Anchorage

L'Île-Rousse

Shelter: NW, N, W, SW, S
Seabed: algae
Anchoring: Forbidden

Buoy field off the town of L'Île-Rousse in Balagne, northern Corsica, over a Posidonia meadow, open to the north.

Mooring buoys
Beach
Seagrass

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the north between the Pietra islet lighthouse and the main breakwater. Use the ecological mooring buoys set by the local management body to protect the seagrass; anchoring on Posidonia is prohibited along this coast. The bay is open from SW through N to E, ferries running to the town quay send a steady wash through the field, and shelter is poor even in a westerly. Shift to Port Eugène Ceccaldi at 5.2 nm SW in strong northerlies.

Practical

No services on the buoys, which are colour coded by size: yellow ones run about 20 euros a night, blue ones about 40 euros and the largest up to 80 euros. Call the harbourmaster on VHF 9; the team may help pick up the buoy in strong wind and can run a shuttle to and from the port. Land the tender at the stepped quay to the left of the harbour or on the town beach. Port Eugène Ceccaldi has water, fuel, visitor berths and a shipyard. Full range of shops, a daily covered market and supermarkets within 400 m of the harbour.

Ashore

Covered market on place Paoli every morning, surrounded by the XIXth-century arcaded square laid out under Pascal Paoli. Pietra lighthouse and the red granite islet reached by the causeway, about 700 m from the town. Tramways de Balagne small train to Calvi along the coast from L'Île-Rousse station.

History

Founded in 1758 by Pascal Paoli as an outlet for Balagne agriculture, to compete with Calvi which remained loyal to Genoa. The regular street grid and the arcades of place Paoli date from that period.