Anchorage

Iles Sanguinaires

Shelter: E
Seabed: rock
Anchoring: Allowed

Rocky archipelago off the western tip of the Gulf of Ajaccio in Corsica, anchorage on rock bottom with shelter only from the east.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the Gulf of Ajaccio side. Bottom is rock, so drop the hook with care and check the set. The site is open to W, SW, S, N and NE, only sheltered from E winds. The group sits inside the Natura 2000 site of the Sanguinaires and the Scandola biosphere perimeter, anchoring rules apply.

Practical

No facilities on the islands. Port Tino Rossi in Ajaccio lies 7.5 NM E for fuel, water and provisioning. Dinghy Dock is 7.7 NM NE.

Ashore

The largest island, Mezzo Mare, carries the Sanguinaires lighthouse built in 1844 and a Genoese tower. A marked path climbs to the light, under 1 km from the landing. Alphonse Daudet stayed in the old semaphore in 1863 and drew on it for his Lettres de mon moulin.

History

The archipelago takes its red hue from the iron-rich serpentinite rock. The Genoese tower on Mezzo Mare dates from the 16th century, part of the coastal watch line guarding the gulf from Barbary raids.