Few stretches of the Mediterranean change character as quickly as the coast between Calvi and Porto. Leave Calvi’s citadel behind, round the Revellata lighthouse, and within the hour the shore turns to red volcanic cliffs, needles and sea caves: the Scandola Nature Reserve, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site that also takes in the Gulf of Porto and the Calanques de Piana. Girolata, the village on the reserve’s doorstep, is reached only by sea or on foot. This guide covers the harbours, five routes, the 2026 reserve rules and what a skippered charter includes.
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Quick answer: Calvi and Scandola by boat
- Best departure harbour: Calvi, the closest marina to Scandola and a few minutes from Calvi Sainte-Catherine airport. Saint-Florent for the Agriates beaches and Cap Corse.
- Best half day route: the Revellata peninsula and its coves, with a swim stop and lunch back in Calvi.
- Best full day route: Scandola, Girolata and the Calanques de Piana from Calvi.
- Best months: June and September.
- What to book ahead: a skipper and boat for July and August, a mooring buoy at Girolata if you stay overnight, and lunch in Girolata on peak days.
This guide is part of our France by Boat series; the hub on French Riviera yacht charter links every region, from Saint-Tropez to Corsica.
Check prices and availability
Calvi is the most practical base for Scandola and Girolata, and the best rooms go early for June to September.
Harbours and marinas: where boats leave from
- Calvi: the Port Xavier Colonna marina lies directly below the citadel. It is the natural start for Revellata, Scandola, Girolata and Porto. Calvi Sainte-Catherine airport is a short drive away, typically 15 minutes outside peak traffic.
- L’Île-Rousse: a port of call around 30 minutes’ drive east of Calvi, with seasonal ferries from Savona.
- Saint-Florent: a marina at the head of its gulf, the best base for the Agriates beaches of Saleccia and Loto and for the west coast of Cap Corse. Bastia Poretta airport is roughly an hour’s drive away.
- Porto and Galeria: small harbours on either side of the reserve, outside its boundaries. Porto puts the Calanques de Piana and Girolata close by, though the drive from Calvi is long and winding.
Arriving from Italy: ferries link Livorno and Bastia all year, Genoa and Bastia in summer, and Savona with Bastia and, seasonally, L’Île-Rousse. The watchtowers along this coast are a reminder that Corsica was Genoese for centuries. If you are coming from Liguria, our guides to Portofino and the Cinque Terre by Boat and the Italian Riviera to the French Riviera by Boat make good first chapters.
Five routes in detail
Times below assume a fast motor boat in calm conditions; a sailing yacht or traditional wooden boat takes roughly twice as long.
1. Half day: the Revellata peninsula
The Revellata is the rocky finger west of Calvi, crowned by its lighthouse and fringed with small coves of clear water over sand and rock. It is minutes away, so most of the morning goes to swimming before lunch back on the quay. Best for a first day and families.
2. Full day: Scandola, Girolata and back to Calvi
The classic. Round the Revellata, pass Galeria and follow the reserve’s coastline of red porphyry, basalt columns and narrow passes, with the island of Gargalu and Punta Palazzu at its western edge. Allow around 45 minutes to an hour by fast boat to reach the reserve. Inside, the boat slows and threads past caves and arches; swim stops are made where the skipper knows the rules allow it. Then cross to Girolata for lunch: a Genoese fort and a few seasonal restaurants facing the bay.
3. Full day: Gulf of Porto and the Calanques de Piana
A longer run south from Calvi, or a short one if you start in Porto. Past Girolata, the Gulf of Porto opens up with the pink granite of the Calanques de Piana on its southern shore, rising in pinnacles and fissures straight from the sea, and Capo Rosso beyond. Swim in a sheltered inlet such as Ficajola, below Piana. From Calvi it is a long day, better suited to a large motor yacht than a small open boat.
4. Full day from Saint-Florent: Loto and Saleccia
The Agriates is a roadless stretch of maquis and white sand west of Saint-Florent. Loto is the closer beach, roughly 20 to 30 minutes by fast boat; Saleccia, longer and backed by dunes, is a little further on. Arrive early and return to Saint-Florent for a late lunch on the harbour. Often calmer when the west coast is rough.
