Corsica is the island the French charter and almost nobody else does, which is why its prices sit below the Cote d'Azur's and its harbours fill with French boats in August and empty in June. It is also the most dramatic coastline in the Mediterranean: two thousand metre mountains straight out of the water and the Scandola reserve on the west side.
What a boat costs
Read on 11 September 2026, Sailo lists 47 boats in reach of Ajaccio, and Click and Boat lists 10,570 boats across France at an average of 532 EUR a day, from a floor of 178. Corsican bases are at Ajaccio and Propriano on the West Coast, Bonifacio at the southern tip, and Porto Vecchio and Bastia on the east, with the largest concentration around Bonifacio because of what is across the strait.
The Bonifacio strait
Seven miles of water between Corsica and Sardinia, with the Lavezzi islands in the middle of it, and it is the reason to charter here. Sardinia's Maddalena archipelago is an hour south of Bonifacio, which means a Corsican week can take in the best water in Sardinia and a Sardinian week the best in Corsica. The strait itself accelerates the wind and is shallow in places, and the Lavezzi are a nature reserve with buoys rather than free anchoring.
The West Coast and Scandola
North of Ajaccio the coast runs to Cargese, Porto and the Scandola reserve, which is a UNESCO site of red porphyry cliffs where landing is forbidden and anchoring restricted. Girolata, the village next to it, has no road and is reachable only by sea or on foot. This is the most spectacular stretch of the island and it is exposed to any westerly, so it needs a settled forecast and a willingness to turn back.
Questions people ask about boat rental corsica
How much is a boat rental in Corsica?
Sailo lists 47 boats in reach of Ajaccio, and Click and Boat lists 10,570 boats across France at an average of 532 EUR a day from a floor of 178, read on 11 September 2026.
Can you sail from Corsica to Sardinia?
Yes, seven miles across the Bonifacio strait, with the Lavezzi islands in between and Sardinia's Maddalena archipelago an hour south. The strait accelerates the wind and is shallow in places.
Can you visit Scandola?
You can sail past it. Landing is forbidden in the reserve and anchoring is restricted. Girolata beside it has no road and is reachable only by sea or on foot, which is the point of going.