Scandola Nature Reserve, Nature reserve in northwest Corsica, France
The reserve stretches across 1900 hectares, combining volcanic red cliffs that emerge from the Mediterranean Sea with marine protected zones.
Established in December 1975, the reserve received UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1983 as part of the Gulf of Porto designation.
The nature reserve represents French commitment to marine conservation, maintaining regulations that protect both land formations and aquatic ecosystems.
Visitors can only access the reserve through guided boat tours departing from Porto, Calvi, or Ajaccio between April and October.
The reserve contains 450 different seaweed species and serves as a nesting ground for ospreys along the red porphyry rock formations.
Location: Corsica
Inception: December 9, 1975
Part of: Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve
GPS coordinates: 42.35694,8.56667
Latest update: June 23, 2025 09:38
France features a notable variety of protected natural areas, showcasing the country’s geological and ecological richness. From Lake Allos in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the underground rivers of Padirac in Dordogne, from the mountain ranges of Savoy to the limestone formations of the Ardèche gorges, each region displays landscapes shaped over millennia of natural evolution. This collection gathers sites where nature is expressed freely: primary forests, karst systems, high-altitude lakes, moving dunes of the Atlantic coast, and rock formations carved by erosion. These areas provide diverse ecosystems, home to species adapted to different environments, from Alpine flora and fauna to dune communities and underground cave biodiversity. Each natural site in this selection serves as an open-air laboratory where geological processes, ecosystem dynamics, and living adaptation to local conditions can be observed. These sites invite discovery of authentic landscapes, removed from human impact, where geological time is evident in every rock formation and glacier valley.
This collection connects the mountainous interior of Corsica with remote coastal sections and historical traces of early settlement. Hiking trails pass through forests and over passes to places largely untouched by mass tourism. The route includes granite formations rising from the sea and megalithic sites several thousand years old. In the mountains lie lakes of glacial origin, surrounded by pine trees and steep rock faces. Along the coast stand Genoese towers, once used for defense and now serving as landmarks. Beaches of pale sand or pebbles are often accessible only on foot or by boat. The collection leads to places such as Filitosa, where carved stelae stand among olive trees, the Calanche cliffs near Piana, whose reddish rocks are oddly shaped, and the Aiguilles de Bavella, rock spires rising above pine forests. The Scandola nature reserve extends along a jagged coastline, accessible only from the water. Monte Cinto is the island's highest peak and offers views over valleys and bays. Isolated coves such as Saleccia or Plage du Lotu lie behind hills and maquis scrubland. The collection also includes abandoned villages such as Occi, waterfalls dropping into natural pools, and trails through the Fango valley, where the river flows between granite boulders.
Calanques de Piana
6.2 km
Corsica Regional Natural Park
48.5 km
Capo Rosso
13.6 km
Vallée du Fango
14.7 km
Lac de l'Argentella
15.1 km
Ficaghjola Beach
12.7 km
Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve
6.2 km
Torra di Girolata
3.9 km
Delta du Fango Beach
10.7 km
Torra di Portu
14.3 km
Torra di Turghju
13.5 km
Lac de Calca Tavulaghjiu
7.9 km
Torra di Galeria
10.1 km
Torra d'Elbu
1.7 km
Plage de Porto
14.5 km
Plage de Galéria
9.2 km
Plage Bussaglia
13 km
Église St-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Piana
14.5 km
Église Saint-François d'Osani
6.6 km
Église San Giovanni de Calenzana
17.9 km
Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Curzo
9.4 km
Église Sant-Antoine de Padoue de Partinello
10.8 km
Église Sainte-Marie de Galéria
8.9 km
Église de l'Assomption de Piana
14.4 km
Église Sainte-Lucie de Prezzuna
17.2 km
Église Sainte-Marie de Serriera
13.3 km
Hôtel Les Roches Rouges de Piana
14.4 km
Piana (munisipyo)
14.3 kmReviews
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