5. Two to four days: Calvi to Cap Corse or down to Porto
With a crewed yacht, link Calvi, L’Île-Rousse and Saint-Florent, then continue along the wild west coast of Cap Corse towards the fishing harbour of Centuri. Or go south: a night on a buoy in Girolata, a morning under the Piana calanques, a slow return past Scandola. For a second Corsican chapter, our guide to Bonifacio by Boat covers the far south and the Lavezzi islands.
Rules: protected areas, anchoring, speed and fees in 2026
Scandola is in the middle of a regulatory change, and some sources disagree.
- Scandola Nature Reserve: created in 1975 and managed by the Parc naturel régional de Corse with the Office de l’Environnement de la Corse. All fishing is banned in the marine part (with limited exceptions for licensed professionals), as is scuba diving with tanks. Do not land, collect anything or disturb wildlife; ospreys nest on the cliffs.
- Integral protection zone: the most protected area, around Gargalu and Punta Palazzu, is marked on the water with buoys. Recent reporting describes it as closed to anchoring and in places to navigation.
- Anchoring and speed inside Scandola: our research turned up contradictory information here. The 1975 decree, as summarised in the 2025 public inquiry documents, contains no general anchoring ban and leaves speed limits to the maritime prefect, while some nautical press describes daytime anchoring as allowed outside the integral zone and lists a 5 knot limit as already in force. It was not clear to us which applies on the water in 2026, so treat the reserve as no anchoring, slow speed and confirm with your skipper or the park.
- What is changing: a revised decree, subject to a public inquiry in January and February 2025, proposes a reserve-wide anchoring ban, a 5 knot speed limit, no-go zones around osprey nests from 15 February to 31 August and the power to limit boat numbers. In 2026, licences, quotas and QR code tracking for professionals are being introduced, initially to explain rather than to fine. The decree is expected at the end of 2026 or early 2027, with full application from the 2027 season.
- The coastal 300 metre strip: under the maritime prefecture’s general order for the French Mediterranean, speed is limited to 5 knots within 300 metres of the shore, marked or not. Marked swimming zones are off limits to boats.
- Seagrass: anchoring that damages Posidonia meadows is prohibited under maritime prefecture orders, and larger yachts face stricter zone rules.
- Girolata: anchoring is prohibited in the main part of the bay in summer. Ecological mooring buoys are laid from May to September for boats up to 30 metres; call on VHF channel 9 or wait for the harbour team’s tender, and book ahead in July and August.
- Cap Corse and Agriate Marine Park: created in 2016 and covering the sea from north of Bastia round Cap Corse to Balagne. Anchoring around Saleccia, Loto and the Gulf of Saint-Florent is managed in summer, with a marked boat channel at Saleccia.
- Fees: we found no entry fee for Scandola by boat. Mooring buoys and marina berths are charged; ask the harbour or the buoy operator for current rates.
Temporary closures are published by the maritime prefecture; your skipper should check before departure.
Types of boat and what a skippered charter includes
- Rigid inflatable (RIB) or open motor boat: quick and nimble in the passes of Scandola, ideal for half days and small groups.
- Day cruiser or motor yacht: a cabin, a shaded deck and a toilet; the comfortable choice for Girolata and the Piana calanques.
- Sailing yacht or catamaran: slower but calmer, the better option for multi-day trips.
Usually included: the boat, the skipper, insurance and basic safety equipment.
Often excluded: fuel (on motor boats usually charged by consumption, so ask before you book), lunch ashore, mooring buoys and harbour fees and a chef on larger yachts.
Bareboat and licences: in French waters, a motor boat with more than 6 horsepower (4.5 kW) requires a French boating licence, the permis plaisance, or an accepted equivalent. Sailing boats need no licence under French rules, though charter bases will want proof of experience. On this coast, a local skipper is worth having.
