When is the cruising season in Corsica?

Late May through September. June and September are the calmer, quieter windows; July and August carry the largest fleet and the busiest anchorages on the southern coast. The Libeccio from the south-west is the wind to plan around on the exposed western side.

Where do charters depart from?

Bonifacio at the southern tip and Porto-Vecchio on the south-east coast are the principal embarkation ports, with Ajaccio on the west and Calvi in the north-west used for one-way routings. The choice follows the coast you want to cover first.

Can a charter reach the Scandola reserve?

Yes. The Scandola nature reserve and the Calanques de Piana on the west coast are a highlight of a longer Corsican week. Anchoring inside the reserve itself is restricted, so the routing works the edges and the neighbouring Girolata bay, which the crew brief in advance.

Can a Corsica charter combine with Sardinia?

Yes, and it is the natural pairing. The Strait of Bonifacio separates the two islands by a short passage, with the Lavezzi and Cavallo islands in between. A ten-day brief can work southern Corsica and the Sardinian Maddalena archipelago as one cruising ground. Cross-border documentation is arranged in advance.

How long is a typical charter in Corsica?

Seven nights covers the southern coast from Bonifacio to Porto-Vecchio and the eastern anchorages. Ten nights or more opens the full west-coast run to Scandola and Calvi, or a crossing to Sardinia. An advisor fixes the routing to the time and the coast that matter most.

What are the principal anchorages?

The Lavezzi islands and the cliffs below Bonifacio in the south, the Golfe de Porto-Vecchio and Santa Giulia on the south-east, and the Golfe de Porto and Scandola on the west. Palombaggia is the best known of the southern beaches and the busiest in high summer.

Mediterranean · yacht charter

Corsica.

Corsica yacht charter from Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio, working the granite south and the Scandola reserve on the west coast. A wilder Mediterranean island than its marinas suggest, within an overnight of Sardinia across the Strait of Bonifacio.

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Overview

What to expect.

Corsica is the wilder end of the western Mediterranean charter map: a granite island of cliffs, maquis and deep-water bays, closer in feel to a mountain range dropped into the sea than to the manicured coast of the Riviera opposite. Bonifacio, set into a limestone cleft at the southern tip, and Porto-Vecchio on the south-east coast are the principal embarkation ports, and most weeks begin from one of the two.

Yacht charter routing in Corsica tends to divide along two coastlines. The south and south-east are the sheltered, social side: the Lavezzi islands, the Golfe de Porto-Vecchio, and the beaches of Santa Giulia and Palombaggia, all within short hops of Bonifacio. The west coast is the dramatic counterpart, running up past Ajaccio to the Golfe de Porto and the Scandola nature reserve, where the red porphyry cliffs meet the water and anchoring is managed against the reserve’s protections.

The through-line for a longer week is the Strait of Bonifacio. Southern Corsica and the Sardinian Maddalena archipelago sit within a short passage of each other, separated by the Lavezzi and Cavallo islands, which makes the two islands a single cruising ground rather than two separate briefs. A ten-day charter can work the Corsican south, cross the Strait, and cover the Maddalena coves before turning back, with cross-border documentation arranged ahead by the advisor.

Corsica rewards a settled forecast more than most Mediterranean grounds, since the west coast is open to the Libeccio and the anchorages there are less forgiving in a blow. June and September return the best balance of weather and space, with July and August the busiest weeks on the southern coast. An advisor holding the Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio relationships fixes the embarkation port, the coast and the Sardinian crossing as one brief.

Fleet

Yachts available in Corsica.

Available on request

The current selection for Corsica is shared privately on request. Speak to a yacht advisor for a curated shortlist.

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Season

When to cruise.

Best months: May to September
Prevailing winds: Mistral · Meltemi · Sirocco
Typical base ports: Bonifacio · Porto-Vecchio · Ajaccio · Calvi

Late May through September. June and September return the best balance of weather and space; July and August carry the largest fleet and the busiest southern anchorages. The Libeccio from the south-west is the wind to plan around on the exposed west coast, where the Scandola and Golfe de Porto anchorages are less forgiving in a blow. Most briefs work the sheltered south first, with the Strait of Bonifacio crossing to Sardinia the natural extension for a longer week.

Ports

Marinas and anchorages.

Bonifacio
The harbour set into a limestone cleft at the island’s southern tip. The principal southern embarkation and the closest base to the Strait of Bonifacio and the Lavezzi islands.
Porto-Vecchio
The south-east harbour, sheltered at the head of its gulf. Embarkation for the Santa Giulia and Palombaggia anchorages and the eastern coast.
Ajaccio
The west-coast capital and marina. Used for one-way routings toward the Golfe de Porto and the Scandola reserve.
Calvi
The north-west harbour beneath its citadel. The northern turning point for a full west-coast run.

Frequently asked

Practical questions.

When is the cruising season in Corsica?: Late May through September. June and September are the calmer, quieter windows; July and August carry the largest fleet and the busiest anchorages on the southern coast. The Libeccio from the south-west is the wind to plan around on the exposed western side.
Where do charters depart from?: Bonifacio at the southern tip and Porto-Vecchio on the south-east coast are the principal embarkation ports, with Ajaccio on the west and Calvi in the north-west used for one-way routings. The choice follows the coast you want to cover first.
Can a charter reach the Scandola reserve?: Yes. The Scandola nature reserve and the Calanques de Piana on the west coast are a highlight of a longer Corsican week. Anchoring inside the reserve itself is restricted, so the routing works the edges and the neighbouring Girolata bay, which the crew brief in advance.
Can a Corsica charter combine with Sardinia?: Yes, and it is the natural pairing. The Strait of Bonifacio separates the two islands by a short passage, with the Lavezzi and Cavallo islands in between. A ten-day brief can work southern Corsica and the Sardinian Maddalena archipelago as one cruising ground. Cross-border documentation is arranged in advance.
How long is a typical charter in Corsica?: Seven nights covers the southern coast from Bonifacio to Porto-Vecchio and the eastern anchorages. Ten nights or more opens the full west-coast run to Scandola and Calvi, or a crossing to Sardinia. An advisor fixes the routing to the time and the coast that matter most.
What are the principal anchorages?: The Lavezzi islands and the cliffs below Bonifacio in the south, the Golfe de Porto-Vecchio and Santa Giulia on the south-east, and the Golfe de Porto and Scandola on the west. Palombaggia is the best known of the southern beaches and the busiest in high summer.