Sailing around Corsica: a 14-day route from Ajaccio
Sailing around Corsica is one of the great Mediterranean passages: the cliffs of the west coast, the wild Agriates coast, the exposed tip of Cap Corse, a long, straight east coast and the cliff-top town of Bonifacio. Corsica's official tourist board reckons about two weeks for a circumnavigation. Our clockwise route from Ajaccio covers roughly 300 nautical miles in 11 sailing days, with legs of 17 to 38 nm and three days kept free for weather or rest.
Where to charter a yacht for sailing around Corsica?
Start in Ajaccio: you'll find charter yachts on our Ajaccio page, and more bases on the south coast in Porto-Vecchio and Bonifacio, all on the Corsica page. Charter weeks usually run Saturday to Saturday, and whether a company rents a yacht for two weeks depends on the charter company, so ask before you book. To sail bareboat you need a licence or sailing CV the charter company accepts (see boat licence in France and the ICC); you can also hire a skipper or book a crewed yacht.
A 14-day route around Corsica
Why clockwise? Météo-France describes both the mistral and the libeccio as westerly winds over Corsica, the libeccio turning south-west in Balagne and on western Cap Corse, and the Bonifacio marina gives west and south-west as the prevailing winds. Going north first, you sail the exposed west coast and round Cap Corse early, while you still have spare days, and you round the cape from west to east with that wind behind you. The east coast is then in the lee of the mountains. The price is the last two days, which can be on the wind from Bonifacio to Ajaccio; they are short legs with Propriano as a harbour on the way. In an easterly pattern, decide on the first morning whether to reverse it.
All distances are our estimates from the map; plan every leg with up-to-date charts and a pilot book.
Day 1–2: Ajaccio – Iles Sanguinaires – Girolata (approx. 38 nm)
Take over the boat on Saturday and spend the first night in Ajaccio; Port Tino Rossi lies right below the citadel, with pontoons for boats up to 18 m. Next morning sail out past the Iles Sanguinaires, four rocky islands with a lighthouse at the mouth of the gulf, and head north along the west coast to Girolata, a village reached only on foot or by boat. Book a place for the night on the Girolata port website (staffed 1 May to 30 September). Tip: this is the longest leg of the trip, so leave early. More about this coast is in our west Corsica guide.
Day 3: Girolata – Scandola – Calvi (approx. 18 nm)
Cruise along the cliffs of the Scandola nature reserve in the morning light. Anchoring is allowed only between sunrise and sunset, never at night, and not at all in the integral reserve between Gargalu island and Punta Palazzu. In the afternoon cross to Calvi. The marina (VHF 9) has around 150 visitor berths and online booking, and a regulated mooring area (VHF 8). Tip: the harbour is well protected except from the north-east.
Day 4–5: Calvi – Désert des Agriates – Saint-Florent (approx. 30 nm)
Keep day 4 as your first weather day: if the mistral or libeccio is blowing, stay in Calvi. Otherwise sail east along the Agriates, a 15,000-hectare protected coastline without roads, where the white beaches of Lotu and Saleccia are reached only on foot, by 4x4 track or from the sea. In settled weather stop off the beaches for a swim, then move on to Saint-Florent for the night. The marina is sheltered, has 920 berths and takes visitor bookings online; call on VHF 9. Tip: camping and fires are forbidden in the Agriates, and the beaches have no services.
Day 6–7: Saint-Florent – Cap Corse – Macinaggio (approx. 32 nm)
This is the key leg. Cap Corse is a mountain ridge sticking out into the sea, and Météo-France notes that relief channels and accelerates the wind; the tourist board warns that conditions around the cape can change dramatically even in summer. Go only in a good forecast window, check the Météo-France marine forecast for the Cap Corse zone, and round the tip with plenty of sea room. Macinaggio, the marina of Cap Corse, is a natural shelter on the east side of the tip and lies in the Parc naturel marin du Cap Corse et de l'Agriate. Day 7 is your second reserve day, either waiting in Saint-Florent for the window or resting in Macinaggio.
Day 8–9: Macinaggio – Bastia – Taverna (approx. 17 + 23 nm)
A short run south brings you to Bastia's Vieux-Port (VHF 9, boats up to 35 m); Port de Toga is the second marina. Next day continue to Port de Taverna in the Campoloro area (you'll see both names), which calls itself the only harbour between Bastia and Solenzara. Tip: the east coast is long and straight, with very few places to hide, so treat each harbour as a fixed stop. Météo-France notes that the libeccio can be very violent in Bastia, a warm foehn wind off the Cap Corse mountains.
Day 10: Taverna – Solenzara (approx. 32 nm)
A long, open leg along the plain of the east coast, with the mountains behind. Solenzara is a river-mouth harbour with 450 berths. Tip: the port asks every visiting boat to announce its arrival in advance by phone, VHF or email.
Day 11: Solenzara – Porto-Vecchio (approx. 21 nm)
Sail south into the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio and berth in the town marina (VHF 9). Tip: visitor berths are booked online through the Corsican ports booking platform (resaportcorse.com), which also covers Saint-Florent, Macinaggio, Bonifacio and Propriano, so set it up before you leave home.
