Corsica by yacht
Mountains straight into the sea: red cliffs and the Scandola reserve in the west, Bonifacio on its white cliffs, sandy bays around Porto-Vecchio. June and September are the best months. It suits couples and families most.
Corsica, France's island south of the Riviera, is mountains straight into the sea. On the west coast are red cliffs, the Scandola nature reserve and deep gulfs. In the south, Bonifacio sits on white cliffs above its harbour, with the Lavezzi islands just off it. The east has sandy bays around Porto-Vecchio. It is wilder and quieter than the French Riviera, and Sardinia is just across the strait.
Why go, and whom it suits
Families
The south and the east are the place: Santa Giulia, Rondinara and Palombaggia for sand and shallow water, and the Lavezzi for snorkelling.
Couples and honeymoons
A strong fit. Girolata's bay at night, the Calanques de Piana at sunset, and dinner in Bonifacio's old town.
Friends and celebrations
Friends who like walking, swimming and long dinners love it. For nightlife the Riviera or Sardinia's Costa Smeralda do it better, though Porto-Vecchio and Calvi have some.
Less good for: anyone who wants a different town every evening on the west coast, or a crossing that never meets the mistral.
What's there
Calvi
The citadel on its point, a long beach, and an airport close by.
La Revellata and Girolata
A headland, then a bay reached only by sea or on foot, with a small Genoese tower.
The Scandola reserve
Red volcanic cliffs and sea caves: a nature reserve inside the Gulf of Porto UNESCO World Heritage site. You see it from the yacht and by tender.
The Gulf of Porto and the Calanques de Piana
Red granite shapes above the water, best at the end of the day.
Ajaccio and the Sanguinaires
The island's capital, and the islands at the mouth of its gulf.
The south-west
Propriano, Campomoro and the rock at Roccapina.
Bonifacio
The harbour in a fjord-like inlet under the cliffs, and the old town on top.
The Lavezzi islands
Granite islets off Bonifacio, for swimming and snorkelling.
Porto-Vecchio and the east
Santa Giulia, Palombaggia and Rondinara: sandy bays.
Cap Corse and Saint-Florent (north)
The Désert des Agriates' beaches, Saleccia and Lotu, are reached by sea.
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When to go
June and September: the best months.
July and August: busy in the south, Bonifacio and the Lavezzi above all, and hot.
May and October: quieter, and good for walking.
It blows hardest on the west coast and in the Strait of Bonifacio, sometimes for a few days. The east coast is then the sheltered side.
Cost
The charter fee is each yacht's own weekly rate, shown "from" on her page.
- VAT is added at France's standard rate, 20%.
- APA: budget up to 40% of the charter fee; whatever is not spent is returned to you.
- One-way weeks, from the Riviera or to Sardinia, can add a delivery fee.
For the whole picture, see what a crewed charter costs, line by line.
A sample week
A one-way week down the west coast, from Calvi to Porto-Vecchio.
- Day 1 — Calvi. Board in Calvi, with dinner below the citadel.
- Day 2 — La Revellata and Girolata. A swim off the Revellata headland, then south to Girolata for the night.
- Day 3 — Scandola and the Gulf of Porto. The reserve's cliffs and caves by tender, and the Calanques de Piana at sunset.
- Day 4 — Ajaccio. South to Ajaccio, with the old town and the Sanguinaires islands at dusk.
- Day 5 — Campomoro and Roccapina. Quiet anchorages on the south-west coast.
- Day 6 — Bonifacio. The cliffs from the water, into the harbour, and the old town at night.
- Day 7 — The Lavezzi and Porto-Vecchio. A morning among the Lavezzi islands, then round to Porto-Vecchio to disembark.
The yacht and the weather decide the real route. In a mistral the captain may run the week down the east coast instead.
The yachts
Most of the yachts we show in France are motor yachts, many of them over 40 metres. Nearly all of them also cruise Italy, which suits a Corsica-and-Sardinia week.
The yachts on this site are a selection, not the limit of what we arrange: ask about any yacht, of any size.
Practical questions
Rene GaspersicYour broker
Where does the charter start?
Calvi, Ajaccio, Bonifacio or Porto-Vecchio. Or on the Riviera or in Sardinia, with the crossing as part of the week.
Which airport?
Calvi, Ajaccio, Bastia or Figari, depending on where you board.
Can we go ashore in the Scandola reserve?
Plan to see it from the yacht and by tender; the captain checks the reserve's current rules before you go.
How long is the crossing from the Riviera?
It is an open-sea crossing, the longest of a week. How long it takes depends on the yacht and the ports.
Can we combine Corsica with Sardinia?
Yes. Bonifacio and the La Maddalena islands are only a few miles apart.
Is it good for children?
The south and east, yes: sandy bays and shallow water.
What if the mistral blows?
The captain moves you to the sheltered east coast or into a gulf, and the route changes.
Do we need fixed dates to enquire?
No. A month or a season is enough to start.
Talk to a broker
Tell us roughly when, how many of you there are, and what the week is for: a family summer, a honeymoon, a birthday with friends. Dates and budget can stay loose. We come back with a short list of yachts that fit, say plainly what each one is like, and stay your contact from the first email to the last day on board.
Rene Gaspersic
charter broker
Email info@soretoyachting.com · Phone +44 7342 933198 · WhatsApp +44 7342 933198
What a week costs here
Every quote shows the three lines in full, before you decide.
The weekly rate on each yacht’s page. "From" is her lowest season.
An advance for fuel, food, drinks and berths, spent on your instructions and settled at the end.
Set by the country the charter starts in, added to the fee.
Plan
Corsica.
Two short steps. Dates and budget can stay loose. We reply personally, by email, phone or WhatsApp.