Macinaggio and the Cliff Moss Coastal Heath: Cap Corse's North-East Starteasytravelpost #Macinaggio
#easytravelpost Macinaggio (Macinaghju) is the north-east harbour of Cap Corse, start of the Sentier des Douaniers (customs path) south to Barcaggio, 3 km of coastal heath and Genoese towers. I bused Bastia→Macinaggio (TIB line, €3, 1.5 hrs, 3/day), started the heath walk at 06:45 in May.
The cliff moss is the heath's rock outcrops: Racomitrium and Polytrichum in the joint-cracks where the maquis thins, Sphagnum in the seasonal bog behind the dune, and the cliff above the Tour de Macinaggio has Fissidens on the limestone seep—the heath is Cistus and Erica arborea, the moss only in the rock shadow. I walked to the first tower (45 min) at 07:30, the moss silver, a Corsican finch in the heath, the Tuscan coast 80 km north. The path is free, no water, wind-exposed—2 L minimum.
Mistake: I took the 12:00 TIB bus back and it was the last one—check the 3 daily times (06:30/12:00/17:30-ish) before you walk, or you hitch the D80. Another: I wore a softshell in May and the mistral on the heath cut through it; pack a windproof, the cape funnels wind. Would you walk Macinaggio→Barcaggio customs path for the heath-moss towers at 07:00, or base in Macinaggio and boat to Lavezzi instead?