France · Balagne, Corsica
Yacht Charter Calvi
A Genoese citadel on a rock above a six-kilometre beach, with the Balagne hills behind it.
Calvi stands on a promontory at the western end of the Balagne with a citadel built by Genoa in the thirteenth century on top of it, a marina beneath, and a curve of sand running six kilometres east into a pine forest. The town claims Columbus was born inside the citadel walls, which is disputed, and paints it on a plaque anyway.
The citadel and the bay
The upper town is entirely inside the walls: a single gate, cobbled ramps, the Genoese governor's palace and a cathedral, and from the ramparts you look down on your own boat and across to the snow on Monte Cinto until June.
The bay is deep, holds well and is sheltered from the prevailing westerlies by the promontory itself, which is why the Genoese fortified this particular rock and not another.
The Balagne behind
Inland, hill villages sit in a line along the ridge — Sant'Antonino, one of the oldest inhabited villages in Corsica, is a spiral of stone at five hundred metres with olive groves under it, and Pigna and Corbara are within a few kilometres of it.
Westward the coast runs to the Scandola reserve and the red cliffs of Girolata, which is one of the great pieces of Mediterranean coastline and is reachable in a morning.
Practical notes
- The bay is deep, holds well, and the promontory shelters it from the prevailing westerlies
- Calvi airport is ten minutes from the port, which makes it the easiest arrival in northern Corsica
- The Scandola reserve and Girolata are a morning's sail south-west
- Olbia is a long day south-east across the strait, where thirteen of this fleet's yachts sit
Reached from: Olbia
Where to dine
A table by the water
A Candella
CalviInside the citadel walls on a terrace over the bay, in a fifteenth-century house.
Le Cabanon
CalviOn the sand east of the marina, where lunch is grilled fish and nothing is hurried.
Sant'Antonino
Sant'AntoninoUp on the ridge at five hundred metres, where the Balagne eats and the view runs to the sea.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The citadel
Genoese, thirteenth century, on the promontory above the bay, with the whole upper town inside its walls.
The six-kilometre beach
Running east from the marina into a pine forest, shallow and sheltered by the promontory.
Sant'Antonino
A spiral of stone at five hundred metres, one of the oldest inhabited villages in Corsica, with olive groves under it.
Scandola and Girolata
A morning's sail south-west: red porphyry cliffs and a UNESCO marine reserve reachable only from the water.
The fleet
Yachts available for Calvi
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Calvi
- What is the citadel?
- Genoese, thirteenth century, built on the promontory above the bay. The upper town is entirely inside the walls, and the ramparts look down on the anchorage and across to Monte Cinto.
- What is worth doing inland?
- The Balagne hill villages: Sant'Antonino is a spiral of stone at five hundred metres and one of the oldest inhabited villages in Corsica, with Pigna and Corbara a few kilometres away.
- What does a yacht charter in Calvi cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season, the crew and the positioning, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
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Enquire about a charter in Calvi
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.