The Coscionu plateau
A high summer-grazing plateau between 1,400 and 1,700 m, with wet meadows, free-roaming herds and the outline of the Incudine above it.
The Coscione plateau (Cuscionu in Corsican) lies between 1,400 and 1,700 m above sea level, at the foot of Monte Incudine, in the municipalities of Zicavo, Aullène, Serra-di-Scopamène and Quenza. It is summer grazing land: the herds are brought up here for the season, away from the heat of the coast.
Photo : Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What you will see
Wide rolling grassland, beech and pine trees along its edges and, above all, the pozzines: high-altitude wet meadows dotted with small pools, fed by the Codi stream and the snowmelt. Cows, pigs and horses graze freely here. In winter, when the snow settles, people come for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing around Bucchinera.
Why go
For a landscape you do not expect to find in Corsica: an open high plateau, almost Nordic, an hour’s drive from the beaches of the south. Come in June, when the pozzines are green and in flower, or in October for the colours of the beech trees. The plateau is huge and has few waymarks: stay on the paths and give up if the fog comes down.
The GR20 crosses the plateau between the Usciolu and Asinau refuges. To protect the pozzines, the Parc naturel régional de Corse bans walking poles here, as at Lake Nino.
Updated 30 October 2026
How to get there
From Quenza
The track up to the plateau is only passable in an off-road vehicle, at the driver’s own risk, according to the Alta Rocca tourist office.
On foot
Along the Mare a Mare trail to Ghjalicu, then the Codi path: about ten kilometres to Bucchinera.
From Zicavo
From the north, via the Bassetta shepherds’ huts.
Driving times
Allow about 1 hr 15 min from Sartène, Propriano or Porto-Vecchio, and 1 hr 45 min from Ajaccio, outside summer and without stops (OSRM calculation to the edge of the plateau).
With a guide
Guided 4x4 trips drive up onto the plateau.
Rules and protection
Stay on the paths
Do not leave the waymarked paths, and keep off the wetlands, which are fragile and easy to sink into.
Livestock
Cows, pigs and horses roam freely on the summer pastures. Close gates behind you and keep your dog on a lead.
Protection
The plateau lies within the Parc naturel régional de Corse (Corsica’s regional nature park). Information on pnr.corsica.
Safety and precautions
Fog
The plateau is huge and has few landmarks. In fog it is easy to get lost: take an IGN 1:25,000 map, a compass or GPS, and turn back if visibility drops.
Thunderstorms
In summer, storms often break in the afternoon, and there is no shelter on the open grassland. Set off early and come down before midday.
Snow
In winter the plateau is under snow, and you can explore it on cross-country skis or snowshoes around Bucchinera.
