Meandering its way through the scrubland, chestnut trees and cork oaks, the River Tavignano, from Corte to Aléria, has carved out gorges in the shiny shale right up to the edge of the eastern plain, while its many tributaries, which have come down from Castagniccia, have broken up the terrain of this medium-altitude region. Ancient villages, linked by narrow and winding cliff roads, cling to the mountainside on the northern slopes of the valley. Some of the landscapes you encounter will take your breath away.