Scandola Reserve. This pass marks the border between Balagne and western Corsica. The panorama at the top offers breathtaking views of the Scandola nature reserve and the Gulf of Girolata a little further south. Jeff out the view as Sedona on the Sea - the cliffs being shades of red.

We then went down, down, down. Mile after miles of coastal road hanging over the sea, red rock cliffs, and almost no traffic. We continued to roll down (well, mostly) right into Porto–tiny town, epic setting. Porto sits between the red cliffs of the Calanques de Piana and the Scandola Reserve, with the sea on one side and mountains on the other. The town itself is super chill—just a handful of hotels, restaurants, and a pebble beach (OK colorful medium-sized rocks). Not a lot going on, but that’s kind of the point.

Here we rented an apartment for two nights and went to the local SPAR for dinner fixings. We sat back, relaxed, and did something we were really excited to do…laundry! Really, we were.