Lac de Capitello (Capitellu)

Corte

Above the Lac de Melo, in the cirque of the upper Restonica, the Lac de Capitello occupies a basin surrounded by summits reaching up to 2,230 m. The Corsica tourist office gives it at 1,930 m above sea level, with an area of 5.5 ha, which makes it the fourth largest natural mountain lake on the island, and a maximum depth of 42 m, the greatest in this category. The same source notes that core samples were taken there to analyse its composition, without giving the results. It lies in the commune of Corte, 16 km from the town. The climb from Melo takes less than an hour, by a more strenuous path; the current start is the La Frassetta car park, as the road to the sheepfolds of Grotelle has been impassable since the bad weather of November 2023. No legend, cult or historical use was found for this lake in the sources consulted: the entry is therefore mainly geographical. The depth of 42 m comes from a single source.

Getting there: From the La Frassetta car park (900 m): about 6 to 7 h round trip to Melo, then an additional 1 h 30 round trip to Capitello (Visit Corsica). Trail more strenuous than the one to Melo. Mountain hike, check the weather. Coordinates: Nominatim (OpenStreetMap), single source.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound