Anchorage

Cala di Stagnolu

Shelter: N, NE, E, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Sandy anchorage on the southern tip of Corsica, between Cap Pertusato and the cliffs of Bonifacio, facing the Strait of Bonifacio.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the west to line up with the sand, as rocks lie in the middle of the bay and submerged rocks extend about 200 m west of the small islet. Anchor to either side of the central rocks on sand in 4 to 10 metres, holding is good. Sheltered from N, NE, E and SE, exposed to westerlies and libeccio sweeping through the Strait, and a fresh easterly can gust down off the hills. Keep clear of the rocky heads at the sides of the cove.

Practical

Forain mooring with no services. The harbour of Bonifacio inside the calanque lies 3.2 nm to the SE, with all facilities, fuel, shops and restaurants along the Quai Comparetti.

Ashore

The dinghy lands on the beach, with coast paths to quiet coves on either side and a restaurant back at La Tonnara whose car park has bins for rubbish and recycling. The limestone cliffs of Bonifacio rise just to the SE, topped by the old town with its medieval citadel and the Escalier du Roi d'Aragon carved into the rock. Cap Pertusato lighthouse stands 2 km to the south at the southern tip of Corsica, with a view across the Strait to the Lavezzi islands and Sardinia.

History

The Strait of Bonifacio separates Corsica from Sardinia and has been a major Mediterranean shipping route since antiquity. Bonifacio was founded as a fortified town in 828 by Count Boniface II of Tuscany and later held by Pisa and Genoa.