Ajaccio – Girolata – Bonifacio – Porto-Vecchio

Route · 14 days · round-tripYacht charter route · Corsica

Ajaccio via Girolata & Bonifacio.

Two weeks from Ajaccio around Corsica: Scandola, Calvi, Bonifacio, the Lavezzi islands and the Gulf of Valinco, with real anchorage tips.

The route

Day-by-day route

Click any pin on the map or any day in the route summary below to see that day's stop, story and photos.

Day 1

Ajaccio → Sagone

A gentle shakedown leg out of Napoleon's home port into the wide sandy bay of Sagone, quiet once the day boats leave.

Distance

12 NM

Sailing

~2.4h at 5 kn

At a glance

Route at a glance

Best season

May – October

Duration

14 days

Departure

Ajaccio

Sailing area

Corsica

Route summary

Click any day to jump back to the map and see its photos, narrative and mooring tip.

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The full story

Day-by-day journey

Named anchorages, mooring notes and things to do for every leg of the week — the map follows along as you scroll.

Day 1 / 14

Day 1

Ajaccio → Sagone

Ajaccio is where most crews pick up the boat, so treat this first leg as a settling-in run rather than a race. Provision at the market near the old town before you slip lines, then point northwest out past the Sanguinaires islands guarding the gulf mouth. The bay at Sagone opens broad and sandy, ringed by low hills and a handful of beach eateries. By late afternoon the water-skiers and tripper boats thin out, and the anchorage turns calm enough for a first night at anchor. We usually aim to be in by five, giving the crew time to sort stowage and swim before dark. Holding is good over sand in three to five metres. Keep an eye west; the bay is open to swell if the wind backs, though summer evenings are typically settled here.

Things to do

Provision at Ajaccio's old-town covered market

Visit the Maison Bonaparte museum

Swim off Sagone's long sandy beach

Sundowner at a Sagone beach restaurant

Mooring tip

Anchor off the beach at Sagone rather than crowding the small quay; the sand holds well in three to five metres. Set your hook by late afternoon before the evening breeze fills in.

Day 2

Sagone → Cargese

Only a handful of miles separate Sagone from Cargese, so there's no need for an early start. The village sits on a bluff above its little harbour, and its odd history shows in the two churches staring across the ravine at one another, one Latin Catholic, one Greek Orthodox, left over from Greek refugees who settled here in the seventeenth century. The harbour itself is small and can fill fast in July, so a lunchtime arrival helps. Below town the beaches run one after another. Plage de Pero and Plage de Chiuni are both worth the dinghy ride for an afternoon swim and a walk. Ashore, the cafes along the port square do a decent plate of charcuterie and a cold Pietra beer. We tend to anchor off Pero and leave the harbour to the ferries.

Things to do

Compare the Latin and Greek Orthodox churches

Swim at Plage de Pero or Chiuni

Charcuterie and Pietra beer on the port

Walk up to Cargese's old cemetery

Mooring tip

The little harbour at Cargese is tight and often full by midday, so anchor off Plage de Pero to the north instead. Sand holding is reliable in four to six metres, open to the west.

Day 3

Cargese → Capo Rosso

The coast north of Cargese turns dramatic. Capo Rosso rises in slabs of rust-red rock, with the Tour de Turghju perched some three hundred metres up on its spine, a stiff walk if you fancy the climb from a landing below. This is the doorway to the Gulf of Porto and the Calanche de Piana beyond, where wind and sea have carved the granite into spires. The cape is exposed, so read the forecast before committing to an overnight here. Many crews tuck into the sheltered coves inside the gulf instead, or press on to Ficajola with its tiny fishing beach. If the afternoon libeccio builds, don't linger off the point. We time the passage for morning calm and let the crew shoot photos while the light stays soft on the cliffs.

