Côte d'Azur to Corsica Crossing
From the glamour of the Riviera to the wild beauty of Corsica's west coast
- Duration
- 7 Days
- Embarkation
- Antibes (Port Vauban)
- Disembarkation
- Bonifacio (Marina di Bonifacio)
- Best season
- June – September
- Total distance
- 220 NM
Overview
This adventurous 7-day itinerary combines the sophistication of the French Riviera with the wild, untamed beauty of Corsica — the 'Island of Beauty'. The open-sea crossing adds a sense of expedition, and Corsica's dramatic coastline rewards with some of the Mediterranean's most spectacular scenery.
Highlights
- Antibes' Port Vauban superyacht harbour
- Îles de Lérins monastery
- Open-sea crossing to Corsica
- Calvi's Genoese citadel
- Scandola Nature Reserve (UNESCO)
- Bonifacio's dramatic cliff-top town
Day by day
Day 1: Antibes — Gateway to the Riviera
Antibes
Morning: Board at Port Vauban, the largest yachting harbour in the Mediterranean. Welcome champagne and orientation with the captain.
Afternoon: Explore Antibes' Old Town — the Picasso Museum, Provençal market, and ramparts. Browse the luxury boutiques along Rue de la République.
Evening: Dinner at Le Figuier de Saint-Esprit, a Michelin-starred restaurant in a 17th-century house.
Day 2: Îles de Lérins — Island Escape
Antibes → Îles de Lérins · 5 nm
Morning: Short cruise to the Îles de Lérins, just off Cannes. Anchor between Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île Saint-Honorat.
Afternoon: Visit the Lérins Abbey on Saint-Honorat, where monks have lived since the 5th century. Taste their wine and liqueurs. Swim in the crystal-clear waters.
Evening: Dinner aboard with views of the Cannes skyline twinkling across the water. Prepare for tomorrow's crossing.
Day 3: Open-Sea Crossing to Calvi
Îles de Lérins → Calvi · 95 nm
Morning: Early departure for the open-sea crossing to Corsica. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast as the Riviera coastline fades behind you.
Afternoon: Arrive in Calvi in the early afternoon. The Genoese citadel perched above the harbour is a spectacular sight from the sea. Explore the cobbled streets and visit the house where Columbus is said to have been born.
Evening: Dinner at A Piazzetta in the citadel, with panoramic views over the bay and the snow-capped mountains of Corsica.
Day 4: Scandola & Girolata — UNESCO Wilderness
Calvi → Girolata · 25 nm
Morning: Cruise south along Corsica's spectacular west coast to the Scandola Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site accessible only by sea.
Afternoon: Explore the reserve by tender — dramatic red porphyry cliffs, sea caves, and an extraordinary diversity of marine life. Anchor in the tiny bay of Girolata, a village with no road access.
Evening: Dinner aboard in the bay of Girolata, one of the most remote and beautiful anchorages in the Mediterranean.
Day 5: Ajaccio — Napoleon's Birthplace
Girolata → Ajaccio · 45 nm
Morning: Cruise south to Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica and birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte. The approach past the Sanguinaires Islands is dramatic.
Afternoon: Visit Napoleon's birthplace (Maison Bonaparte), the Fesch Museum with its impressive Italian art collection, and the colourful market.
Evening: Dinner at Le 20123, a unique restaurant where the chef decides the menu based on the day's market finds.
Day 6: Lavezzi Islands — Natural Paradise
Ajaccio → Lavezzi Islands · 50 nm
Morning: Cruise south-east towards the Strait of Bonifacio. Stop at the Lavezzi Islands, a nature reserve with granite formations and crystal-clear waters.
Afternoon: Spend the afternoon snorkelling and swimming among the granite boulders. The underwater visibility here is extraordinary — up to 30 metres.
Evening: Cruise to Bonifacio and anchor below the dramatic cliff-top town. Dinner aboard with the illuminated citadel above.
Day 7: Bonifacio — Corsica's Crown Jewel
Lavezzi Islands → Bonifacio · 5 nm
Morning: Enter the dramatic fjord-like harbour of Bonifacio. The medieval town perches on white limestone cliffs 70 metres above the sea.
Afternoon: Explore the Haute Ville — the Bastion de l'Étendard, the Escalier du Roi d'Aragon carved into the cliff face, and the Romanesque churches. Take the tender to see the sea caves and the famous Grain de Sable rock.
Evening: Farewell dinner at Kissing Pigs, Bonifacio's best restaurant, in a vaulted stone cellar. Disembark the following morning.
Adventure Seekers · Couples · Nature Lovers · Divers
Yachts cruising on the French Riviera
- ETERNAL SPARK — 50 m · Bilgin · 12 guests · Home port: France | Antibes · Weekly charter rate from €337,590/week
- VICKY — 59 m · Baglietto · 12 guests · Home port: France | Cannes · Weekly charter rate from €250,000/week
- OKTO — 68 m · ISA Yachts · 12 guests · Home port: France | Port de Saint-Tropez · Weekly charter rate from €240,000/week
- MOKA — 42 m · Sanlorenzo · 10 guests · Home port: Mallorca | Port Adriano · Weekly charter rate from €191,583/week
- MAYVA — 48 m · Baglietto · 12 guests · Home port: Monaco | Port Hercules · Weekly charter rate from €161,400/week
- THUMPER — 40 m · Sunseeker · 12 guests · Home port: Mallorca | Marina Palma Cuarentena · Weekly charter rate from €157,500/week
- YCM FIFTY — 50 m · Custom · 22 guests · Home port: Mallorca | Marina Port de Mallorca · Weekly charter rate from €141,167/week
- LUISA — 48 m · Heesen · 12 guests · Home port: France | Cannes · Weekly charter rate from €125,000/week
- HIGHLANDER — 50 m · Feadship · 12 guests · Home port: Bahamas | Nassau · Weekly charter rate from €125,000/week
- JOSEPHINE I — 36 m · Mulder · 12 guests · Home port: France | Cannes · Weekly charter rate from €116,667/week
- IRAMA — 42 m · Marine Concepts · 12 guests · Home port: France | Antibes · Weekly charter rate from €112,500/week
- GHOST III — 49 m · Custom · 12 guests · Home port: Mallorca | Palma Bay, Club de Mar · Weekly charter rate from €110,000/week