Plateau de Cauria

The Plateau de Cauria is a compact but powerful journey into Corsica’s prehistoric past—where carved menhirs stand guard in open fields, a sacred dolmen crowns a hill, and subtle alignments hint at shifting belief systems over millennia. A fascinating fusion of history, landscape, and mystery—perfect for a reflective walk in southern Corsica’s quieter corners. 📍 Visual Highlights I Stantari alignment: The best-known grouping of standing stones—eleven monoliths arranged in two parallel rows, five of which are carved as anthropomorphic statues showcasing faces, swords, belts, and limbs. Renaghju alignment: A more scattered meadow of roughly 50–180 menhirs—some upright, others lying down—set amid a grove of kermès oaks. These stones are generally smaller and less sculpted than those at I Stantari. Dolmen de Fontanaccia: A strikingly well-preserved corridor tomb atop a natural knoll, consisting of six upright slabs supporting a massive horizontal capstone weighing over 15 tonnes. It is referred to locally as “Stazzona di u Diavulu” (Devil’s forge). Location & layout: The plateau is located about 10–14 km south of Sartène. There’s a small car park and a roughly 1 km walking loop connecting the three main sites: I Stantari → Renaghju → Fontanaccia. Total hiking time: ~1–2 hours.