The Calanche of Piana

Between Piana and the Gulf of Porto the coast is made of red granite that has weathered into towers, arches and honeycombed hollows, dropping several hundred metres straight into the sea. The road threads through the middle of it, which is both the appeal and the problem. Short marked paths leave the tarmac: an old mule track that runs below the road, and a climb to a rock platform known as the Chateau Fort with the water directly below. Late in the day the granite turns from pink to a hard orange-red. This coast is inscribed as World Heritage together with the Gulf of Girolata and the Scandola reserve to the north.

What you actually see

• The taffoni - honeycombed hollows weathered into the faces of the granite.
• The Chateau Fort - a short path out to a rock platform high above the sea.
• The Chemin des Muletiers - the old mule track below the road, away from the traffic.
• Evening light - the hour when the rock goes from pink to deep red.

When to go

May to June and September to October. In July and August coaches and hire cars fill a road with nowhere to pass or park, and the verges are solid with vehicles. Late afternoon gives the colour and thins the traffic slightly. Boat trips north to Girolata and the Scandola reserve run in season and are cancelled in swell.

Honest expectations

The road is the viewpoint, and that means walking a narrow verge with cars stopping unpredictably. Parking is scarce and informal. The marked paths are short, rocky and hot, with almost no shade. Porto itself is a small resort with limited appeal outside the season, and the drive along this coast is slow and nauseating for passengers.

Nearby

Porto and its marina sit below; the Spelunca gorge and Ota run inland.