8 days wandering down Corsica’s west coast

DAY 1
OVERNIGHT PASSAGE FROM GOLFE JUAN

Fly in to Nice and take the coastal road to the pleasant seaside resort of Golfe Juan, where you board your yacht for the overnight passage to Corsica, just over 80 nautical miles south-west of Nice.

DAY 2
CALVI AND THE BALAGNE HINTERLAND

Have breakfast on deck as the first glimpse of Corsica comes into view, a blue-tinged panorama of jagged mountain peaks, with the old town of Calvi huddling beneath the walls of a 16th century Genoese citadel. Considered one of Corsica’s best anchorages Calvi is also the hub of the Balagne region, known as the garden of Corsica for its fertile olive groves. It is an area of wild beauty – sandy coves, red granite rocks, high mountain peaks and ancient villages exuding character and charm – that has changed little since Prince Rainier of Monaco brought his bride Princess Grace here on honeymoon.

Explore the narrow streets of the old town or plan a more ambitious route down the Stradi di Artigani – the artisan’s trail that winds through villages in the area. Sun-seekers might prefer to find a spot on the 5-kilometre-long white sand beach that curves northwards from the pretty waterfront. Then as dusk descends and the town turns into one vast open-air restaurant filled with appetising aromas and the buzz of conversation, seek out a table and order a bottle of the best Corsican wine to accompany your evening meal.

View across harbour to town and citadel, Calvi | photo by Ruth Tomlinson/robertharding.com

DAY 3
GIROLATA VIA CAPE REVELLATA AND SCANDOLA MARINE NATURE RESERVE

Head south-south-west along a magnificent coastline of sheer red volcanic rock plunging to the sea. If the weather is calm, stop off at Cape Revellata, an exceptional dive site renowned for its seclusion and beauty with a complex natural architecture of canyons, corridors and steep drop-offs inhabited by an abundance of marine life. More secrets of the sea can be seen at Punto Palazzo in the Scandola Marine Nature Reserve, where algae platforms have been built over millennia, their calcified accretions attesting to ancient sea levels.

Then make for Girolata, a small village tucked away on the edge of a little cove in the Golfe de Porto, where a safe anchorage can be found beneath the ramparts of another Genoese port. Inaccessible to cars, its bustling beach is evacuated by a fleet of ferries at the end of the day when calm descends and you have it all to yourself. Dine onboard or venture ashore to try the delectable local Scandola lobster at Bel Ombra restaurant just below the fort.

Sea caves in the Scandola Marine Nature Reserve | photo by Michel Renaudeau/robertharding.com

DAY 4
PORTO AND TWO SIDES OF CALANQUES DE PIANA

Have breakfast on deck to ensure a view of some of Corsica’s most splendidly rugged coastal scenery around the Golfe de Porto as you continue south, and make sure you stay on deck to catch the first view of the Calanques de Piana – a range spiky red granite rocks jutting into the sea, with rock formations carved by wind and rain into fantastic sculptures and caves that have played host to the island’s earliest inhabitants. Depending on the time of day, the rocks change colour from rose pink to terracotta orange.

Take the tender ashore at Porto where you can hire a taxi to view the even more spectacular landward perspective from the narrow, twisting mountain road to Piana. This is but one small corner of the Corsican National Park that spans two thirds of the island, and is a World Heritage Site. You may want to put on your hiking boots to follow one of the trails that criss-cross this scenic wonderland or alternatively get your driver to take you further inland to see the Gorges de Spelunca, reputedly forged by the devil himself, where bare granite walls plunge 1,000 metres into a torrential convergence of five rivers, and sunlight creates sinister reflections.

Red granite sculptures of the Calanques de Piana | photo by Roger Lean-Vercoe

DAY 5
CARGESE FOR LUNCH AND ILES SANGUINAIRES FOR SUNSET

The yacht continues its cruise towards the Golfe de Sagone, hugging a coast that is incised with hundreds of small inlets and idyllic anchorages – choose one for a morning swim in crystal-clear waters that lap beautiful sandy beaches. For lunch call in at Cargèse, a town that gave asylum to Greek refugees in 1676, and still has a distinctly Greek flavour – to this day one of its two churches is Greek Orthodox. It’s a steep walk up the hill from the little port, but the town’s patisseries and cafés offer a tempting array of cakes and pastries to replenish your energy stores.

