As soon as we arrive myrtle and lentisk scents inebriate us, then white sandy beaches and the most incredible waters of the entire Mediterranean sea will be etched in mind and heart. Two beautiful routes will allow you to admire the beauties of this island. Boarding in Ajaccio and heading north to discover a wild coast, rich in clay and coves immersed in lush nature. Passing by Girolata gulf, one of Corse wonders, you'll reach the charming Calvi and Cargese, rich in history and culture.
ITINERARY
Ajaccio / Ajaccio 8 days / 7 nights
Day 1: Ajaccio
Boarding in Ajaccio late afternoon. Departure around 06.00 pm (18h00), route to Sainte Barbe in Ajaccio Bay, dinner and night on board.
Day 2: Ajaccio – Sagone – Cargèse – (04h00)
After breakfast, set sail to the bay of Sagone or Cargèse (depending on meteorological conditions). Sagone is a small fisherman’s village hidden in the far end of a large bay bordered with a long white sandy beach. A few miles away, Cargèse is made of a harbor and a typical village, located in the heights. The town was long ago settled by a Greek colony. Lunch on board, nautical activities, relaxation, explore the village. Dinner.
Day 3: Sagone/ Cargèse – Golfe de Porto – Girolata- (03h00)
After breakfast, you will sail alongside the wild coast and admire its jagged heads and deep creeks, you will discover Cala di Palù and its renowned stone totems, and eventually the typical « Sugarloaf”. Mooring and lunch at the « Swimming Pool », a creek fringed with sheer rocks. You will enjoy swimming, snorkelling or kayaking. After lunch, you will set sail to Les Calanques de Piana, a sight of vast caves, red, orange and pink, granite cliffs and spiky spiraling carved into amazing animal like rock formations and then to the Gulf of Porto, a classified World Heritage site by UNESCO. You will bypass Capo Cenino before reaching one of the natural marvels of Corsica: the Gulf of Girolata, its Genoese bastion and its fisherman’s village. Mooring for the night in Girolata creek.
Day 4: Girolata – Calvi – (04h00)
After breakfast, sail to the Scandola Natural Reserve. With its wild coast, bordered with tortured reefs and islets, the protected reserve of Scandola is one of the most beautiful geological phenomenons in Corsica. Only day mooring is permitted within the reserve, which allows a temporary visit, thanks to the tender, of this reef’s labyrinth. Snorkeling will let you admire underwater cliffs and countless fish. Mooring and lunch in Scandola, then swimming and departure to Calvi. Calvi, for centuries under Genoese domination, pretends that Christopher Columbus’s soul still inhabits the town. The quays are now crowded with lively bars and restaurants. Uptown, the narrow streets snake to the magnificent citadel. Mooring for the night in the marina.
Day 5: Calvi – Golfe de La Revallata - Girolata – (03h00)
In the morning, free time to visit Calvi and then departure to the Gulf of La Revellata: swimming; relaxation, snorkeling, kayaking. After lunch, route to Girolata. South of Calvi, landscapes become wild, steep, and cut into a bright red granite. Sailing is the best way to discover the Natural Reserve of Scandola and Corsica’s beautiful coastal vistas. The volcanic origin of the island as well as wind and water erosion created breathtaking landscapes: abrupt cliffs, red rocks with tortured shapes, deserted creeks. Further south, discover Girolata a small fisherman’s village, one of the last places on the coast that is unaccessible by roads and still inhabited. Girolata has a dreamlike quality that's highlighted by the vivid red of the surrounding rocks. A short stretch of stony beach and a few houses are dominated by a stately watchtower, built by the Genoese later in the seventeenth century in the form of a small castle on a bluff overlooking the cove. Nautical activities and mooring for the night in Cala Muretta or Cala Vecchia.
Day 6: Bay of Girolata – Capo Rosso – Cala Di Palù - Sagone / Cargèse – (03h00)
Another call around Capo Rosso and its numerous belvederes, in order to visit the sites not seen during the first stop. Then sailing to Cargese, a typical harbor that became a famous Mediterranean seaside resort. Its history is stamped by the settlement of a Greek colony in the XVIIth century. Swimming, relaxation, nautical activities and mooring for the night.
Day 7: Bay of Sagone – Bay of Ajaccio – (04h00)
Morning sailing in the bay of Sagone, mooring for lunch then route to Ajaccio. Visit the city of Ajaccio in the late afternoon: Napoleon Bonaparte was born here, and take time to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and wealth of cafes, restaurants and shops. Pass through the narrow streets and simply enjoy the lively quays of the harbor.
Day 8: Ajaccio
Disembarkation at 09.00 am
N.B. The schedule is purely indicative and not binding and may be changed at the discretion of the captain, according to weather conditions or for reasons of force majeure if they were to result in lack of security for guests, crew and vessel.
From july to september. 1 week cruises. As soon as we arrive myrtle and lentisk scents inebriate us, then white sandy beaches and the most incredible waters of the entire Mediterranean sea...
