Needles of Bavella

Do you love the nature? During your stay in Corsica how about admiring the impressive Aiguilles de Bavella in South-Corsica? Near Zonza and Solenzara, the Needles of Bavella (Aiguilles de Bavella in French) are perfect for hiking and discovering Corsican nature in all its splendor

Outstanding among many must-see sites in Corsica!

Don't miss the Needles of Bavella,10 km from Zonza and 30 km from Solenzara, high up in the mountains, 1,600 metres above sea level. They dominate the Bavella col below, a mere1,243 metres high.

Projecting rock formations soar in impressive spikes against the towering sky. Only scattered pines grow in crazy shapes as they lean away from the wind.
This chaotic mass of huge red and pink granite porphyry shards has no equal in Corsica, except the remarkable Calanches of Piana, the outstanding feature of a remarkable rocky shoreline.

Punta di Pargulu, Punta di a Vacca, Punta di l'Ariettu, Punta di l'Acellu. Bavella are the evocative names of some of the most impressive needles. This is a main stopover point on the GR20 cross Corsica footpath, taking you from Cuscione to the Paliri mountain refuge, and to where you gaze deep into Tafonata di Paliri, a huge 8 metre circular chasm.
Naturally formed, it is quite misleadingly nicknamed the Bomb Hole.

This spectacular mountain environment is home to mouflon sheep and to red deer, a species reintroduced by the Corsican natural and regional park after the late 1950's, when unrestricted hunting decimated the herd.

Here too, there are many fascinating local species, some found nowhere else. Among these are the French cave salamander and the Corsican brook salamander (Euproctus montanus). The Corsican nuthatch is a tiny bird of the high mountains, known as sitta whitehead after it was discovered by English explorer John Whitehead (1860-1899).