Yacht Charter Corsica – The Land of Napoleon
Despite being closer to
Italy than to
France, the island of yacht charter Corsica is the Mediterranean’s fourth largest island. It’s identified with the French ever since Napoleon Bonaparte, a prominent historical figure that permanently entered its name in the French history books. It’s home to a proud people that live by the “always conquered, never subdued” motto and still bear the famed stubbornness also displayed by the scrappy French dictator.
Having 1000km of coastline and a surface of 8680 sq km, yacht charter Corsica is particularly appealing to tourists for its numerous beaches but also for the countryside which is dominated by mountain range that splits the island into two parts and culminates at 2710m. Even if both the eastern and the western parts slowly decent to the sea, the shore is very different in appearance, with the eastern part ending in plains and numerous lagoons and the western marked by steep gulfs and high cliffs.
The local predominant vegetation is called maquis, made up of mostly aromatic shrubs but there are also holm-oaks and cork oaks in the somewhat warmer and lower south. The numerous scented flowers that grow here gave Corsica the name “Scented Island” as the fragrance sometimes is carried far out to sea. With 20% of the island covered in forests (pine and chestnut), you can find some enticing natural parks here for your visit.
The climate is a little cooler in the center and somewhat warmer on the coast since it’s affected by the altitude. The summers are already hot and dry thanks to the
Mediterranean influence and setting, while the winters are mild and rainy. For the sailors, the best time to visit is during the warm season.
The first settlements on Corsica were built by the Phoenicians, Etruscan and the Carthaginians. From the 3rd century BC up until 500 AD the Romans were in charge and after them successively, the Byzantines, Goths, Lombards and then came Carolingian rule. The French bought Corsica from the Genoese in 1768. During World War II the island belonged to the Italians but was returned to the French who gave it limited autonomy to quell local rebellions and separatist movements going on since the 70s.
Bastia and Ajaccio are the biggest towns on the island and also the main attractions for any tourists, but there are some other old settlements which have plenty to offer to modern crowds: Calvi, Porto Vecchio and Propriano are also worth checking out when in yacht charter Corsica.
So popular is the island in the summer months that in July and August the population on the island doubles and sometimes even triples in numbers, a fact tolerated by the locals considering the large income visitors bring in. Just like its neighbor
Sicily, the best time of the year to sail a boat here is between May and October. That’s the time when winds are fair, with the sea breeze blowing from the west. The only thing skippers should worry about is the Mistral which can bring wind speeds up to 40 knots during summer.