Anchorage

L'Île Rousse

4.0FranceCorsica

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Shelter: NW, W, SW, S, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Forbidden

Mooring field on buoys off L'Île-Rousse in Balagne, northern Corsica, with 20 berths east of the commercial harbour.

Mooring buoys
Visitor buoys
Pontoon
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the N or E with the red rock islets of La Pietra conspicuous. The commercial port handles daily ferries from Nice and Marseille, so keep clear of the fairway. Call the harbour on VHF 9 for a buoy, allocated by colour according to length. Open to winds from NW round to SE and sheltered only from the N behind La Pietra; the buoys hold well but roll by day with the wash of ferries, jet skis and water-sports boats, easing around 7pm. Anchoring is possible on sand further east of the buoy field, though the harbour master may move boats on.

Practical

About 20 buoys on sand laid by the harbour authority, roughly 20 to 40 euros a night by size and season, and the office can be slow to answer. Water and showers are available from the harbour team. Land the dinghy on the concrete pontoon by the steps, tucking inside the short pier where the main wall catches the swell. Casino supermarket in town and a laundry in the village. For fuel and technical services contact the capitainerie of Port Eugène Ceccaldi 5.4 nm west.

Ashore

The town centre sits 300 metres from the landing stage. Covered market on place Paoli runs every morning in summer. Train station of the Chemins de Fer de Corse, which links Calvi, Ponte-Leccia, Bastia, and Ajaccio, stands less than 400 metres from the quay.

History

L'Île-Rousse was founded in 1758 by Pascal Paoli as a Corsican outlet built to rival Genoese-held Calvi. The grid plan of the old town and the name Paoli gave it, Isola Rossa, both date from that foundation.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 42.63593, 8.94166 (42°38.16'N 8°56.50'E)
Country: France
Shelter: Sheltered from north-west, west, south-west, south, south-east winds
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Forbidden
Fees: Paid
VHF channel: 9
Phone: +33495602651
Services: Mooring buoys, Visitor buoys, Pontoon, Beach
Boaters' rating: 4.0/5
Updated: October 15, 2026