Round Corsica from Tuscany: Elba, Scandola, Bonifacio
A full lap of Corsica with a call at Elba comes to about 390 miles in 13 sailing days — thirty miles a day on average. This is not a holiday at anchor but proper passage-making: Cap Corse, the red cliffs of Scandola, Bonifacio's fjord-like harbour under white cliffs and the flat east coast, where you sail for the next stop rather than the scenery. In return you see the whole island, from the Genoese towers of the north to the limestone of the south. The start and finish are at Scarlino on the Tuscan coast, opposite Elba.
Day by day
Scarlino
- Marina di Scarlino42.884, 10.783
Take over the yacht at Marina di Scarlino, a modern marina in the Gulf of Follonica about an hour and a half from Pisa airport. Provision for the first days: food in Corsica costs noticeably more than in Tuscany.
Scarlino → Portoferraio (Elba)
- Portoferraio (Elba)42.813, 10.330
Across the Piombino channel to Elba's main town. Berth in the Darsena Medicea below the forts; in the evening, walk up to the Villa dei Mulini where Napoleon lived.
Portoferraio → Macinaggio (Corsica)
- Macinaggio42.962, 9.452
The longest leg of the first week, west across open sea south of Capraia. Macinaggio on the east side of Cap Corse is the first French harbour: a marina, a beach and the customs officers' path along the shore.
Macinaggio → Saint-Florent
- Saint-Florent42.679, 9.300
- Centuritown quay42.966, 9.350
Round Cap Corse past the lighthouse island of Giraglia — off the cape the wind and sea are noticeably stronger than the area forecast, so plan the rounding for the morning. Then down the west coast to Saint-Florent at the head of its gulf.
Saint-Florent → Calvi
- Calvi42.565, 8.759
- L'Île-Roussemarina42.637, 8.940
Along the Désert des Agriates — miles of coast with hardly a road — and past L'Île-Rousse to Calvi. Calvi's citadel stands on the headland above the marina; the Genoese held it for nearly five centuries.
Calvi → Scandola → Girolata
- Scandola reserve42.370, 8.562
- Girolata42.348, 8.611
South along the Scandola reserve: red porphyry cliffs, sea caves and osprey nests. Cruise the coast by day, then turn into Girolata bay for the night — no road reaches it: a Genoese fort, a dozen houses and a buoy field.
Girolata → Ajaccio
- Ajaccio41.918, 8.742
- Cargèsemarina42.130, 8.598
Across the Gulf of Porto past the Calanques de Piana, then down the coast to the Sanguinaires islands at the mouth of the Gulf of Ajaccio. Napoleon's town, a market by the harbour and a berth in Port Tino Rossi in the centre.
Ajaccio → Propriano
- Propriano41.677, 8.905
Round Capo di Muro into the Gulf of Valinco. Propriano is a quiet port with a good marina; twenty kilometres away are the Filitosa menhirs with carved warriors' faces, one of the island's great prehistoric sites.
Propriano → Roccapina → Bonifacio
- Roccapina41.487, 8.938
- Bonifacio41.386, 9.157
South past Roccapina and its lion-shaped rock. The way into Bonifacio is a narrow fjord below white limestone cliffs with the old town on their edge; book a berth ahead in season.
Bonifacio → Rondinara → Solenzara
- Rondinara41.470, 9.268
- Solenzara41.858, 9.404
- Porto-Vecchiomarina41.591, 9.287
Through the Strait of Bonifacio and north up the east coast, with a swim in shell-shaped Rondinara bay. The night in Solenzara, below the Bavella mountains.
Solenzara → Taverna
- Port de Taverna42.340, 9.541
Corsica's east coast is flat and straight — a day under sail with hardly a turn. Port de Taverna is a quiet marina on the coastal plain, with the chestnut hills of the Castagniccia rising behind.
Taverna → Bastia
- Bastia42.708, 9.455
North along the same coast to the main port of northern Corsica. Bastia's Vieux Port with the church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste above the quay is one of the island's best views; yachts berth in Port Toga or in the Vieux Port.
Bastia → Marina di Campo (Elba)
- Marina di Campo (Elba)42.744, 10.240
The passage back across the sea to Elba's south coast. Marina di Campo is a sandy beach at the head of the bay and a harbour behind the mole — the last Italian evening before heading home.
Marina di Campo → Scarlino
- Marina di Scarlino42.884, 10.783
Round Capo Calamita at the east end of Elba and across the Piombino channel to the mainland. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Pace: 13 sailing days and about 390 miles — thirty a day with nothing in hand. A day of bad weather has to be made up, and the east coast is the easiest place to do it, where legs can be doubled; keep your waiting for Cap Corse, the Strait of Bonifacio and the two open-sea crossings.
- Weather: off Cap Corse and in the Strait of Bonifacio the wind is often ten knots stronger than elsewhere, and the north-westerly mistral can blow for days, with Corsica's west coast wide open to it. Plan every cape and strait on a fresh forecast.
- Scandola (UNESCO): entry and anchoring are banned in the fully protected zones; elsewhere in the reserve you may anchor only by day and not everywhere, and overnight stays are banned. At Girolata the harbour staff tie you to the buoys — wait at the entrance with lines ready. The Strait of Bonifacio and the Lavezzi islands are also a reserve with anchoring limits.
- Formalities: Italy and France are both in Schengen and the EU, so there are no border checks at sea. Corsica must, however, be within the permitted cruising area in the charter contract — some companies charge extra for it, so check when booking.
How to get to the marina
- Marina di Scarlino, Tuscany
- Pisa (PSA) — 140 km, 1.5 h by carFlorence (FLR) — 165 km, 2 h by car
1.5–2 h · €200–300 per car
Pre-booked transfer from Pisa airport down the Aurelia (SS1) to Follonica and the marina. From Florence it goes via Siena and takes 20–30 minutes longer.
1.5–2 h · €30–60 per day
Rental at Pisa airport; the drive is on the toll-free Aurelia. For two weeks, marina parking adds up — ask the price in advance.
2–3 h · €20–35 per person
PisaMover from the terminal to Pisa Centrale (5 minutes), then a coastal train to Follonica (1–1.5 hours) and a taxi of about 10 km to the marina.
Book the taxi from Follonica station in advance: on Saturday afternoons, when crews change over, there are few free cars at the station.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
When to go and what it costs in Italy
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Italy
All boats in Italy
How long is the Scarlino — Bonifacio route and where do you stay overnight?
14 days and about 390 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Scarlino. Overnight stops in order: Marina di Scarlino, Portoferraio (Elba), Macinaggio, Saint-Florent, Calvi, Girolata, Ajaccio, Propriano, Bonifacio, Solenzara, Port de Taverna, Bastia, Marina di Campo (Elba). The longest leg is day 3, 41 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Scarlino — Bonifacio route?
The route starts and finishes at Marina di Scarlino, Tuscany. The nearest airport is Pisa (PSA), 140 km away. Fastest: transfer, 1.5–2 h, €200–300 per car. Cheapest: train and metro, 2–3 h, €20–35 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Scarlino — Bonifacio route?
Italy's season runs May to October. June and September give the best balance of weather and price; July and August are the peak, with expensive, busy marinas, which is why in Sardinia you anchor out. May and October are the shoulder months: cooler water, cheaper boats. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of ≈€254 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at ≈€280. The most boats with 20% off or more are in November: 52%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Italy for a week starts from €780 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Italy”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
