Corsica Cabin Charter

The French island of Corsica lies southeast of the mainland in the Mediterranean Sea. Created by violent volcanic eruptions, it is the most mountainous region of the Mediterranean.

Beyond its natural beauty, Corsica is filled with history. Napoleon Bonaparte was born in the capital, Ajaccio, where his boyhood home is open to the public. Corsicans have their own language, closer to Italian than French, and a lifestyle that is all their own.

With one of Europe's finest hiking trails, 40 varieties of orchid, rare lichens and mosses, and excellent cuisine, visitors may be tempted to stay on land. But there is a strong water culture too. Whale and dolphin sanctuaries surround the island. Explore the sea caves near Bonifacio, take in some sea fishing, or try river and lake fishing for local trout. Swimming, diving and paragliding are just a few of the draws to the spot the Greeks called Kalliste, the Beautiful Island.

The one-week itineraries start from Ajaccio every Saturday, ideally made to discover the west coast with idyllic calls. This is the northern route.

• Day 1, Ajaccio. Boarding in Ajaccio in the late afternoon. Departure around 18:00, on to Sainte Barbe in Ajaccio Bay, with dinner and the night on board.
• Day 2, Ajaccio to Sagone and Cargese. After breakfast, set sail for the bay of Sagone or Cargese, depending on the weather. Sagone is a small fisherman's village hidden at the far end of a large bay with a long white sandy beach. A few miles away, Cargese is a harbour and a typical village set in the heights, a town a Greek colony settled long ago. Lunch on board, then water activities, relaxation and time to explore the town.
• Day 3, Golfe de Porto and Girolata. After breakfast, sail alongside the wild coast and admire its jagged headlands and deep creeks. Discover Cala di Palu and its renowned stone totems, and the typical Sugarloaf. Moor and lunch at the Swimming Pool, a creek fringed with sheer rock, for swimming, snorkelling or kayaking. After lunch, sail on to Les Calanques de Piana, a sight of vast caves and red, orange and pink granite cliffs carved into unique animal-like shapes, then into the Gulf of Porto, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Round Capo Cenino before reaching the Gulf of Girolata, its Genoese bastion and its fisherman's village. Mooring for the night in Girolata creek.
• Day 4, Girolata to Calvi. After breakfast, sail to the Scandola Natural Reserve. With its wild coast bordered by tortured reefs and islets, the protected reserve of Scandola is one of the most beautiful geological sights in Corsica. Only day mooring is permitted, which allows a quick visit by tender of this labyrinth of reefs. Snorkel to admire the underwater cliffs and countless fish, then moor and lunch in Scandola before swimming and setting off for Calvi. For centuries under Genoese rule, Calvi claims that Christopher Columbus was born within its walls. The quays are now crowded with lively bars and restaurants, and uptown the narrow streets snake up to the magnificent citadel. Mooring for the night in the marina.
• Day 5, Calvi to Girolata. A morning of free time in Calvi, then departure to the Gulf of La Revellata for swimming, relaxation, snorkelling and kayaking. After lunch, route to Girolata. The landscapes of Calvi turn wild and steep, cut into bright red granite. The volcanic origin of the island, with wind and water erosion, has created breathtaking scenery of abrupt cliffs, red rocks with tortured shapes and deserted creeks. Further south, Girolata is a small fisherman's village, one of the last places on the coast still inhabited yet inaccessible by road. It has a dreamlike quality lit by the vivid red of the surrounding rocks, a short stony beach and a few houses under a stately watchtower the Genoese built in the seventeenth century. Nautical activities and mooring for the night in Cala Muretta or Cala Vecchia.
• Day 6, Capo Rosso to Cargese. A call around Capo Rosso and its many belvederes takes in the sites missed on the first stop. Then sail to Cargese, a typical harbour that became a famous Mediterranean seaside resort, its history stamped by a Greek colony that settled in the seventeenth century. Swimming, relaxation, water activities and mooring for the night.
• Day 7, Sagone to Ajaccio. Morning sailing in the bay of Sagone and a mooring for lunch, then on to Ajaccio. Visit the city in the late afternoon, where Napoleon Bonaparte was born, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and its wealth of cafes, restaurants and shops. Wander the narrow streets and the lively quays of the harbour.
• Day 8, Ajaccio. Disembarkation at 08:00.

Contact us for the south Corsica route.