7 Day Itinerary - From Macinaggio to Capraia and Elba

Itinerary suggestion

Day 1: Arrive at Macinaggio

Macinaggio is the largest marina and fishermen base of Cap Corse, whose style will plunge you into a picturesque and authentic Corsica. Landscapes, still wild, are of exceptional beauty and rarity.
Macinaggio bay has several coves and sandy beaches, most accessible by boat. Because of their protected status, these sites still wild but also a quiet and beautiful nature landscapes. First night on board.

Day 2: 21 miles Heading to Capraia

A wild and fascinating island, a true Mediterranean gem, one of the seven sisters islands of the Tuscan archipelago. Its small harbor is lovely and the small village perched in a citadel will seduce you! There are some possibilities of anchorages north of the port or off the port in front of a small beach.

Day 3: 27 miles Departure to Portoferraio on Elba

Visit the historic center and walk to Fort Falcone where the view is breathtaking! The time has come to give you a well-deserved rest on the beach of the Ghiaie so transparent water break, or that of Sansone, fine gravel beach made famous through advertising Acqua dell'Elba (Elba's water).

Day 4: 24 miles Departure to the East Coast

We can anchor in one of the most beautiful bays of the island: the Gulf of Biodola with its beautiful sandy beach, connected to an equally beautiful beach, Scaglieri

Then, sailing into the bay Procchio with one of the most famous beaches of the island. The site Cervinia where we proceeded to the smelting of copper and iron in antiquity is nearby.

Next, navigate along the west of the island towards Marciana Marina, which has several coves. Notice the lovely little island where it is said that Pauline Bonaparte liked to go swimming. You choose your own piece of paradise to drop anchor!

Day 5: 24 miles Heading south of the Island

Towards Cavoli-Seccheto and join one of the most beautiful beaches on the Elbe, Fetovaia where the sea is worthy of the Caribbean. Sail to Marina di Campo you can visit and anchor south of the island in the Gulf of Lacona, a deep bay on a background of gently sloping sand.

Day 6: 10 miles Heading to Capoliveri

A pretty medieval village full of charm perched on the promontory. Small market of local products animated squares and streets are overrun with tables, covered with the best dishes of the Elbe exquisite perfumes. Then navigate to Cavo through Porto Azzurro and Rio Marina where you can choose to swim and relax in one of the coves along the coastline.

Day 7: 44 miles Back to Macinaggio

And if you want to enjoy one last time fins, snorkels, will anchor at the beach before returning to Tamarone Macinaggio harbor at night. Indeed, Macinaggio bay has several coves and sandy beaches, most accessible by boat. Because of their protected status, these sites keep a pristine wilderness but also a quiet and beautiful scenery.., to disembark on Saturday, yes, this is the end of this wonderful sailing cruise!

Sailing in South Corsica

General information

French Corsica, including Elba and the Bonifacio straits, offers excellent cruising. The west coast includes some of the most dramatic scenery of the Mediterranean. Add hundreds of coves with brilliant white beaches, many islets, little intrusive development, plenty of anchorages, good marinas, attractive old town centres, and you'll need much more than four weeks for a thorough exploration. Or allow two weeks to circumnavigate visiting just the highlights.

Westerly winds through the Bonifacio straits, channelled between Corsica and Sardinia, often reach F7. This area is a popular cruising ground, sharing the extensive Maddalena and Lavezzi Archipelagos, together with a host of local anchorages on the main island coastlines.

South Corsica enjoys a Mediterranean climate which is hot and dry in summer, with air temperatures up to 36° C and water temperatures up to 25° C. In winter, weather is mild and rainy. Spring and the beginning of the autumn season are ideal times for a cruise around South Corsica as temperatures are pleasant, the landscape is beautiful and there are less people in the ports and anchorages. South Corsica has different weather systems between the east and west coasts. The west coast is more exposed and therefore windier. The prevailing wind is a westerly thermal breeze blowing at force of 3 to 5 on the Beaufort scale. It comes up in the morning and dies in the evening.

In the Strait of Bonifacio, conditions are specific with winds sometimes blowing in opposite directions and strongly, due to the bottleneck effect. In this area, you will find many places to take shelter.

If you decide to cruise around South Corsica in July or August, it’s probably best to favour anchorages to ports as they can often be packed and more expensive than in the low or mid season.

Climate on Corsica, various micro-climates create a wide variety of temperatures and precipitation. The main mountain range divides the island roughly in half. As a general rule the north is hotter than the south. Summers are long, stretching from May until October.

In the western Mediterranean the tide range is very small, rising/falling by just 30 cm to 60 cm (one to two feet).