Italy Anchorages and Marinas: 2013
Part 2 of 3
Corsica and Italian coast
Started out
early in the morning out of Budelli island, with a slight land breeze from the
SSW, we picked up a mooring at Lavezzi, at Cala di U Crecu but then we found out
that the tour boats go in there with 500 tourists on board and it gets crazy,
so we scouted the area by dingy and could not find a nice place to anchor as it
is all very deep with big boulders and a few sand patches in this part of the
island, there is a couple of very nice anchorage to the south of the island but
you will need to anchor outside the bay as it is reported to be shallow in
close. So we decided to head to the
island of Corsica.
Corsica as
most of you know is part of France but since it was on our route we decided to include
it in this report. Corsica’s east coast does not offer many anchorages or
marinas especially north of Porto Vecchio, the west coast does offer more
anchorages but weather watching becomes a major priority because of the strong
and frequent mistrals putting your boat on a lee shore. We decided on
travelling up the east coast and it worked very well. Lavezzi and Cavallo
Islands are also part of Corsica, at Cavallo’s south tip there is a marina with
very good protection from the Northwesterly. Keep a good lookout at the weather
forecasts before crossing the Strait of Bonifacio, as
this area can get very nasty during a strong mistral.
Punta de Sperone, Corsica: N
41 22.198
This is a large bay on the SE coast of Corsica with sand bottom, it is
like most places we have visited since arriving close to the Costa Smeralda, a
very busy anchorage with a lot of motion during the day from passing
inflatables that are the majority of the boats in these areas. It is a lovely
place so spend a couple of days and watch all the boats go by, there is a very
nice beach, the holding is excellent and you have protection from the mistral,
there also anchorage to the north of the sandbar that stretches from the
Corsican mainland to Isola Piana.
Golfo Amanza N
41 24.481
E
009 13.189
This is a large bay with the opening facing NE, it’s not all good
holding we tried close to the fish farms and could not grab, then we went in
the middle about 200m from shore in 25ft of sand and short weed and grabbed
very well. The Bay is huge with other anchoring options. The beach is fine red
gravel but the water bottom is white sand. There is a hotel with a bar to the east
which has an excellent view of this beautiful bay leave your dingy at the small
harbour just below the hotel. There is also a bar restaurant on the northwest
side of the beach where you can tie up the dingy and then watch the crowds go
buy while sipping something cool from the bar. We met a very nice French couple
Batiste and Agnes here who one day drove us to Bonifacio to tour the city. It
is magnificent city with a very nice waterfront and the amazing medieval town
is another world to explore. It is a true gem of the Med, there is no public
transportation from here to Bonafacio other than by taxi. There is no provisioning in the bay, for that
you need to go to Bonafacio or further north at Porto Vecchio.
Capu d'Acciaju Bay N 41
32.688
E
009 18.221
We anchored in crystal clear water over white sand in 22ft. This is a
very nice anchorage without the mass tourists that you get in the other crystal
clear bays, a bar restaurant on the beach from here it's a short walk to
Plamboggio Beach which happens to be very crowded with teenagers and also has
many bars right at waters edge. The holding at this spot is excellent with no
boulders around the swinging room. The beach is nice white sand, busy with
bathers but not crowded.
Baie Stagnoli, Porto Vecchio: N
41 37.204
E
009 18.912
We anchored in 12 ft. over sand and short weeds but the anchored still grabbed
the first pull and held at 1500 rpm's. This place was okay till about 1:00pm we
had sailing school all morning and it was nice watching the kids sail around
the boats and the cove, the coast around the coast is mostly camp grounds where
you can still land the dingy on one of the beaches and go for a walk around the
place. After the sailing schools pack it up the water skiers appear and from
then until dusk it was mayhem.
East of the Porto Vecchio Marina: N
41 35.512
E
009 18.072
This is a better anchorage than the previous and also shorter dingy
ride to the town of Port Vecchio. The holding is very good but make sure you
are dug in by putting the engine in reverse for a while and check your
bearings. While here we had a bad blow with winds in the high 40’s from the
east, a lot of the boats dragged and we had to stay up all night to make sure
we stay put and that no one is dragging towards us. It is a short dingy ride to
the marina were you are allowed to tie up to the pontoon closest to the marina
office, laundry is available in the same building. Very good provisioning in
the lower town and many restaurants on the waterfront to choose from, it is
quite a climb going to the old town on top but it is worth.
