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Corsica is the quieter, harder counterpart to Sardinia. The two islands are 15 nautical miles apart across the Bocche di Bonifacio, and the contrast on either side of that channel is one of the sharpest in the Mediterranean. Sardinia is the scene. Corsica is the cruising. The Corsican coast is more dramatic, less developed, with red granite cliffs at Calanques de Piana, the Lavezzi islands off Bonifacio, and the long bay anchorages around Ajaccio. There are roughly 80 charter yachts positioned to Corsica for the 2026 season, weighted toward sailing yachts and motor yachts in the 30m to 55m range. A 40m motor yacht in Corsica in the second week of August runs €150,000 to €180,000 a week before APA, roughly 20 percent below the same yacht in the Costa Smeralda.
Corsica is the answer for repeat Mediterranean charter clients who have already done Sardinia and want the same general region without the August crowd. It is also, in our view, the best Mediterranean sailing yacht destination west of the Greek Ionian. The wind patterns are more interesting (the Libeccio from the southwest, the Tramontane from the north, both gusty), the passages are longer than the Ionian's, and the anchorages reward a sailing yacht in ways a motor yacht does not fully use.
When to charter Corsica
May. Water 17 to 19 degrees Celsius. Cool for swimming. Bonifacio and Calvi restaurants opening. Anchorages empty. Rates 30 percent below August peak. Workable for a quieter trip with limited dinner-ashore reliance.
June. Water 21 to 22 degrees. Restaurants in Bonifacio, Calvi, Porto-Vecchio fully open. The Calanques de Piana anchorages and the Lavezzi islands accessible without crowd issues. Best four-week sailing yacht window of the year. Rates 20 to 25 percent below August peak.
July. Peak begins July 5. Water 24 degrees by mid-month. Bonifacio harbor at capacity. The Lavezzi islands national park gets crowded on day-tripper Saturdays. The Calvi citadel anchorage fills. Rates at headline.
August. Hardest month, particularly the second and third weeks. French and Italian holiday traffic. Bonifacio harbor often closed to new arrivals after 10 a.m. Restaurants ashore booked 3 to 4 weeks ahead. Anchorages off Ile Rousse, Saint-Florent, and Calvi fill by noon.
September. Water 24 to 25 degrees through mid-month. The single cleanest window of the Corsica year is September 1 through September 25. Crowds thin by the second week. Rates fall meaningfully from September 10.
October. First two weeks workable. Most yachts reposition by October 15.
The Corsica coast (four zones)
Corsica is bigger than most charter clients expect. The coastline runs 1,000 kilometers and the trip splits into four zones that rarely all fit in a single week.
The south (Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio, the Lavezzi). The closest zone to Sardinia and the most-trafficked. Bonifacio is the photographic cliff-top town with the harbor cut into the cliffs below. The Lavezzi islands national park is a 4 nautical mile day from Bonifacio. Porto-Vecchio is the larger town on the southeast coast, with the Golfe de Sant'Amanza anchorages and the beaches of Palombaggia and Santa Giulia. This zone connects directly to Sardinia and is the natural overlap for combined weeks.
The east coast (Solenzara, Bastia, Cap Corse). The longer, straighter east coast running up to the Cap Corse peninsula at the north. The Etang de Diane and the Solenzara anchorages are workable but the east coast is less scenic than the west and most charters skip it unless coming from or going to mainland Italy.
The north (Saint-Florent, Calvi, Ile Rousse). The Balagne region. Calvi is the town with the Genoese citadel, the wide bay, and the cleanest deep-water anchorage in northern Corsica. Saint-Florent is the boutique port on the Cap Corse west side. Ile Rousse is the railway-terminus town in between with a smaller harbor. This zone has the best northern Corsica anchorages and the strongest restaurant ashore inventory.
The west (Porto, Calanques de Piana, Ajaccio). The west coast is the dramatic side. The Calanques de Piana red-granite cliffs are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the anchorage off Porto handles charter yachts up to 60m. Ajaccio at the south end of the west coast is the largest Corsican town and a useful boarding point for west-coast charters. The Scandola nature reserve north of Porto restricts anchoring but allows transit.
