Piana Village and Capo Rosso

Piana is a village of pale stone houses in Corse-du-Sud, set on a plateau above the Gulf of Porto at about 400 metres, and it is counted among the most beautiful villages of France. Its position gives wide views over the Calanques de Piana, the red granite cliffs that the D81 coast road threads through below the village, and over the sea beyond. The village centres on the church of Sainte-Marie and a few cafés, hotels and shops, and it is quiet outside the main season. A short walk from the village leads to viewpoints over the gulf, while a longer excursion follows the signed trail to Capo Rosso, a red-rock headland south of the village crowned by a 16th-century Genoese watchtower. The Capo Rosso walk starts at the Plaine de Chiuni area on the D824 and covers around three kilometres each way, a round trip of about two to three hours, rising through maquis to a ridge with views of the Golfe de Porto and Golfe de Girolata on both sides. The trail is open all year, but paths are exposed with little shade, so summer walks are best done early or late. A visit to the village and the viewpoints takes one to two hours, and with the Capo Rosso walk it takes up to four hours. Late afternoon is the favoured time for the cliffs and sea, when the sun lights the red rock and sets over the gulf. The village is busy with coaches and cars in July and August, and parking near the centre is limited. The D81 from Porto, about twelve kilometres, is narrow and slow, so the drive takes around twenty minutes.