North of the Porto Vecchio Marina: N
41°35.568
E
009°17.300
This is also a very good anchorage, very close to the marina
so it makes an excellent spot to visit the town or for provisioning. Fuel dock
at the marina entrance to starboard as you come in but be there early in the
morning before opening at 07:00 as later it gets very crazy and there is not
much room to maneuver, this is the cheapest place we filled up from, at
€1.50/L. You can contact the marine,
20137 Porto-Vecchio, France +33 4 95 70 95 30 to check if they have a
spot available.
Anse Cola: N
40 39.778
E
009 23.020
Anchored
in crystal clear water over sand in 17 ft depth, very good holding, it looks
like you are in a swimming pool. It got a bit motion in the afternoon with the
boat traffic outside, it is a very pretty place with ample beach space and some
very good snorkeling near the island. From here you can take the dingy through
the gap at the north of the bay, this will put you in the larger bay of Baei Palombaggia,
with its white sand beach and more crystal clear water
North of Marina Solenzara: N
41 51.737
E 009 24.128
Very good anchorage over soft sand where the anchor literary buries
itself without much of a problem. Free Wi-Fi courtesy of the Marina who gave us
the password with no questions asked. Keep an eye for some large logs on the
bottom that must have floated out from the river. It is a very small town with
not much to see or do, there is a couple of small grocers in town, bakery and a
few restaurants. Fuel available at the marina.
Bastia: N 42
41.350
E 009
26.962
Bastia, Corsica's second largest city is
a must see town with lovely walks around the harbour plenty of provisioning and
a multitude of restaurants. In calm weather you can anchor just south of the
walled city over a sand bottom close to a small beach below the main road, from
the anchorage it is a short dingy ride into the harbour tie up where convenient. There is also a marina within the harbour.
From Bastia it is a short hop eastward over to the island of Elba,Italy one of the Tuscan Islands, this was our next landfall.
Golfo di Campo, Isola d'Elba: N
42 44.822
E
010 14.562
This is one of 3 large bays on the south coast of Elba, we anchored in
the large bay at the NE in 30 ft over sand and clear clean water, excellent
holding, and open to the south. Spectacular surroundings with high cliffs and
lots of greenery. There is a very nice beach with bars and restaurants to serve
you plus the surroundings are very nice with lush green hills covered with a
thick pine forest. The anchorage is huge with excellent holding. The night was
a big disappointment with load music and singing from one of the bars or hotels
ashore till 07:00 the next morning. There is a small marina on the northwest corner
of the bay located at the town of Marina di Campo.
Golfo Laconia, Isola D'Elba: N
42 45.351
E
010 18.57
Anchored in the NE corner of Golfo Laconia in 30 ft over sand with
excellent holding, here it is also spectacular surroundings with a nice beach
at the head of the bay. We hoped it would be quiet here during the night. Well
it was not quiet at all but not as loud as the previous day, but we had a bad
swell from the south and when the wind died we came at its mercy yawing from
side to side. The other option is to anchor in the small bay at the west within
this large bay. It maybe quieter there.
Felciaio bay,Isola d`Elba: N
42 45.697
E
010 20.869
We anchored in 12 ft over sand and clear water. This is located within
another large bayof Golfo Stella, there are a few other anchoring options in
this gulf all with nice clean beaches. This is a very nice place not much
traffic and we had a great night here, there are some small restaurants ashore
to the east of this spot but not much else. The scenery is similar to the last
two gulfs. Lots of small indents to explore by dingy.
Porto Azurro, Isola,'Elba: N
42 45.692
E
010 23.727
Anchored in 30 ft over unknown bottom but the holding was excellent, this
is just outside the main harbour to the SE of the Western point where the hotel
is just above on the cliffs with the road snaking around it. It is an easy
dingy ride to the harbour where you can tie up to where all the other tenders
are. This is a very good anchorage, it is a busy anchorage but all goes quiet
at dusk. In town you will find very good provisioning, an open market once a
week, many restaurants and cafes, a nice square where you can sit and watch the
crowds go by. There is 2 marinas available one near the town dock where you can
also get fuel at the fuel dock and the other is to the south where they have
pontoons and also a full service marina with travel lift and other services.
