A glacial valley above Corte, with rock pools and high mountain lakes. Since the storms of 2023, you go up by shuttle bus.
The Restonica valley runs for about twenty kilometres from Corte, in the centre of the island, up to the glacial lakes of Melu and Capitellu, at the foot of Monte Rotondu (2,622 m). The river rises at Lake Melu, at around 1,700 m, then tumbles down in cascades that have smoothed the granite slabs and hollowed out rock pools where people swim in summer.
Photo : Pierre Bona, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Narrow gorges, a forest of Corsican pines, then, higher up, mountain grassland and the lakes. Corte town council lists the golden eagle, the bearded vulture, the Corsican nuthatch and the macrostigma trout among the species found in the valley. Lower down, the river’s rock pools draw swimmers from June; higher up, the shores of Lake Melu and Lake Capitellu can still hold snow in early summer. Our page on the lakes of Corsica covers the island’s other mountain lakes, and the GR20 passes above, at the Capitellu gap.
It is the finest mountain valley within reach of Corte, and the road closure has made it quieter: no more queues of cars on the narrow road, but a shuttle bus to book instead. For the lakes, take the first shuttle of the morning and set aside the whole day. For a swim, half a day is enough. June and September are the best months: the lakes are clear of snow, the water in the pools is bearable, and the shuttle is less crowded than in August.
Updated 30 October 2026
**The storms of November 2023 washed away the road in the upper valley.** According to *Corte* town council, no vehicle can now get through between the *Tragone* bridge, at kilometre 9, and the *Grotelle* shepherds’ huts. No reopening had been announced as of autumn 2026.
The Navetta Restonica, run by the Collectivité de Corse (the Corsican regional authority), operates daily from 1 May to 30 September 2026, from Corte station to the Frasseta bridge, in 35 minutes, stopping at Tuani and Riviseccu. Return fare: €4, free for children under 8.
Booking in the Via Corsica app is compulsory, and no tickets are sold on board. Book before you leave Corte: there is no mobile signal in the valley. Timetable and fares on isula.corsica.
The 2026 shuttle leaflet lists six car parks around the station, the stadium and the university. Leave your car in town.
The D623 remains open in the lower valley, but it is narrow. Outside the shuttle season, check with Corte town council before driving up.
Walks now start at the *Frasseta* bridge, where the shuttle bus terminates, and no longer at the *Grotelle* shepherds’ huts.
The path climbs through forest to the Grotelle shepherds’ huts, then to Lake Melu, the source of the Restonica, and on to Lake Capitellu, at 1,930 m. A section fitted with ladders leads up to Lake Melu. Take the first shuttle bus.
Source: Agence du tourisme de la Corse; altitude: Corte town council
U chjassu di e Grotelle climbs through pine forest, waymarked in red, to the shepherds’ huts. A half-day outing for those not going on to the lakes.
Source:
The valley has been a listed site since 1966, covering 6,176 ha. It is covered by an Opération Grand Site (a national programme for major landscapes), and lies within the Parc naturel régional de Corse (Corsica’s regional nature park), a special protection area for birds and the Rotondu massif Natura 2000 site.
Do not light fires, do not camp outside designated areas, and take your rubbish away with you. The use of fire is regulated by the Haute-Corse prefecture.
The valley was devastated by the storms of 2023. In summer, storms often break in the afternoon: move away from the riverbank as soon as one threatens, as the water rises fast.
There is no phone signal in the valley. Tell someone your route and the time of your return shuttle.
The water is cold and the rock slabs are slippery. Do not dive in without knowing how deep it is.
The path is steep and rocky, with ladders. Wear good shoes and bring water and a windproof jacket: it is cool at nearly 2,000 m, even in August.