A 7-day Corsica week covers two of these four zones realistically. A 10-day or two-week charter can cover three. The full circumnavigation needs two weeks and is the right answer only for a serious cruising client.
A standard Corsica week (Bonifacio departure)
| Day | Anchorage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sat | Bonifacio | Boarding, overnight in harbor or at Cala di Paraguano |
| Sun | Lavezzi islands | Day at the Lavezzi anchorages, dinner back in Bonifacio at L'An Faim |
| Mon | Cala Rondinara | Cross north, swim at the famously round bay, dinner aboard |
| Tue | Porto-Vecchio (Palombaggia) | Anchored off Palombaggia, dinner at Le Belvédère or Tamaricciu |
| Wed | Golfe de Sant'Amanza | Quieter anchorage, lunch ashore at La Plage |
| Thu | Bonifacio return | Half-day at Cala di Paraguano, dinner at Stella d'Oro in Bonifacio town |
| Fri | Lavezzi or Sardinia overlap | One last swim day at the Lavezzi or short cross to Caprera |
| Sat | Bonifacio disembark | Disembark or one-way to Sardinia (small one-way fee) |
This is the southern zone week and the most-booked Corsica charter. It works on 30m to 55m yachts comfortably.
A west-coast week from Ajaccio covers the Calanques de Piana, Porto, Scandola transit, and Calvi over 7 days with longer passages and more wind exposure. It works better on a sailing yacht than a motor yacht.
A combined north-and-south week is achievable only with overnight passages or 12-hour daytime runs, and we do not recommend it for groups who want a comfortable charter pace. Better to pick two zones and stay in them.
The Sardinia-Corsica combined week
The combined Sardinia-Corsica week is the single most-recommended pairing in the western Mediterranean for a 7-day charter and one of the few cases where we actively suggest a two-country week. The trip splits roughly half and half, departing from either Olbia (Sardinia) or Bonifacio (Corsica) and crossing the Bocche di Bonifacio mid-week.
| Day | Anchorage | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sat | Olbia or Bonifacio | Boarding, short hop to first anchorage |
| Sun | Costa Smeralda (Cala di Volpe) | Costa Smeralda day, dinner at Phi Beach or Spinnaker |
| Mon | La Maddalena (Spargi or Budelli) | Swim day at the archipelago |
| Tue | Bocche crossing to Lavezzi | Short crossing into Corsica, day at Lavezzi |
| Wed | Bonifacio | Harbor overnight, dinner at L'An Faim or Stella d'Oro |
| Thu | Cala Rondinara or Palombaggia | Corsica swim day, dinner aboard |
| Fri | Costa Smeralda return | Back across the Bocche, Costa Smeralda evening |
| Sat | Olbia disembark | One-way Olbia to Bonifacio adds a small repositioning fee |
The combined week delivers the Costa Smeralda scene, the La Maddalena swimming, the Bonifacio dramatic stop, and the Lavezzi anchorages in one trip. We recommend this over a single-country week for most repeat Mediterranean charter clients.
Corsica yacht size guidance
24m to 35m. The sweet spot for sailing yacht charter. Bonifacio harbor, Calvi citadel anchorage, and the Calanques de Piana all accommodate this size easily. Tender access at the Lavezzi and at Palombaggia is straightforward.
35m to 50m. The sweet spot for motor yacht charter. Bonifacio harbor handles 50m with advance booking. The Calanques anchorage holds 50m comfortably.
50m to 65m. Workable on the main route but some specific anchorages get tight. Bonifacio harbor takes a few 60m berths. The Lavezzi anchorages absorb 60m with attention to wind exposure.
65m and above. Limited. The Corsican coast does not have the marina depth Sardinia has and the anchorages narrow. We would push 70m plus charter clients to Sardinia or the Côte d'Azur unless the group specifically wants the Corsica quiet at the cost of itinerary flexibility.
