Scala di Santa Regina in Corscia
Hiking trail in the Golo Valley between mountain, river, and waterfall, Scala di Santa Regina was once the only path taken by the inhabitants of Niolu to descend into the plain. It offers a sense of freedom in an isolated nature.
Hiking trail in Niolu
Scala di Santa Regina was once a transhumance trail and an access route that connected the plain to the Niolu villages like Corscia, Albertacce, Calasima, or Lozzi. This hike offers beautiful vistas and panoramas over a preserved nature, the Falcunaghja river, and its waterfall.
Level of the route
The proposed route ends at the waterfall and does not present any major difficulties at this level, it is a half-earth half-stone marked and clean path, which requires good shoes and attention along the route due to steep flanks at times. The starting point is at the Vignente fountain where Our Lady of Niolu is located, you can park 2 to 3 cars directly there. The belt of mountains leads to prefer an early morning departure time for this hike to benefit from good sunlight.
View dominating the valley
The trail quickly gains height offering superb views of the Niolu valley, its red rocks, and snow-capped mountains when looking upstream of the Golo. The vegetation is not very developed, with however a few pines along the route. Depending on the season, you can find the crocus corsicus, a Mediterranean flower that grows in the spring in the region.
Falconaia Waterfall - Video
The first great satisfaction of the trail is the Falconaia (Falcunaghja) waterfall of the eponymous stream, which can be found spelled in this form: Falconaja. The waterfall is located on the right just after the viewpoint on the road that climbs to Albertacce. You hear the noise of the water rushing down the rocks, the intensity of which varies depending on the season and recent rainfall. The Falconaia stream is a tributary of the Golo, the island's largest river.
A Scala di Santa Regina in Fora di Strada
Find the Scala di Santa Regina with Paul and Karine in the show Fora di Strada from France 3 Corse Via Stella.
Former communication route
Just a century ago, when roads and cars were not yet part of the landscape, these trails winding through the mountain slopes were used by the Corsicans as the main communication route, they are still visible today due to the repeated passage of hikers. This is the case with the Scala di Santa Regina gorge, and also the trail located above the Lancone defile which connected Bastia to the villages of Nebbiu.
