THE SCANDOLA NATURE RESERVE

To visit the Scandola nature reserve is to discover one of Corsica's most beautiful natural sites, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site. An ecological treasure covering some 2,000 ha, spread over 80 km between the Capo Rosso peninsula and Galeria, it was created in 1975 at the instigation of the Regional Nature Park, making it the first French reserve to combine land and sea. Acknowledged at European level as one of the Mediterranean areas to be given priority for protection, it boasts a particularly rich and rare fauna: the last remaining ospreys, as well as the peregrine falcon, the bluebird and the pale swift, and in the sea, 450 species of algae, fish that have become rare in the Mediterranean, and magnificent shoals of coral. The boat trip offers unique landscapes, such as these volcanic organs, some of which, by a miracle of natural inversion, feature horizontal striations. The Genoese tower, built on the summit of the Gargalo rock, is the only one in Corsica to have retained its cannon, pointed out to sea. Maritime access is strictly regulated to preserve this exceptional natural area for future generations. Bivouacs are prohibited, scuba diving is forbidden, anchoring is permitted during the day only, and day and night are forbidden in the integral part. Offering spectacular scenery, a boat trip in the reserve is considered one of the must-do activities of any trip to Corsica.