Spring break in Propriano 11 to 18 May 2019
Nadine and Bernard Giraudeau, the IT and travel managers, contributed to this page presenting the holiday.
After three very successful trips, which attracted a large number of our members, Nadine and Bernard Giraudeau have invited us to spend a week on the south-west coast of Brittany.Island of Beauty.
Propriano is around sixty kilometres south of Ajaccio, at the end of the deep Gulf of Valinco. The first slopes that can lead us to a host of charming little villages and, of course, mountain passes to cross, begin as soon as we leave the town. So you can expect some steep climbs during your stay. Sartène is around ten kilometres away, with its urban sprawl on the steep mountain slopes offering magnificent views of the Grande Bleue. Propriano is also close to a number of prehistoric sites that are well worth a visit. For those not keen on the charms of cycling, there are a number of local footpaths and one along the coast to suit walkers.
We'll be staying in a very nice hotel on the waterfront, just one kilometre from the town. It's the Arena Bianca hotel, which belongs to the Belambra Clubs chain (which welcomed us during our stay in Lozari).
It should be noted that La Méridionale has a ferry departing from Marseille which serves Propriano directly:
Departure from Marseille on Friday evening, arrival in Propriano on Saturday morning, and for the return journey, departure on Saturday evening and arrival in Marseille on Sunday morning. Everyone will be responsible for their own travel arrangements. This opportunity will make it possible to have tours from the day of arrival as well as on the last day.
You will find the headings below:
- Introduction to the region
- The circuits
- Hosting
- Note from the Board of Directors
- Registration, with a location map
- Other activities or visits
Introduction to the region
The Club des Cent Cols has chosen the seaside resort of Propriano as the setting for its spring 2019 trip and it is Belambraas in Lozari in 2013, who welcomed us to their establishment. "L'Arena Bianca.
Propriano is located at the bottom of the gulf of the same name, also known as the Gulf of Valinco. This is the fourth largest gulf and the southernmost on Corsica's west coast. It receives the waters of several rivers, including the famous Taravo which rises near the Col de Verde, the little Baraci which comes from Col de Saint-Eustache and the tumultuous Rizzanese whose estuary lies just to the south of Belambra (a beautiful spot!).
There are many well-known tourist resorts along the shores of the Gulf, including Belvedere-Campomoro, Olmeto-beach, Abbartello and Porto-Pollo. Propriano's cultural sites are extremely rich, the legacy of a long and varied history. Propriano lies at the centre of several major Neolithic civilisation basins, including Filitosa and its statue-menhirs, Levie and its fortress village of Cucuruzzu, the Sartenais-sud and its alignments and dolmen of Stantari and Cauria. The Genoese contributed to the richness of the local heritage with the magnificent tower of Campomoro and the frail but resilient bridge Spin'a Cavallu "on the Rizzanese.
From a geological point of view, granite reigns supreme, shaping the surrounding landscape as it pleases. However, a distinction can be made between "red" granite, which erodes in a "tafoniThese are "holes", hollowing out towards the back and upwards, forming arabesques and fine volutes under the combined action of air and water, grey granites that turn their backs and erode into massive balls.
Here, as everywhere else in hot climates, where plant life is subjected to harsh climatic conditions, there's no question of allowing yourself to be grazed by the first animal that comes along, so the vegetation resorts to particularly aggressive means of defence against human skin! While you're on the trails, take the opportunity to finish off the old clothes cluttering up your drawers!
The roads are quiet, with little traffic but always winding and never flat, except at the bottom of the gulfs. The T40 (T for Territoriale), the route linking Ajaccio to Bonifacio, on the other hand, is much more demanding. dangerous because of heavier traffic and drivers' dubious respect for the pedalling public. ,
Tours
Each day you'll be offered a road circuit and a mountain bike circuit, with lighter circuits on the two Saturdays that make up the holiday. In all, you will discover 8 road circuits and 8 mountain bike circuits.
