Anchorage

Anse Medea

Shelter: NW, N, NE, E
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Forbidden

Buoy field in a sandy cove on the west coast of Corsica, inside the Réserve Naturelle des Îles Sanguinaires, about 5 nm south of Ajaccio.

Mooring buoys
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the west or south keeping clear of the Sanguinaires archipelago to the north. Sand bottom, well sheltered from NW through NE and E, open to the south and SW. Moorings are on the buoys, but boats routinely anchor on the sand just outside the field; buoy use and availability are disputed, with some reserved, so call on VHF 9 first. Jet-ski and tender traffic works the cove by day, quiet at night.

Practical

The buoys cost around 20 euros a night when one is free, though availability is disputed. Anchor only on sand, not on the posidonia. No water, fuel or power on site, but a Carrefour Express and a small market lie close to the landing for provisioning. Port Tino Rossi in Ajaccio 4.7 nm N for full services, Dingy Dock 5.2 nm N for tender landings.

Ashore

The Îles Sanguinaires, classified Natura 2000 site, lie just off the cove. Sentier des Crêtes follows the ridge above Parata and links to the Genoese tower on Mezu Mare, built in the 1560s as part of the Corsican coastal watch system.

History

The Sanguinaires name is traditionally linked to the red quarantine pennants flown by ships at the Ajaccio lazaretto, or to the sunset colour on the granite rocks. Alphonse Daudet stayed in the Mezu Mare tower in 1863 and described the islands in Lettres de mon moulin.