Sail Corsica.

Corsica is granite, not limestone. Red cliffs at Bonifacio, the Sanguinaires turning copper at sunset off Ajaccio, water that runs from jade over sand to deep blue where the shelf drops. The island sits high and rugged out of the Tyrrhenian, so you get a real coast — genuine anchorages, working fishing quays, a few marinas that fill fast in August and long stretches where you can drop the hook alone.

We've sailed the south of the island most summers and keep coming back for the run down to the Lavezzi and Cavallo, a scatter of low granite islets in the Strait of Bonifacio. It's short-hop cruising with proper character: mornings in a cove, an afternoon reach, a konoba-style quayside dinner of chestnut and charcuterie. Right for couples and families who want warm-water anchorages and short passages; less right for anyone chasing long offshore miles.

Most charters run from the south and west. Ajaccio is the practical base — two marinas, Port Charles Ornano and the older Port Tino Rossi under the citadel, both an easy taxi from the airport. From here the Sanguinaires islands are a two-hour sail and the gulf gives you shelter for a first shakedown day.

Bonifacio is the postcard: a fjord-like inlet cut into white cliffs, the harbour hidden until you're almost in. It's the launch point for the best cruising on the island — the Lavezzi and Cavallo islands, and the crossing to the Maddalena archipelago and Sardinia, seven miles south across the Strait.

Pianottoli and Porto-Vecchio open up the south-east: sandy Rondinara and Santa Giulia, easier holding, family-friendly beaches. Northbound from Ajaccio the coast climbs to the Scandola reserve and the Calanques of Piana — dramatic, but longer passages and fewer bolt-holes if the wind gets up.

The season runs May to October. June and September are the sweet spot — warm water, settled weather, quieter anchorages. July and August are hot and busy; the marinas book out and popular coves fill by mid-afternoon.

The wind to respect is the mistral, a strong north-westerly that funnels down through the Strait of Bonifacio and can blow hard for a day or three, kicking up a short steep sea between Corsica and Sardinia. It's why the Strait has its reputation. The libeccio (south-west) is the other one to watch on the west coast. In settled summer weather you'll often get a thermal breeze that fills in the afternoon and dies at dusk — pleasant sailing, but check the forecast before committing to the Strait crossing, and be ready to sit tight in Bonifacio if the mistral's up.

Corsica out of these bases is mostly bareboat — monohulls and catamarans you skipper yourself, provisioned and gone. If you'd rather not skipper, crewed options exist but are limited here, so ask early. You can also hire a skipper-only arrangement for a few days to get comfortable, which many first-timers do for the Strait.

Monohulls suit couples and sailors who want to feel the boat; catamarans suit families and groups who want deck space, shallow draft for beach anchorages and steadier nights at anchor. Tell us your group size and whether you hold a licence and we'll point you at the right hull.

Prices move with boat, size and week, so we quote live rather than guess. As a guide, high-summer bareboat weeks in Corsica sit in the mid-to-upper range for the western Med — expect low-season monohull weeks to start well below peak, with August the dearest. Catamarans carry a premium over comparable monohulls.

Budget on top of the charter fee for: fuel, the end-of-charter clean, a security deposit (refundable, held against the boat), tourist tax, and marina fees when you berth rather than anchor — Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio charge properly in season. A skipper, if you want one, is a daily rate plus their food. For a firm number on specific dates, send us the week on WhatsApp and we'll come back with real prices — price on request beats an invented figure.

Day 1 — Board in Ajaccio, provision, short sail to the Sanguinaires and anchor for the first night in the gulf.

Day 2 — Down the west coast to Campomoro or the Golfe de Valinco, a broad bay with good holding and a village quay.

Day 3 — Round the south-west corner toward Roccapina and its lion-shaped rock, anchor off the sand.

Day 4 — Into Bonifacio. Take a berth, walk the citadel, eat ashore. Watch the forecast for the Strait.

Day 5 — Cross to the Lavezzi islands, a marine reserve of granite and turquoise pools. Anchor, swim, snorkel. Overnight at Cavallo or back in Bonifacio if it's blowing.

Day 6 — North up the east coast to Rondinara or Santa Giulia, wide sandy bays for a lazy family day.

Day 7 — Work back west toward Ajaccio, or return the boat at Porto-Vecchio if you've arranged a one-way. Fuel up, final anchorage, home.

Reverse it from Bonifacio if you'd rather start in the south and put the best cruising first.

Fly into Ajaccio (AJA) for the western bases, or Figari (FSC) for Bonifacio and the south — Figari is 20 minutes from Bonifacio, Ajaccio airport 15 from the marinas. Both take direct summer flights from mainland France and several European cities; connections often run through Paris, Marseille or Nice. Ferries cross from Nice, Marseille, Toulon and Livorno if you'd rather bring a car.

Change-over is usually Saturday. Aim to arrive the evening before so you can provision and brief unhurried, then leave on the morning tide. Bring passports for everyone aboard — a crossing to Sardinia stays inside the EU but border checks happen. Tell us your arrival airport when you book and we'll line up the base that saves you the transfer.