Back onboard continue southwards, bypassing the charmless modern beach resort of Sagone in favour of one of the splendidly isolated beaches on either side of the village of Tiuccia, which are readily accessible by tender. After a lazy afternoon on the sand or a more active one deploying water toys, make sure you weigh anchor in time to reach the Iles Sanguinaires by sunset. The impressive ruby-red light of this spectacle is said to have given the islands their name, and it is considered a local must-see. Anchor overnight beneath the Genoese tower that has topped the headland at Pointe de la Parata since 1607 when it was part of the defences against barbarian attacks. A climb to the top will reward you with amazing views.

DAY 6
HISTORY AND HONEY IN AJACCIO

Leaving the Iles Sanguinaires, where twin lighthouses keep watch over the changeable weather conditions in this corner of the Mediterranean, sail east into the Golfe d’Ajaccio, with its backdrop of mountains, often snow-capped until spring. Moor up in Port de Plaisance – Tino Rossi, a marina in the heart of Ajaccio. Birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte, Ajaccio was founded by the Romans, but still carries the charm of its Genoese past.

Spend the day exploring its old city, whose domed cathedral towers over narrow alleys, noble houses and pastel-shaded facades. Historians will want to visit Maison Napoleon – his family home, the Musée Napoleon and the Musée Fesch, palace of the Emperor’s uncle, while food lovers will be drawn to the colourful outdoor market, where typical Corsican products – local cheese, prisuttu cured ham, lonzu sausage, patés, fig and myrtle jams and honey – are on sale.

Follow this with a coffee or snack at one of the many relaxed cafés that line the quayside. For a dinner of traditional country fare make your way to Le 20123 – a Corsican bistro set within a recreation of Pila Canale’s village square, its original setting.

Ajaccio harbour | photo by Roger Lean-Vercoe

DAY 7
BONIFACIO VIA CAMPOMORO OR TIZZANO

Strike out early from Ajaccio, heading south-west out the Golfe d’Ajaccio and then east again into the Gulf of Valinco, one of the most beautiful and unspoilt on the west coast. To the north of the bay picturesque coves of golden sand and tumbled rocks may prove irresistible for a beach picnic.

Propiano is a lively resort town with a busy marina and many good restaurants, but you may want to give the hordes a miss in favour of the more serene Campomoro, a pretty village further south that has a handful of bars and restaurants and a huge protected sweep of sand, guarded by an imposing 16th tower with unusual star-shaped fortifications.

En route to Bonifacio, Tizzano is another gem – a small idyllic inlet with a splendid crescent-shaped beach and a few smaller coves tucked away on either side of the marina. However the notorious winds that are funnelled through the Straits of Bonifacio may prevent any stops before Bonifacio’s sheltered natural harbour is reached. This ancient town perched high on a limestone peninsula at Corsica’s southernmost tip is an amazing sight from the water.

Campomoro's picturesque bay and beaches | photo by robertharding.com

DAY 8
BONIFACIO, BEACH OR BIRDIE

Spend the morning wandering through the network of narrow lanes that twist and turn up to the citadel, lined with ramshackle medieval houses and boutiques selling handicrafts, jewellery and curiosities, but be sure to step out of the hustle and bustle to experience the eerie silence of the maritime cemetery, perched right at the edge of the town overlooking the sea.

The coastline is pitted with grottoes and caves that can be explored by tender but beach lovers might want to stay put on one of the fine sandy beaches in the area. Santa Manza is reputed to have the best windsurfing on the island and golf aficionados will certainly want to head for Spérone’s spectacular golf course – the only one in Corsica – which hugs the wild coastline east of Bonifacio, and is said to be one of the most varied and beautiful in the world.

For dinner Restaurant de Centre Nautique in the beautifully restored Old Harbour Master’s Office offers superb food and excellent views over Bonifacio harbour from its wooden deck, or you could dine aloft with a view of Bonifacio Bay at Les Terrasses d’Aragon. Then unwind until the early hours in one of the bars or cafés lining the harbour, where Bonifacio’s nightlife is concentrated.

Limestone cliffs around Bonifacio | photo by robertharding.com

DAY 9
PASSAGE BACK TO MAINLAND

Get under way long before dawn for the cruise back to the mainland.

Charter guide Corsica charter guide Corsica has a scenic grandeur unequalled in the Mediterranean with 1,000 kilometres of coastline, majestic mountain terrain, incredible beaches, ancient cities and charming villages

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