In recognition of the rare nature of its environment and its good ecological functioning, the Taravo was awarded the “Wild Rivers Site” label in 2017. This is another step towards preserving and developing this exceptional territory, as part of a territorial project for sustainable development led by the Collectivité de Corse.
65 kilometers long, the Taravo river (Taravu in Corsica) starts at an altitude of 1,500 meters, on the north of Monte Grosso, until emptying into the Mediterranean Sea, on the Gulf of Valinco, between Porto Pollo and Abbartello. Its watershed covers or cuts across 31 towns in South Corsica. Numerous testimonies, such as the prehistoric site of Filitosa, indicate that the human presence around the Taravo dates back to 6000 BC. Genoese bridges, fountains, washhouses, irrigation canals, mills … over the centuries, man learned how to use this water for his vital and economic needs, without denature its course. The river remains a true natural treasure that shelters a phenomenal wealth of plant and animal species. Many of them are endemic, rare or protected. Wild and dynamic, the Taravo has a relatively high flow all year round, perfect for canoeing and kayaking. Hiking or horse riding, cycling, sport fishing … the Taravo valley also offers a majestic place for other leisure activities, always emphasizing the link between the land and man.
Three bridges from the Genoese period span the Taravo today: the Trinidad Bridge, the Abra Bridge and the Calzola Bridge. Built in ashlar, with their silhouettes in the shape of a hunchback, their raised arches and narrow roadway, these jewels of the island’s heritage are perfectly integrated into the bucolic setting of this land of water.
