Girolata, Corsica, a charming village in the Scandola reserve

It is in the commune of Osanialong the west coast of Corsica, where you will find Girolata. It is located in the centre of the Scandolawhich has been classified by Unesco as a protected area. Girolata can only be reached by sea or by foot (from the Col de la Croix, a 2-hour walk). This village is one of the few marine shelters on the coast between Calvi to the north and Cargese to the south. 

It is a popular stopover for boaters visiting the reserve in summer. There are a few houses in the village of Girolata, all made of red granite and perfectly integrated into its environment, as well as restaurants and gîtes for stay a few days on site.

Getting to Girolata without a direct route

You can make a excursion by boat from Porto, Calvi or Ajaccio. I recommend that you choose a small boat that will sail to Scandolaand will stop at Girolata. Pass'Partout, a small company based in Porto, has decided to go back to traditional 'small' boats. This means no semi-rigid or super sonic outboards: it's better for nature. It's a smaller boat with a human-sized crew, allowing for more relaxed excursions and a captain who adapts to your needs. A hybrid boat, environmentally friendly 100% is now offered by the company. It offers three trips in the region. You can choose to visit all the gulfs, or a shorter trip that includes Scandola, Girolata, and Porto, or another with Piana, Capo Rosso, and Porto.

Walking: The Girolata trail starts at the Col de la Croix, 22 km from Porto. It takes about 2 hours to cover the 7 kilometres. The beautiful walk through the maquis takes about 4 hours round trip.

Girolata, too much of a tourist site in Corsica?

You will find a small pebble beach when you arrive at Girolata. It is flanked by a harbour, where you can see the boats of pleasure boaters and those of the many excursions. Tourists are continually arrivingThis detracts from the magical atmosphere of the place. This is all the more true given that the food on the beach is neither traditional nor exceptional. You get the feeling that it's important to be able to welcome summer visitors from the next boat.

The extraordinary story of Guy, the postman from Girolata

It is well known and has been featured on television several times. Guy, the postman from GirolataHe used to walk every day along the village path. He used to walk every day on the way to the village. To deliver the mail to the inhabitants of Girolata, he walked 15 km a day in just 45 minutes. This was twice as fast than the 1.5 hours it normally takes to get to the village.

Tchou TchouTchou Tchou, his donkey and real 4×4 of the maquis, accompanied him when parcels had to be delivered. He would take Tchou Tchou with him to carry the parcels along the stony path along the coast.

Guy retired from the ranks in 2006. He has now passed away...

The mail is now delivered by sea, putting an end to this beautiful story which only concerned Girolata.