Corsica charter cost math
| Line item | Range (40m motor yacht, August peak) |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | €150K to €180K |
| APA (30%) | €45K to €54K |
| VAT (20% French) | €30K to €36K |
| Gratuity (10% to 15%) | €15K to €27K |
| Full check | €240K to €297K |
The 20 percent French VAT applies to Corsica because Corsica is a French region. The VAT is lower than Italy's 22 percent and the same as France's mainland rate. The French VAT structure offers more optimization room than Italian charters because charter trips that cross out of French waters and onward to a non-EU destination can structure with reduced VAT, but the Corsica-only week sits squarely in French waters.
Marina berthing in Bonifacio harbor in peak August touches €1,200 a night for a 50m yacht, less than Porto Cervo but more than Saint-Tropez. Most weeks should plan two or three Bonifacio overnights and otherwise anchor.
What we passed on
We pass on the east coast (Bastia, Solenzara, Aleria) as a primary charter destination. The cruising is fine but the east coast is less scenic than the west or the south and the restaurant ashore inventory does not justify a multi-day stop. Bastia works as a clearance point for charters crossing from mainland Italy but should not be on a 7-day itinerary.
We pass on the full circumnavigation in a single week. The Corsican coast is 1,000 kilometers and circling it requires either long daily passages or skipped anchorages. The two-week circumnavigation is a real trip; the one-week circumnavigation is a checklist.
We pass on the Scandola nature reserve as an anchorage. Scandola is a UNESCO transit zone with anchoring restrictions. The reserve is worth the slow daylight transit but should not anchor inside. Captains who recommend an anchorage night inside Scandola are not following the local regulations and the gendarmerie maritime check enforces.
The cross-pillar question (villa or charter)
Corsica is one of the western Mediterranean's better villa destinations, particularly around Porto-Vecchio (Palombaggia, Santa Giulia) and Calvi (Lumio, Algajola). A villa week on Corsica delivers the same beaches at a lower cost and with a different cadence. The charter delivers the multi-zone access (Lavezzi, Bonifacio, Calanques) that the villa option cannot.
For groups who want one Corsican beach and a base, VillasForKings Corsica coverage is usually the better answer. For groups who want to move through three or four anchorages in a week, the charter is the trip.
The rest of the trip
VillasForKings covers the Porto-Vecchio (Palombaggia and Santa Giulia), Calvi-Lumio, and Bonifacio-area villas. HotelsForKings covers the Casa Santini in Bonifacio, the La Signoria in Calvi, the Grand Hôtel de Cala Rossa, and the smaller hotel inventory. RestaurantsForKings covers L'An Faim and Stella d'Oro in Bonifacio, Le Belvédère and Tamaricciu near Palombaggia, and the Calvi citadel restaurants. BarsForKings covers the Bonifacio harbor evening drinks and the Calvi old-town bars.
FAQ
What size yacht works in Corsica? 30m to 55m for most clients. 40m to 50m motor yacht or 35m to 45m sailing yacht is the sweet spot. Above 60m, the trip works but anchorage flexibility narrows.
Should I choose Corsica over Sardinia? Corsica for repeat clients, sailing yachts, and groups who want quiet. Sardinia for first-time western Med clients and groups who want the scene. For most one-week clients, the combined Sardinia-Corsica route is the best answer.
Is Corsica weather harder than Sardinia weather? Yes. The Libeccio (southwesterly) and the Tramontane (northerly) both hit Corsica harder than Sardinia. The captain's local knowledge matters and the trip works better with a captain who has done multiple Corsica seasons.
When is Bonifacio harbor unusable? First two weeks of August. The harbor often closes to new arrivals after 10 a.m. and the inner berths are pre-booked. Anchoring at Cala di Paraguano (just outside the harbor entrance) is the workaround.
Can I do Corsica on a sailing yacht? Yes, and probably better than on a motor yacht. The wind is reliable, the passages are interesting, and the anchorages reward a sailing yacht's draft and silence. June and September are the best sailing months.