Corsica Yacht Charter
About Corsica
Corsica is French politically and Italian-ish in most other ways. The interior is a mountain range that rises to Monte Cinto at 2,706 metres, which is unusual for a Mediterranean island and is why most of the population lives along the coast. Napoleon was born in Ajaccio in 1769; in exile, he said he could recognise Corsica blindfolded by the smell of the maquis, the dense scrubland of myrtle, rosemary and rockrose that covers most of the inland.
A yacht does the southern half of the island best. Bonifacio, the southernmost town, sits 11 kilometres from Sardinia at the top of a 70-metre limestone cliff, with the harbour cut into the rock below. From there, the strait between Corsica and Sardinia opens into the La Maddalena archipelago, a cluster of small Sardinian islands just across the water, which is why a single charter often takes in both islands in a week. Up the west coast, the Scandola Nature Reserve has been UNESCO-listed since 1983 and is only accessible by sea, so a yacht is the only way to see the porphyry red cliffs and the breeding ospreys it was created to protect. The eastern beaches are the well-known ones, particularly Cala di Roccapina, Saleccia and Palombaggia: white sand and water that does not really photograph the way it looks.
Most Corsica charters pick up in Bonifacio or Calvi. The season runs May to October, with September a particular favourite because the heat eases. The food triangle is charcuterie, brocciu (the soft sheep-and-goat cheese that anchors most local cooking) and Patrimonio wine from the AOC region in the north. French and Italian both work on the island, and you'll hear Corsican, the older language closely related to Tuscan Italian, in the inland villages.
Highlights
Destination Info
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Where to sail
Bonifacio and the far south
The southern tip and the usual start. Bonifacio sits on a seventy metre limestone cliff with its harbour cut into the rock below, and the Lavezzi islands just offshore are a scatter of granite and clear water at the edge of the strait. This is the jumping-off point for the crossing to Sardinia.
The Sardinia crossing and La Maddalena
A short run across the strait reaches Santa Teresa Gallura and the La Maddalena archipelago, a national park of pink-granite islands and pale shallows. Many Corsica weeks take in both islands, which is why our route continues south from here.
The Costa Smeralda
Sardinia's northeast coast, with Porto Cervo at its centre: a designed resort harbour that draws the largest yachts in the Mediterranean in high summer, ringed by sheltered bays and the Tavolara marine area further south.
The west coast and Scandola
Up Corsica's west coast, the Scandola reserve has been UNESCO-listed since 1983 and can only be reached by sea, with red porphyry cliffs and breeding ospreys. The Calvi and Girolata anchorages sit along the same stretch.
The eastern beaches
The well-known sands of the south and east, Palombaggia, Santa Giulia and Cala di Roccapina among them, with white sand and shallow clear water for swimming and lunch at anchor.
What it costs
- From
- From about EUR 20,000 per week for a crewed yacht
- Included
- The weekly fee covers the yacht and all its equipment, including the tenders and water toys, the full crew, and the yacht's insurance.
- Extras
- Your running costs are paid separately, through an advance provisioning allowance (APA): a sum of around 25 to 35 percent of the fee that you pay before the charter. The captain uses it to pay for fuel, berthing and harbour dues, provisioning, and the food and drink for your party, then gives you a full account at the end and refunds whatever is left. French charter VAT and a customary crew gratuity are the two other costs on top of the fee.
Prices rise with the size of the yacht and the time of year.
We explain the money side properly: What a crewed charter includes, APA explained, VAT on a French charter, and Tipping the crew.
Before you go
When to go
The season is May to October. July and August are the busiest and warmest, and the time to book early if you want the Costa Smeralda in high summer. June and September are the quieter months, with the sea still warm in September and the heat off the land. The crossing to Sardinia is short and comfortable through the season, though an afternoon breeze can build in the strait.
Getting there
Most Corsica charters pick up in Bonifacio or Calvi. Figari and Ajaccio have the nearest airports on Corsica, and Olbia on Sardinia works well if your week runs the other way, north from the Costa Smeralda into Corsica. We arrange the transfer from the airport to the yacht as part of the booking.
Choosing the yacht
Both motor yachts and sailing yachts work here. A motor yacht makes the Sardinia crossing and the run up the west coast quick and covers more ground in the week; a sailing yacht or catamaran suits a slower loop of the southern anchorages and the Lavezzi islands. We broker the whole market, so the yachts shown here are a selection rather than the full choice.
Explore Corsica
Interactive map view of Corsica • Click and drag to explore • Open in full screen