Things to do

Photograph the red cliffs of Capo Rosso

Climb to the Tour de Turghju watchtower

Dinghy into Anse de Ficajola beach

Detour into the Calanche de Piana rock spires

Mooring tip

Capo Rosso itself is too exposed for a settled night, so use it as a daytime stop and anchor inside the Gulf of Porto or at Ficajola. Watch for afternoon westerlies funnelling round the point.

Day 4

Capo Rosso → Girolata

Today you skirt the edge of the Scandola reserve, a UNESCO-listed jumble of red volcanic rock where ospreys nest on the cliffs and no landing is allowed. Keep offshore of the marked zone and enjoy it from the water. Girolata waits just south, hidden behind a low headland with a squat Genoese fort standing guard. The anchorage is one of the most sheltered on the island, ringed by dozens of fore-and-aft buoys laid in Cala Muretta and Cala Vecchia. Pick one up early; the field fills through the afternoon as tripper boats and yachts pour in. Ashore there's no road, just a cluster of restaurants serving the day's catch and grilled meats. We like to swim before the crowds arrive, then take the shore path for the view back down over the bay.

Things to do

Cruise the red cliffs of Scandola reserve

Pick up a buoy in Cala Muretta

Walk the coast path to the Genoese fort

Fresh grilled fish at a Girolata restaurant

Mooring tip

Girolata's fore-and-aft buoys are the safe bet and hold you steady in any wind, but they go early. Aim to arrive before mid-afternoon, and expect to pay a fee to the boat that comes round collecting.

Day 5

Girolata → Calvi

This is the first proper passage of the trip, roughly twenty-five miles up to the Balagne coast, so a nine o'clock departure gives you comfortable margins. The coast is wild and roadless for much of the way, with few bolt-holes, which is why the forecast matters. Westerlies tend to build after noon, so an earlier start keeps the sea kinder. Calvi announces itself from far off, the citadel walls catching the light above a curve of pine-backed beach. The marina sits right under the ramparts and buzzes late into the evening. If it's full in high season, the anchorage in the Revellata bay just west is calm and pretty. Ashore, climb into the old town, where locals will tell you Columbus was born, and eat well along the quay. We book a berth ahead in August.

Things to do

Explore the Genoese citadel above Calvi

Swim off Calvi's pine-backed beach

Quayside dinner in the marina

Anchor overnight in Revellata bay

Mooring tip

Calvi's marina fills fast in July and August, so radio ahead or arrive early for a berth under the citadel. If it's full, the Revellata anchorage a couple of miles west offers calm holding over sand.

Day 6

Calvi → Girolata

Retracing your wake gives a different trip in reverse light, and the twenty-five miles back down to Girolata pass quickly with the usual afternoon breeze behind you. Break the run at Galeria if you fancy a change; the anchorage in its bay is quiet and sits just before the reserve boundary, handy for a lunch stop and a swim away from the crowds. From there it's a short hop back to Scandola's red buttresses, best seen with the sun swinging west. Girolata's buoy field will be filling again by the time you arrive, so don't dawdle over lunch. A second night here is no hardship; the little bay looks different in changing light, and by evening, once the day boats have gone, it settles into something close to silence. We grab an early buoy and swim off the stern.

Things to do

Lunch stop and swim at Galeria bay

See Scandola's red cliffs in evening light

Snorkel off the stern in Girolata

Evening drink ashore at the harbour

Mooring tip

Coming back to Girolata a second time, you already know the drill: grab a fore-and-aft buoy early. Galeria makes a calm lunchtime anchorage on sand if you want to break the leg.

Day 7

Girolata → Ajaccio

The longest single leg of the fortnight, this run tops forty miles, so an early departure isn't optional. Slip the buoy at first light while the sea is flat and the wind still sleeping. You'll pass the mouth of the Sagone gulf and round Capo di Feno before the Sanguinaires islands come up, four reddish islets marking the entrance to the Gulf of Ajaccio and worth a slow pass for the old semaphore and lighthouse. The gulf itself often kicks up a lumpy afternoon chop as the sea breeze funnels in, another reason to have the miles behind you by mid-afternoon. Ajaccio's marinas have space for visitors, and the town rewards a night off the anchor, with proper restaurants and a chance to top up stores. We reprovision here before the southern half begins.

