France
Gulf of Porto
Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve is a natural area with dramatic geological landforms and wealthy undersea life.
The coastline is noted for its red cliffs, some 900 metres high, sand beaches, and headlands. The sheer cliffs of the Gulf contain many grottos and are flanked by numerous stacks and almost inaccessible islets and coves. It is the habitat of the rare osprey, peregrine falcons and bearded vultures.
Community Perspective: This coastal area of Corsica is best seen from the sea, see Els’s review of what you may expect from such a boat tour. Jay visited the terrestrial part of the Calanche of Piana on foot.
Site Info
Official Information
- Full Name
- Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve (ID: 258)
- Country
- France
- Status
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Inscribed 1983
Site history
History of Gulf of Porto
- WHS Type
- Natural
- Criteria
- vii
- viii
- x
Links
- UNESCO
- whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
- whc.unesco.org — whc.unesco.org/
Related Resources
- reserves-naturelles.org — Porto tourisme
Community Information
- Community Category
- Natural landscape: Karst landscapes and caves
- Natural landscape: Marine and Coastal
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
Recent Connections
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Located in a TCC Territory
Corsica -
Eagles
Sea eagle (Official description) -
Tour de France
Tour de France 2013, Stage 3See www.sbn…
Connections of Gulf of Porto
- Geography
- Trivia
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One million visitors or more
Ce site est fréquenté par 1.1 millions de visiteurs sur une période s'étalant du mois d’avril au mois d’octobre 2012 (Periodic Reporting) -
Tour de France
Tour de France 2013, Stage 3See www.sbnation.com
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- History
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Pisan colonies
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Republic of Genoa
Genoese towers
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- Ecology
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Eagles
Sea eagle (Official description) -
Columnar Jointing
Scandola Nature ReserveSee en.wikipedia.org
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Sea Stacks
the livid, sheer, and jagged cliffs of the coast contain many grottos and are flanked by numerous stacks, islets, and coves (Coastal WHS)
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- Human Activity
- WHS on Other Lists
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Located in a TCC Territory
Corsica -
Biodiversity hotspot
Mediterranean Basin -
Natura 2000
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World Biosphere Reserves
Falasorma-Dui Sevi (extended in 2020) -
Most beautiful villages
Piana is among Les plus beaux villages de France ('France's most beautiful villages')
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- Timeline
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Paleozoic
... to have undergone two distinct cycles of volcanic activity in the Permian. Since then cycles of erosion and rejuvenation have been at work and there are high cliffs of red porphyry, rhyoliths and basaltic pillars, considerably eroded by wave action. (AB ev)
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- WHS Names
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Name changes
Two times: in 1996 to add "...and the Piana Calanches", and in 2006 from "Cape Girolata, Cape Porto, Scandola Nature Reserve and the Piana Calanches in Corsica" to "Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve"
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News
No news.
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.Community Reviews
Show full reviews
Ranked #728, this is one of the lesser visited sites in Europe among our community members. It comprises a coastal area in northwestern Corsica, recognized for both its marine and terrestrial features. The cumbersome name probably doesn’t help to market it: “Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve” actually comprises one integral core zone with three distinct parts. Only the Calanche of Piana (the correct name should be the plural I think - Calanches of Piana) actually lies in the Gulf of Porto. The Gulf of Girolata is a bay of its own and the Scandola Reserve borders that bay as well.
I visited the site from Ajaccio with 1 of the 2 large companies (Cap Nava, Decouvertes Naturelles) that offer day tours there. My tour cost 59 EUR and we were out for 10 hours on a large ship with some 70 passengers. From Ajaccio, it takes 2.5 hours to get to the core zone. If you’re not relying on public transport to get around Corsica as I did, you could start your trip from one of the smaller towns north (Porto, even Girolata). Tours with smaller boats will be available from there. I visited on September 23 and though the low season had started already, there were plenty of boats around.
The Scandola Nature Reserve lies at the northern end of the Gulf of Girolata. We had been crossing a very heavy rain shower on our way north from Ajaccio, but the …
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My most recent World Heritage Site visit was truly serendipitous, since the last day of my Mediterranean cruise was to take me to Monaco last December. Instead, due to rough waters, we were rerouted to Corsica, birthplace of Napoleon and an island of incredible beauty, of which the Gulf of Porto World Heritage Site is no small part. There was no way I would miss an opportunity to see a European natural World Heritage Site, so I joined a tour to visit the gulf upon arrival in Ajaccio.
The Gulf of Porto is one of France's earliest World Heritage Sites, and its first natural site. Although the site includes three main parts, I only had time to visit one of the parts: the Calanche of Piana. Up to now, I realize that I never did ask what calanche actually are: apparently they are narrow, rocky inlets (singular: calanca in Corsican). Even without knowing what the word meant, the appeal of the calanche was readily apparent with the juxtaposition of the red granite cliffs, dotted with scrub brush and evergreens, against the rich blue waters of the Gulf of Porto. Because we were visiting in December, the main road through the calanche was remarkably free of traffic, and our tour took an unofficial hike along the road for a few kilometers. The weather was sunny and warm, and we were surrounded by amazing rock formations in all directions -- pinnacles, walls, and even a heart-shaped hole in a rock. There …
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Although the views of the Gulf of Porto from Piana, Porto and Girolata are spectacular, it was really necessary to take a cruise with one of several operators in Porto to get a close-up experience of the coastline.
The three spectacular seascapes of the area included in these cruises are:
The Calanches of Piana on the south side are steep rugged cliffs of red rock, the colour of which varies with the light over the course of a day. The cliffs are riddled with caves, some at sea level which vessels can enter.
Girolata is a small touristy village beside the gulf's only beach. It is only accessible from the sea, being surrounded by steep, high cliffs.
The Scandola Reserve is an area of rocky stacks rising vertically out of the water, with arches and other features only reachable by boat. The bird and sea life is prolific here.
Porto is difficult to reach because of Corsica's terrain. I travelled there by bus from Ajaccio, and away to Calvi. Both routes involved crossing steep mountain passes and fast-flowing streams, both journeys of several hours duration. But very scenic with frequent glimpses of the coast.
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