La Rochette, Italian Mainland: N
42 46.443
E
010 47.636
We anchored in 17ft over sand north east of the old fortress on top of
the hill. It is a good stop over when reaching the mainland from offshore.
There is a nice beach to the north of the anchorage with a hotel and many
umbrellas and deckchairs. Land the dingy at the corner of the beach or better
swim to shore, we all need a bit of exercise. Not much else hear the castle is
a good hike up and very nice views from there. . It was a quiet anchorage with excellent holding but for the swell got
to us during the night.
Talamone: N
42 33.374.
E
011 08.405
We anchored in 12 ft close to the
small marina, the holding is not that good so look for a good spot with some
sand and check it out later when you go snorkeling. There is a nice village on
the top with restaurants and a very good lookout points but not much else. Dingy
into the harbour and tie up near the ferry terminal.
Cala Galera: N
42 24.371
E
011 12.701
Very nice anchorage although very busy during the day but secure and very
quiet at night, very good holding over sand. Marina Cala Galera http://www.marinacalagalera.com/ita/default.aspx?l=italiano
is very close Marina Porto Ercole is just south there are a few bars on the
beach, at the village of Porto Ercole you will find limited provisioning but
many restaurants and coffee shops. Porto Ercole fortress is a must see on top
of the hill to the south.
Santa Marinella: N 42
02.124
E
011 52.560
We anchored just outside the marina in 13 ft over sand, we did have a
roll but it settled down. Sleep was very good with calm seas and no swell. There
is a very lovely town with all provisions and a few coffee shops and
restaurants around the square in the village not many tourists around this time
of year. We hired a diver to clean the bottom charged us €50:00, his name is
Ettore tel # 338-284-2665. There is a nice pizza place on Via Aurelia you buy
pizza by weight and it’s delicious. Fuel available at the marina in the south
west corner.
Anzio: N
41 26.803
E
012 38.310
We anchored just outside the harbour in
8 ft over sand bottom. The Guardia di Finanze came for an inspection, they did
not board but were very polite asking a lot of questions, they asked to see passports; boat papers; boat insurance and the
Costituto. They spent a whole hour with us while also giving us some background
history of Anzio and the US led invasion of 1943. We spent some time touring
the town which is very nice with a lots of outside coffee shops where one can
sit for hours; good provisioning at the supermarket. The waterfront on the east
coast is also very nice. Tie up the dingy where convenient we asked the dingy/yacht
club located at the north corner of the harbour past the inner break wall, they
were very happy to accommodate us, no need to lock the dingy as they may need
to move it. Make sure you do not anchor in the channel as the authorities will
ask you to move. This is a very nice harbour with a big fleet of fishing boats
and you will find fish vendors in the morning around the small fishing harbour
at the south west corner.
Isola di Ponza: N 40 53.839
E
012 57.706
This is a very picturesque harbour
anchorage, the anchorage is small but adequate, holding is suspect in some
area. There is a few marinas around and someone of them will come and see if
you need a slip, the rate in Sept was €40.00 for us which is reasonable
considering you will be right in town, they will help you berth. You can tie up
the dingy at one of the few landing metal frames near the ferry dock. The water
front is where all the restaurants and provisioning is but there is a sea level
and then there is a ramp that takes you to the upper level with better views of
the harbour and its many fishing boats. There is also a marina to the north west of
the anchorage. You can also explore the many coves along the east shore north
of the harbour.
Isola Ventotene: N 40 47.843
E
013 26.188
We anchored in 30ft over sand in front
of the old harbour entrance. This is an amazing little island with a village
and museum on top, a quaint little harbour dug out of solid rock during the
Roman times. Room for sailboats inside the harbour, assistance available. Find
a spot where convenient to tie up your dingy. There is a ramp leading from the port to the top of Ventotene
Walk to the top and there you will find
a very nice village with restaurants and cafes, limited provisioning is
available. There are organized walks to many parts of the island check with the
museum curator. The anchorage is wide open but was very calm when we were there
in early September. There is a small marina located at the north west of the
island for when the weather is not good to anchor.
In our last part we will cover more
Italian islands and the west coast of Italy.
Mario Borg
www.maltesefalcon.ca
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