The glacier-moulded rocks and deep pools of the Gorges de la Restonica make the D936 running southwest from Corte the busiest mountain road in Corsica – if you come in high summer, expect to encounter traffic jams all the way up to the car park at the Bergeries de Grotelle, 15km from Corte. Minibuses run from Corte to the Bergeries, costing €12; taxis charge around €35, but hitching is usually reliable. The gorges begin after 6km, just beyond where the route penetrates the Forêt de la Restonica, a glorious forest of chestnut, Laricio pine and the tough maritime pine endemic to Corte. Not surprisingly, it's a popular place to walk, picnic and bathe in the many pools fed by the cascading torrent of the River Restonica, easily reached by scrambling down the rocky banks.From the bergeries, a well-worn path winds along the valley floor to a pair of beautiful glacial lakes. The first and larger, Lac de Melo, is reached after an easy hour's hike through the rocks. One particularly steep part of the path has been fitted with security chains, but the scramble around the side of the passage is perfectly straightforward, and much quicker. Once past Lac de Melo, press on for another forty minutes along the steeper marked trail over a moraine to the second lake, Lac de Capitello, the more spectacular of the pair. Hemmed in by vertical cliffs, the deep turquoise-blue pool affords fine views of the Rotondo massif on the far side of the valley, and in clear weather you can spend an hour or two exploring the surrounding crags, the haunt of rock pipits. Beyond here, the trail climbs higher to meet the GR20, and should only be attempted by well-equipped mountain-walkers.
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