The Peninsula of Girolata
and
The Reserve of Scandola

An evocation of Girolata

The Peninsula from the end of the world.
A few times away, Girolata had neither electrecity nor telephone. The postman was the only link with the country.
Still today, no road leads to this village of fishermen.
Here, the isle has kept its wild savor. The green of the scrub mingles with the blue of the water.
Then it comes to our mind that a such splendor contains in it a touch of miracle.

At the extremity of the peninsula of Girolata ...

A model Reserve

The Nature Reserve of Scandola is situated at the heart of the maritime façade of the Natural Country Park, streching on 80 kilometres, from the peninsula of Capo Rosso (town of Piana) to the north limit of the town of Galeria.

It is on the Natural Country Park of Corsica initiative that the Reserve was officially created by ministerial decree, on the 9th december 1975, which makes it the most senior nature reserve of Corsica.

Besides, Scandola was the first reserve of France whose aim was the preservation of the natural heritage which is in the same time of earth and of sea.

Since 1982, it belongs to the network of the sea and coastal areas especially protected of the Mediterranean. Its exemplary management brought it the diploma of the A category of the nature european Reserves given in 1985 by the European Council, diploma which is renewed in 1990 and in 1995.

A Protected Paradise

There are more than 450 seaweeds. For certains, Corsica constitutes the only zone of mediterranean predilection. On the side of the vertebrates, 125 species are in the inventory whose abundance is remarkable, especially for those which have become rare in the Med: the grouper (Epinephelus gaza or Epinephelus marginatus), the "badAche" (Epinephelus alexandrinus), the "denti" (Dentex dentex) or the "corb" (Sciaena umbra, also called Corvina nigra).
Do not go believing that this profusion throws off balance the environment. Every age brackets are represented there.

In the sublittoral level, the most favorable to sea environmet's life, the changings of temperature and of salinity are moderate. Life harmonously develops there. Nothing hinders the photosynthesis of vegetals, animals find there their food, and the food chain, so complex it is, can set up.
The edible sea urchin (Paracentrotus lividus) and the black one (Arbacialixula) have a liking for limp and calcareous seaweeds.
We find there a blue limpet (Patella caerulea), schools of "saupes" (Sarpa salpa or Boops salpa), "sars" (Diplodus vulgaris, sargus or cervinus), mullets (Mullus surmuletus), "oblades" (Oblada melunera), etc.

Far lower down, from thirty and toward forty metres, it is the circalittoral level, the paradise of the divers. The"coralligene", one of the most extraordinary landscape of the Mediterranean, spreads. The mineral cornices and draperies cover themselves with gorgonias (Eunicella singularis and Paramuricea clavata).
Then there are the red coral (Corallium rubrum), sponges, "ascidies" and a green seaweed answering to the sweet name of Halimeda tuna.
Our king-fish, the grouper, appears in the shadowy light, the spiny lobsters (Palinurus elephas) too and the barbel (Anthias anthias).

Discover

• The Regions
  • In the South : Porto, Piana and The Region of Ajaccio
  • In the North : The Balagne Calvi and its Region
• The other Natural Reserves
  • The Lavezzi Isles
  • The Pond of Biguglia
  • The Natural Country Park
• The Boat Trips
• The Diving Headings
  • The Best Spots
  • The Clubs
  • The Useful Informations