Calanche de Piana

Twelve kilometres of UNESCO-listed red-granite cliffs plunging into the turquoise Gulf of Porto, widely considered one of the great drives of Europe.

The D81 hugs Corsica’s west coast between Porto and Piana, threading the Calanches — wind-eroded ochre granite towers up to 300 m above the Mediterranean. The road is paved but at times a single car’s width; the two kilometres cutting through the formations give the most dramatic viewpoints. Driving south toward Piana gives the best light, with the granite turning crimson at sunset.