Things to do

Slow pass by the Sanguinaires islands

Reprovision at Ajaccio's covered market

Dinner ashore in the old town

Aperitif along the Ajaccio marina quay

Mooring tip

Ajaccio has two marinas, Tino Rossi by the old town and the larger Charles Ornano; call ahead in season. After a forty-mile day the visitor berths are worth the fee for showers and easy provisioning.

Day 8

Ajaccio → Porto Pollo

With the western loop done, the boat turns south for the quieter half of the island. Clear the Gulf of Ajaccio and round Capo di Muro, a low rocky point that can raise a short sea when wind meets current, then bear into the broad Gulf of Valinco. Porto Pollo sits on the northern shore, a low-key village with a small beach, a scatter of eateries and clear water that begs a swim the moment the anchor bites. The holding is good over sand, and the bay is well protected from the prevailing westerlies. There's little to do ashore beyond eat, swim and slow down, which after the long haul from Girolata is rather the point. We drop the hook off the beach and let the crew loaf away the afternoon.

Things to do

Swim off Porto Pollo's sheltered beach

Snorkel the clear Valinco shallows

Seafood supper at a village eatery

Paddleboard along the northern shore

Mooring tip

Anchor off the Porto Pollo beach in three to six metres over sand; holding is dependable and the bay shrugs off the usual westerly. Tuck in behind the point if a southerly is forecast.

Day 9

Porto Pollo → Campomoro

The two shores of the Valinco sit barely a few miles apart, so it's a morning of easy sailing and an afternoon of doing very little. Campomoro curls around a neat sandy bay on the gulf's southern arm, crowned by the biggest Genoese tower on the island, a squat fortified block you can walk up to and look out from over the whole gulf. The village is tiny, just a few bars and restaurants strung behind the beach, which is exactly its charm. Anchor off the sand and swim ashore for a drink as the light goes gold on the tower. The bay is open to the west, so if the libeccio is up you'll roll a little at anchor. We pick a calm forecast for this one and enjoy the quiet.

Things to do

Walk up to the Campomoro Genoese tower

Swim from the curved sandy bay

Drink at a beachfront Campomoro bar

Snorkel the rocks below the tower

Mooring tip

Anchor off Campomoro beach over sand, but note the bay is open west and rolls in a libeccio swell. A few seasonal buoys sit near the tower; otherwise pick a settled night here.

Day 10

Campomoro → Bonifacio

This is a committing leg, around twenty-five miles down to the island's southern tip, and the Strait of Bonifacio has a habit of accelerating whatever wind is about. Check the forecast hard before you leave, and if it's blowing hard from the west, sit tight another day. Rounding the last capes, Bonifacio hides its entrance well; you're almost on the cliffs before the narrow calanque opens to port and the marina reveals itself, tucked into a natural fjord below the ramparts. The medieval haute ville above is all limestone lanes and sea views, and the harbour restaurants run late. Berths are limited and demand is high, so book ahead in season or take a laid mooring further up the inlet. We time our arrival for early afternoon to be sure of a spot.

Things to do

Wander the limestone lanes of the haute ville

Climb the Escalier du Roi d'Aragon steps

Harbourside dinner in the calanque

View the cliffs from the marina entrance

Mooring tip

Bonifacio's marina sits deep inside the calanque and is very busy in summer, so reserve a berth or take a laid mooring up the inlet. Enter under power; the fjord funnels gusts even when it looks calm.

