France · Corsica
Corsica and the Strait of Bonifacio
Seven nights from Olbia — La Maddalena, the Lavezzi islands and Bonifacio, crossing into France and back again.
7 nights · Round trip from Olbia
Corsica is an hour and a half of open water from the largest base in this fleet, and the week works precisely because it does not start there. Thirteen yachts sit at Olbia, which means the boat is chosen from a real fleet rather than from whatever happens to be free in Ajaccio; and the crossing itself buys two countries in seven nights instead of one. The strait between them is the whole point of the route and the reason the days are ordered the way they are.
The route, day by day
Day 1
Olbia
Board in the afternoon and take the short leg north to Porto Cervo or the anchorage at Cala di Volpe. The passport goes aboard today: tomorrow the week leaves Italy.
Day 2
La Maddalena
The sixty-two islands of the archipelago, all of it national park. Budelli's pink beach can be looked at but not landed on, and Spargi and Santa Maria hold the anchorages worth the afternoon.
Day 3
Lavezzi islands
Across the strait in the morning, while it is still quiet. A granite marine reserve in the middle of the channel — shallow, clear and almost lunar above the waterline. Most crossings stop here rather than pressing straight on.
Day 4
Bonifacio
The most theatrical arrival in the Mediterranean: you round the headland and a fjord opens beneath a wall of white chalk with houses on the lip of it. Deep, narrow, completely sheltered, and small enough to want booking in August.
Day 5
Santa Giulia
North-east up the Corsican coast to white sand and shallow turquoise — the closest thing here to the Costa Smeralda, with a fraction of its traffic. Porto-Vecchio is half an hour further for provisioning and dinner.
Day 6
Cavallo
Back into the strait for the second of the two islets, and a last French anchorage before the return crossing. Morning departure, as always here.
Day 7
Olbia
South across the strait and down the Gallura coast, with a last swim at Caprera or Porto Cervo depending on the hour of the flight.
Worth knowing
- No yacht is based in Corsica: the week sails from Olbia, an hour and a half across the strait, where thirteen boats sit
- It is a border crossing — passports aboard, the paperwork simple but not optional
- The strait funnels wind and builds through the afternoon: every crossing on this route is made in the morning
- Bonifacio harbour is small and wants booking in August; in June it does not
- The red granite of Piana and the Calanques is a different week — from Olbia it is a delivery, and we would rather say so
Where this route goes
Yachts that sail this route
Itineraries
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