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Starting from the picture-postcard-pretty mountain village of ZONZA , 40km northwest of Porto-Vecchio, and running northeast towards the coast, the D268 - known locally as the route de Bavella - is perhaps the most dramatic road in all Corsica. Well served by buses, it also affords one of the simplest approaches to the spectacular landscapes of the interior. The road penetrates a dense expanse of old pine and chestnut trees as it rises steadily to the Col de Bavella (1218m), where a towering statue of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges marks the windswept pass itself. An amazing panorama of peaks and forests spreads out from the col: to the northwest the serrated granite ridge of the Cirque de Gio Agostino is dwarfed by the pink pinnacles of the Aiguilles de Bavella; behind soars Monte Incudine. Just below the pass, the seasonal hamlet of BAVELLA comprises a handful of congenial cafes, corrugated-iron-roofed chalets and hikers' hostels from where you can follow a series of waymarked trails to nearby viewpoints. Deservedly the most popular of these is the two-hour walk to the Trou de la Bombe , a circular opening that pierces the Paliri crest of peaks. From the car park behind the Auberge du Col , follow the red-and-white waymarks of GR20 for 800m, then head right when you see orange splashes. Those with a head for heights should climb right into the hole for the dizzying view down the sheer 500m cliff on the other side. Even more amazing views may be had from the summit of the adjacent peak, Calanca Murata , which you can scale after a steep forty-minute haul from the head of the ravine just below Trou de la Bombe. Small stone cairns mark the route. At no stage do you need to climb, but the views, which take in the entire Bavella massif to the west and a huge sweep of the eastern plains, are on a par with those from any of the island's major peaks. From Bavella, it's a steep descent through what's left of the Foret de Bavella , which was devastated by fire in 1960 but still harbours some huge Laricio pines. The winding road offers numerous breathtaking glimpses of the Aiguilles de Bavella and plenty of places to pull over for a swim in the river. The best place to stay locally is Zonza, which has a cluster of hotels, all with more than decent restaurants, such as Le Tourisme , set back on the west side of the Quenza road north of the village (tel 04.95.78.67.72, fax 04.95.78.72.23; 300-400F/?46-61; closed Nov-March), or L'Aiglon in the village centre (tel 04.95.78.67.79, fax 04.95.78.63.62; 220-300F/?34-46; closed Jan-March). For hikers, clean and comfortable dormitory accommodation is available at the Auberge du Col (tel 04.95.57.43.87; closed Nov-March), the most pleasant of the small gites d'etapes at Bavella, below the pass. Regular buses run to Zonza from Ajaccio, Propriano, Sartene and Porto-Vecchio; for the current timetables ask at a tourist office.
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