Anchorage

Porto Marina

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

Open roadstead at the mouth of the Porto river on the west coast of Corsica, within the Scandola UNESCO reserve perimeter and facing the red porphyry cliffs of the Calanche de Piana.

Water
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the W is unhindered in settled weather. Anchor on sand in 5 to 15 m, commonly 9 to 12 m off the beach, with good holding. An outer line of large yellow buoys marks the limit inside which only boats of 24 m or less may lie, with an inner row off the swim area where anchoring is barred, so drop outside or between them and keep well clear of the harbour channel. Watch for an underwater cable across the bay. Shelter runs from N through E to SE but the bay is open to the W, the libeccio from the SW sending in a heavy sea. The constant nuisance is wash from fast tourist boats working the harbour, which keeps it rolly even in calm and eases only after dark.

Practical

Land the dinghy inside the small harbour, mooring by the road bridge on the south side; the harbour is too shallow for keel boats, with a narrow entrance and under 1.5 m at the sill. A Proxi in Porto covers basic provisioning, and Porto-Ota about 1.5 km up the road has a pharmacy and two well stocked supermarkets. A bus to Ajaccio makes crew changes easy. A water tap is at the Porto-Ota landing stage 0.2 nm to the E. No fuel on site. Girolata, 6 nm to the NW, offers moorings and a few restaurants but stays roadless.

Ashore

The Calanche de Piana cliffs, listed by UNESCO since 1983, rise immediately south of the bay. A marked path leaves the southern end of the beach and climbs to the D81 and on to Piana, about 10 km and three hours, with a spur to the old castle giving a wide view over Girolata and Cap Rosso. Boat trips from the jetty run to Scandola and the Girolata creek. In the village the restaurant Gina is dear but well regarded.

History

The Genoese tower of Porto at the southern headland was built around 1549 as part of the defensive line against Barbary raids and was restored in 1993.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 42.26569, 8.68863 (42°15.94'N 8°41.32'E)
Country: France
Shelter: Sheltered from north, north-east, east, south-west, south, south-east winds
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed
Maximum length: 19 ft
Services: Water, Beach
Boaters' rating: 3.3/5
Updated: October 15, 2026