The Balagne region of Corsica is full of hidden gems, one of them being the village of Castifao. With the hilltop ruin of the San Francesco convent standing majestically against a backdrop of snow capped mountains you feel like you’ve stumbled across a dramatic film set.
Just above the village itself is another ruin, the Tour de Paganosa, with a dramatic waterfall cascading past it on its way to the valley below.
From the village you can walk down a track to the village of Piana where a Genoese bridge crosses the crystal clear Tartagine river.
You can follow the track, part of the Corte to L’Ile Rousse Sentier, along the river and then up the steep climb towards Vallica. Or, as we did return to Castifao by taking the quiet, single lane road, back up to the village.