20250 Corte
The Lac de Capitello (or Lagu di Capitellu in Corsican) is a lake in the Haute-Corse situated in the upper valley of the Restonica, a tributary of the coastal Tavignano river, 10km from the town of Corte. The lake lies near the Lac de Melo and both lakes can be seen as part of the same walk. The climb from the Melo to the Capitello takes less than an hour, although the path is more challenging than the one leading to the Lac de Melo. This is the highest point on the slopes of the Punta alle Porte basin. The Lac de Capitello is the fourth largest natural mountain lake in terms of its surface area (5.5ha) and is the deepest lake in Corsica (42m at its deepest point). Core drilling operations have been carried out to analyse the composition of the lake. Surrounded by peaks of up to 2,230m, the lake is frozen for more than eight months of the year. Around 1,200 hikers visit the lake in high season, which can cause problems for such a sensitive environment. The lake can be reached easily on foot from the ""Grotelle"" car park situated in the upper valley of the Restonica, around 10km from the town of Corte. The walk takes around two to three hours, passing the Lac de Melu on the way, and is the most popular mountain walk in Corsica during the summer season. Before arriving at the Lac de Melu, walkers can choose between the path along the right bank of the Restonica river, which is not particularly difficult in summer, and the path on the left bank, which has been fitted with chains to make it easier to climb over the steep rocky escarpment to the lake. In winter and spring, the path is often covered in snow, making it suitable only for experienced mountain hikers.