Given that Porticcio, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio, is fairly close by, it's only natural that some of the passes climbed during the first trip to Corsica in 2010 will be included in 2019. The 2016 trip to Ghisonaccia was so wide-ranging that some of the passes climbed will be included in this new session. But rest assured, there are plenty more to come!
In the booklet that will be given to you on your arrival (and for which you have a link in the "Enrolments" section), you will find all the instructions and safety rules concerning the practice of our passion. Please read them carefully.
Further on, you'll find details of the routes, the list of passes, links for downloading GPS tracks, and so on. And, of course, everything will be in the booklet! In the meantime, here's a short summary of each of the routes, extracted from the booklet, in the order in which they are scheduled for the week.
A springtime route on a human scale in the Sartène hinterland. A number of round trips take you up to the passes and through the upper districts of Sartène, with breathtaking views over the Gulf of Propriano.
There are a few passes nearby, but they are on the R2 route. However, you can add a short 3km return trip to the Spin'a cavalluJust to see the phenomenon that withstands all the floods on the Rizzanese, while more recent bridges are collapsing!
R2-The south shore of the Gulf of Propriano :
It's also a nice little route that also takes you to Sartène via a circuitous route with a few passes. The return journey to Propriano is on a much busier road, but downhill. Caution ! A variant towards the shores of Tizzano provides access to two more passes as well as the Megaliths of Cauria (alignments of statue-menhirs and dolmens).
R3-L'Ornano A slightly longer route, but with plenty of passes. It alternates between the sea and the mountains and offers some great views of the two adjoining gulfs of Ajaccio and Propriano. The roads have little traffic and pass through a few mountain villages.
This is a mountain and forest route to two of Corsica's most famous passes. Two fine climbs and a long sawtooth descent make up the profile of this stage.
R5-Filitosa and Vijanu Two big bumps form the profile of this route, which takes in the sea, mountains, agricultural or wine-growing plains and forests. FilitosaCorsica's major prehistoric site, where the statue-menhirs line up, is very close to the route. This route can be taken in two separate directions. The first, further west, runs clockwise and the second, further east, runs anti-clockwise. Bocca di a Coppia (2A-0333b) is on the D157a above Abbartello and offers a unique view of the Gulf of Valinco.
R6-The high passes of the Alta Rocca : The three highest passes on the holiday are all on this route: Bocca di Chiesola (2A-1422), Bocca di e Croci (2A-1523) and the highly acclaimed Col de Bavella (2A-1218). The latter, climbed in rain, wind and cold during our 2016 visit, can only offer a better welcome. San-Gavinu-di-Carbini, our starting point, is made up of numerous hamlets spread between the mountains and the coastal plain, more than 40 km away, but closely linked by centuries of transhumance.
R7-Le Grand Sud It's exactly the same route as the R4 from Ghisonaccia in 2016, but from a different starting point further west and much more pleasant. Traffic may be fairly heavy on the T40 towards Bonifacio and on the T10 towards Porto-Vecchio. So take care! And for those who fancy a bit of adventure away from it all, there are a few options in the booklet.
R8-Villages of the Alta Rocca The villages and hamlets along this route are like a string of pearls, in the truest sense of the word. Situated right in the heart of southern Corsica, this group of communes backs onto the foothills of the high massifs of the central range, forming a vast conch that opens out towards the Gulf of Valinco via the unique valleys of the Fiumicicoli and Rizzanese rivers. Apart from this escape route, the other rare passages are mountain passes. This itinerary can be divided into two parts, each with its own distance and number of passes.
V1: The Taravo Valley. This route does not present any particular difficulties except in the sector of Bocca di Feliciolu (2A-0715a) where the paths are goat tracks, but without aggressive vegetation and over a distance of around 180 m.
V2: The Saint-Eustache forest.
Or at least what's left of it, because it has burnt down twice in 40 years. The last fire was in 2009, and covered 6,000 hectares. The following spring, several tonnes of morels were harvested. There is some walking on this route, but no major or lengthy difficulties.
There are 4 mule passes on this route and 6 road passes. The route is long but can be shortened by avoiding one or more return trips to certain passes.