Day 11

Bonifacio → Iles Lavezzi

The Lavezzi lie just six miles off Bonifacio, but in fully protected waters, so read the rules before you go. The islands lie inside the Bouches de Bonifacio reserve, the largest marine reserve in mainland France, and the coves are governed by numbered mooring fields laid since the 2022 regulations. Anchoring is restricted, and where it's allowed it's on sand only, never on the seagrass. Pick up a buoy in Cala di u Grecu or Cala Lazarina and you're swimming in some of the clearest water in the Med, over pale sand between rounded granite boulders. Ashore, a walking path leads to the cemetery marking the wreck of the frigate Semillante, lost here in 1855. The bays offer little shelter for the night, so most crews visit by day.

Things to do

Snorkel the granite coves of Cala Lazarina

Pick up a mooring in Cala di u Grecu

Walk to the Semillante shipwreck memorial

Swim over pale sand between the boulders

Mooring tip

The Lavezzi coves use numbered ZMEL buoys under the 2022 reserve rules; grab one and never drop the hook on seagrass. The bays give little overnight shelter, so treat it as a daytime stop and sleep back at Bonifacio or Rondinara.

Day 12

Iles Lavezzi → Rondinara

Turning north out of the strait, the character of the coast softens. Rondinara lies about ten miles up, between Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio, and it's one of those bays that looks almost designed by hand, a rounded horseshoe of pale sand with a narrow mouth. That shape makes it a fine anchorage, well protected through the western half of the compass, from northerlies round to southerlies. Holding is good in sand, and a scatter of buoys appears in season if you'd rather not anchor. The beach draws day-trippers by road, so it can be busy at midday, but the crowd thins by evening and the bay comes into its own. We drop the hook toward the northern side, swim ashore, and stay put for the night. A calm, easy end to the southern loop.

Things to do

Swim in the horseshoe bay of Rondinara

Walk the sandy beach at dusk

Snorkel the rocky northern headland

Anchor for a quiet night aboard

Mooring tip

Rondinara gives good sand holding and shelter from north through south on its western side; anchor toward the northern shore. Seasonal buoys appear in summer, and the bay is calmest once the beach crowd leaves in the evening.

Day 13

Rondinara → Propriano

The passage back to the west coast is a fair stretch, well over thirty miles, and it means rounding the exposed southern tip again, so an early start and a settled forecast are worth the discipline. Once past Capo di Feno and the Senetosa point, the coast eases you north into the familiar Gulf of Valinco. Propriano sits at its head, the busiest town on this stretch, with a working port that runs ferries to Sardinia and a waterfront lined with shops and restaurants. After a week of quiet anchorages the bustle is a welcome change, and the marina makes reprovisioning simple before the last hop home. We tie up, walk the front for an ice cream, and eat ashore. Fresh fish and a bottle of Corsican rose close the day nicely.

Things to do

Stroll Propriano's restaurant-lined waterfront

Restock at the town's shops and market

Fresh fish and Corsican rose ashore

Evening ice cream along the port

Mooring tip

Propriano's marina takes visitors but is busy with the Sardinia ferry traffic, so call ahead and keep clear of the ferry berth on approach. Berthing here is easier than anchoring off the exposed town beach.

Day 14

Propriano → Ajaccio

The last day retraces the water between the two western gulfs, roughly thirty miles back up to Ajaccio. Leave in good time; charter handovers usually want the boat in by morning, and it's poor form to arrive flustered on the final approach. Round Capo di Muro one more time, then the Sanguinaires islands come up to mark the gulf entrance, a fitting last landmark with their reddish rock and old lighthouse. If the timing allows, a farewell swim in one of the coves along the way is a good way to sign off. Back in Ajaccio, refuel, fill the water tanks and start squaring away the boat before the handover. We like to be alongside by late afternoon, giving the crew time to pack unhurried and toast a fortnight well sailed.

Things to do

Farewell swim in a Sanguinaires cove

Round Capo di Muro for the last time

Refuel and water up at Ajaccio marina

Final crew dinner in the old town

Mooring tip

Aim to be back in Ajaccio by late afternoon on the final day; charter bases want the boat cleared next morning. Refuel and top up water on the way in, and confirm your handover berth with the base by radio.