Day 12: Porto-Vecchio – Lavezzi – Bonifacio (approx. 30 nm)
Head south to the islands of the Lavezzi archipelago for a swim stop, then round the corner into the narrow cliff inlet of Bonifacio. Book Bonifacio well ahead: berths are given only after booking in the "Les ports corses" app or on resaportcorse.com, never by phone, and from 1 to 25 August boats under 18 m can book only one night. The Lavezzi, the Strait of Bonifacio and the reserve rules are covered in detail in our south Corsica guide. Tip: the speed limit inside Bonifacio harbour is 5 knots.
Day 13–14: Bonifacio – Propriano – Ajaccio (approx. 32 + 25 nm)
Sail north-west along the south-west coast to Propriano at the head of the Gulf of Valinco (VHF 9, 550 berths, online booking), then back to Ajaccio on the last day. Day 13 is your third reserve day: if the westerly is too strong to beat into, Propriano or Bonifacio are good places to wait, but keep an eye on the return time in your charter contract.
| Leg | Distance | Overnight | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ajaccio – Girolata | approx. 38 nm | Girolata (book online) | Iles Sanguinaires |
| Girolata – Calvi | approx. 18 nm | Calvi marina | Scandola by day |
| Calvi – Saint-Florent | approx. 30 nm | Saint-Florent marina | Agriates beaches |
| Saint-Florent – Macinaggio | approx. 32 nm | Macinaggio marina | Rounding Cap Corse |
| Macinaggio – Bastia | approx. 17 nm | Bastia Vieux-Port | Old harbour of Bastia |
| Bastia – Taverna | approx. 23 nm | Port de Taverna | East coast |
| Taverna – Solenzara | approx. 32 nm | Solenzara | Mountain backdrop |
| Solenzara – Porto-Vecchio | approx. 21 nm | Porto-Vecchio marina | Sheltered gulf |
| Porto-Vecchio – Bonifacio | approx. 30 nm | Bonifacio marina (book) | Lavezzi islands |
| Bonifacio – Propriano | approx. 32 nm | Propriano marina | Gulf of Valinco |
| Propriano – Ajaccio | approx. 25 nm | Ajaccio (base) | Return to base |
Calvi, Bastia and Saint-Florent have no page of their own on our site; for boats around the island, use the Corsica page.
Rules and safety around Corsica
- Scandola: the Parc naturel régional de Corse bans anchoring at night throughout the reserve, allows it by day only, and bans it day and night in the integral reserve (Gargalu to Punta Palazzu). Recreational fishing and scuba diving are prohibited.
- Seasonal bird closures: the Préfet maritime has closed zones around osprey nests on the west coast to navigation and anchoring in summer. Check the current orders on premar-mediterranee.gouv.fr before you sail.
- Lavezzi: four sectors of the archipelago (north of Lavezzi island, Ratino, Porraggia, Perduto) are closed to navigation, anchoring and stopping by a Préfet maritime order; see our south Corsica guide.
- Posidonia: anchoring on protected seagrass is banned for every boat wherever it can damage the meadow (Préfecture maritime order 123/2019, art. 6). Local orders add mapped no-anchoring zones for vessels of 20 or 24 m and more. Anchor on sand (the Préfecture recommends SHOM charts and the DONIA app).
- 300 m strip: speed is limited to 5 knots within 300 m of the shore, permanently; keep out of marked swimming zones and use the access channels.
- Winds: Météo-France describes the mistral as blowing from the west over Corsica, the libeccio as westerly in the south and south-westerly in Balagne and on western Cap Corse, and notes that relief channels and accelerates the wind. Check the marine forecast for each coastal zone every day.
- Emergencies: call the CROSS on VHF channel 16, or dial 196 from a phone; according to mer.gouv.fr, VHF 16 remains the priority at sea.
- Licence: in France a sailing boat needs no licence at sea, whatever its size; a motorboat over 4.5 kW (6 hp) needs one (the French permis plaisance or a valid licence from your own country, within its limits). For bareboat charter the company still asks for proof of experience, often a licence or ICC, and can require a skipper; with a skipper you need none. Details in boat licence in France.
Best time to sail around Corsica
Corsica's tourist board gives the sailing season as April to October. Strong winds can keep boats in port for days, especially at Cap Corse and in the Strait of Bonifacio, even in summer. That is why this route keeps three days free. In August, harbour space is the bottleneck: Bonifacio limits bookings to one night for boats under 18 m between 1 and 25 August, so book every harbour you can in advance. Girolata's port is staffed from May to September.
FAQ
How long does it take to sail around Corsica?
Two weeks is the usual plan, and the official tourist board says the same. Our route has about 300 nm in 11 sailing days plus three reserve days. For one week, choose the west or south coast instead.
Clockwise or anticlockwise?
With the westerly winds Météo-France describes, clockwise puts the exposed west coast and Cap Corse early and gives a downwind rounding of the cape. In an easterly pattern, reverse it.
Which harbours are there on the east coast?
From north to south on this route: Macinaggio, Bastia (Vieux-Port and Toga), Taverna, Solenzara and Porto-Vecchio. Between Bastia and Solenzara, Taverna is the only harbour, so the legs are long.
Can I charter a yacht for two weeks?
That depends on the charter company; ask for two consecutive weeks from the same base.
Do I need a skipper?
Not if the charter company accepts your experience and licence, but Cap Corse and the Bonifacio Strait are demanding for newcomers to open-sea passages.
More guides for Corsica
For the details of the start and finish, read our west Corsica guide (Ajaccio, Girolata and Scandola) and our south Corsica guide (Bonifacio, Lavezzi and the strait). Before you go, see what to bring on a yacht charter.