Access to Bocca di Prunettu (2A-0572) is enclosed by thorny vegetation in its middle section. Long shorts and thick socks recommended!
V4: The Deep South. The region has many passes, but .... is sometimes hidden in the undergrowth, which detracts from the pleasure of the conquest all the same. What's more, the paths are often degraded. Access to Bocca di a Pila (2A-130) is authorised by the owner who lives just below the pass. Quite a demanding route. The views from Bocca di Acqua Veschimule collar, and that of Bocca di Roccapinaroad pass. And above all, the beautiful, almost uninhabited Ortolo valley.
V5: L'Ornano. It's a rolling route, with a few nasty surprises thrown in for good measure.
V8: Le Sartenais. There are a lot of roads and the passes on the route are done on the bike. Some may be tempted by the off-route passes: between private property (at least signposted as such), fences, cantankerous villagers and impassable scrubland, it will be very complicated.
V6: The Ospedale The only major difficulty on this route is the descent between the Col de Mela and Carbini, which is done on foot at 50%. The Ospedale massif is well worth a visit!
V7: L'Alta Rocca At last, a short route with plenty of passes. In spring 2017, the trails were wide open because they had just been "de-groomed". What will they be like in spring 2019? And not a single pass is off-limits due to scrubland or a "Private Property" sign. A bit of pushing and carrying is still to be expected on this route.
Hosting
We will be staying at theArena Blanca hotel, (Belambra group). This is a 3-star hotel, and we will occupy most of the rooms. We will have hotel service (sheets and towels provided).
Note from the Board of Directors
If you arrange your accommodation elsewhere than at the holiday village, please let us know that you will be taking part in the holiday, for 3 reasons:
- To be able to correctly size joint events (information sessions, welcome and farewell parties).
- To be able to split up into several groups on the routes to improve safety for everyone.
- To help organisers deal with any unforeseen events.
According to the hotel manager, it is a magical place with a panoramic view over the Gulf of Valinco and direct access to the beach. Quiet but with the bustle of Propriano just 800m away. An ideal base for exploring southern Corsica.. It has a restaurant with a covered terrace and panoramic views over the sea and the Gulf of Valinco. The rooms are spread over two buildings. Bicycles can be stored in a number of ways, so don't hesitate to bring a padlock.
Club Belambra "Arena Bianca Chemin des plages, 20110 PROPRIANO. Tel: +33 4 95 76 06 01.
Email address : club.propriano@belambra.fr
For those wishing to stay in camping or motorhomeThere are two campsites just 3 or 4 km away. They also rent bungalows.
Camping TIKITI, Route d'Ajaccio, 20110 PROPRIANO. Tel: +33 4 95 76 08 32
Camping Tikiti offers special rates for the Club des Cent Colsavailable from 1 November 2018.
Campsite MILELLAroute Baracci, 20110 VIGGIANELLO. Tel : +33 4 95 76 27 27
Registrations
To register, download the PDF registration form with the link below and follow the instructions therein. The deadline for receipt of registrations has been set at 31 December 2018.
Download the newsletter :
Propriano Registration Form
Propriano booking form
Modulo d'iscrizione Propriano
You can leaf throughhere lhe booklet which will be distributed during your stay and, in addition to welcome messages, contains information about the region and how to get there, safety tips and detailed descriptions of the tours.
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Other activities or visits
Club Belambra will be offering activities for accompanying adults.
You can find many proposals atSartène-Propriano Tourist Office.
And here are a few ideas.
Discover the Sartenais-Valinco-Taravo region:
Corsica's origins
- The alignments and megaliths of Cauria and Stantari
- The Filitosa site
- Cucuruzzu and the Levie museum
The villages of the Alta Rocca
- Sainte-Lucie-de-Tallano
- Levie
Seaside resorts
- Campomoro
- Propriano
- Porto-Pollo
The Baracci and Tacana Baths
The town of Sartène
- Alleys
- Museum
Boat trips
- Towards the Barbary Bay
The many discovery trails
The vineyards of the Sartenais
And so on.
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