GR20 Corsica High Route

The GR20 parallel vehicle route cuts through Corsica’s granite spine from Calenzana to Conca, following shepherds’ tracks and forestry roads that shadow France’s most notorious hiking trail. You’ll navigate knife-edge ridges above the Restonica Valley, ford the Tavignano River at Bergeries de Grotelle, and tackle the infamous Cirque de la Solitude approach road—a rocky nightmare that’ll test your undercarriage and your nerve. Ancient Genoese bridges mark river crossings where maquis scrubland gives way to Laricio pine forests.

This is expert-level terrain demanding full armor, recovery gear, and a spotter for the technical sections. Stock vehicles won’t survive the boulder fields between Vizzavona and Capanelle. Best tackled May through October when snow clears the high passes, though July heat makes it brutal. No permits needed, but fuel up in Corte—it’s your last reliable stop. What you get is the raw essence of Corsica: vertical granite walls, eagle-eye views of the Mediterranean, and bragging rights to one of Europe’s gnarliest mountain drives.