Route comparison
| Route | Departure | Duration | Highlights | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revellata coves | Calvi | Half day | Lighthouse, clear coves, citadel views | First day, families |
| Scandola and Girolata | Calvi | Full day | Red cliffs, sea caves, lunch in Girolata | First visit to the reserve |
| Gulf of Porto and Piana | Calvi or Porto | Full day | Granite calanques, Capo Rosso | Larger yachts, photographers |
| Loto and Saleccia | Saint-Florent | Half or full day | White sand, roadless coast | Beach lovers, calmer water |
| Calvi to Cap Corse or Porto | Calvi | 2 to 4 days | Night in Girolata, Centuri, Agriates | Crewed yacht holidays |
Charlotte’s tip: leave Calvi early for Scandola
Ask your skipper to cast off from Calvi as early as the crew allows. You reach the reserve before the excursion boats and have the passes almost to yourself, lunch in Girolata comes before the crowds, and you are heading home before the afternoon wind builds.
Best months, winds and practical tips
Best months: June and September offer warm water, long days and fewer boats. July and August bring the most reliable weather and also the most traffic, both in Scandola.
Winds: the west coast is exposed. The libeccio from the south west and the mistral from the north west can raise a heavy sea along Scandola and the Gulf of Porto, sometimes quickly. On those days, Saint-Florent and the Agriates are often the better choice.
- What to bring: reef-safe sunscreen, a secure hat, a windproof layer and water shoes.
- Seasickness: the open stretch past the Revellata can be lumpy; take medication before boarding and sit low and aft.
- Booking timing: book July and August boats several months ahead, and a Girolata buoy before you arrive if you plan to spend the night there.
- August crowds: start early and avoid mid-August weekends.
Where to stay near the harbours
La Villa, Calvi
A five-star Relais & Châteaux hotel on a hillside above Calvi’s bay, around five minutes by car from the town centre and the marina. Its rooms and suites (48 in all, according to the Corsican tourist board), plus villas with private pools, look across to the citadel and Monte Grosso. Expect a 25 metre lap pool, sea-facing pools, a spa and a restaurant built around local fish. It is a seasonal hotel; ask the hotel for opening dates.
Best for: couples who want the shortest transfer to a Scandola departure.
La Signoria, Calvi
A five-star country house with 30 rooms on the road to the Bonifato forest, a short drive from Calvi’s marina and convenient for the airport. There is a heated pool and hot tub in the former orange grove, a spa with sauna and hammam, and a restaurant with a terrace. It opens seasonally, roughly April to late October; confirm dates with the hotel.
Best for: a quiet, green base with easy access to both the harbour and the airport.
A Piattatella, Monticello
A five-star hideaway in a restored former sheepfold in the hill village of Monticello, a few kilometres above L’Île-Rousse and its harbour. Two outdoor pools, a spa and a gastronomic restaurant. Ask the hotel about seasonal opening.
Best for: travellers splitting boat days between Calvi and Saint-Florent.
La Roya, Saint-Florent
A four-star hotel on the Route de la Plage, with direct access to Roya beach and a short drive from Saint-Florent’s marina, the departure point for Loto and Saleccia. It has a large outdoor pool, and both the restaurant and bar look over the pool and the sea. Ask the hotel about seasonal opening.
Best for: Agriates beach days and a trip along Cap Corse.
Hôtel Capo Rosso, Piana
A four-star hotel on the Route des Calanches above the Gulf of Porto, with views over the calanques towards Scandola from the rooms, the heated pool and the restaurant. Porto’s small harbour is a short drive down the coast road. Ask the hotel about seasonal opening.
Best for: sunsets over the calanques and short boat days in the Gulf of Porto.
Check rates at Hôtel Capo Rosso
Check prices and availability
Compare hotels around Calvi for your boat days. Summer weeks fill early.
If northern Corsica whets your appetite, the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena lie just across the strait to the south; see Sardinia by Boat and our hub on yacht charter in Italy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you swim or land in the Scandola reserve?
Landing on the reserve’s shore is not allowed, and fishing and scuba diving are banned. Swimming stops are usually made outside the most protected zones; your skipper knows where the rules allow it.
How do you get to Girolata?
By sea, or on foot along mule tracks through the maquis. There is no road.
Do I need a licence to hire a boat in Corsica?
For a motor boat over 6 horsepower, yes: the French permis plaisance or an accepted equivalent. Sailing boats need no licence under French rules.
Will Scandola be restricted from 2027?
That is the plan. A revised decree is expected at the end of 2026 or early 2027, with anchoring bans, a speed limit, seasonal osprey zones and boat quotas under discussion.
