Porto-Vecchio
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| Porto-Vecchio
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  The harbour and town of Porto-Vecchio |
The town and harbour of Porto-Vecchio is situated about 25 miles north of Bonifacio on the south east coast of Corsica.
Originally a Roman and later a Genoese port, the region acquired a bad reputation as unhealthy in view of the incidence of malaria caused by the surrounding marshes, which were not drained until the middle of the 20th century. In spite of this, the area has always been an important sea salt producer, a trade which still thrives today. With the draining of the marshes came tourism, with beach bunnies from all over Europe flocking to the superb beaches south of the town.
The town itself, which retains much of its former fortifications, is attractive and the area around Place de la Republique has some charming old buildings overlooking its narrow streets. Porto-Vecchio is also a good base for exploring some of the surrounding prehistoric sites such as Casteddu d'Araghju.
The small harbour contains the Port de plaisance, a well-sheltered 450-berth marina close under the old town on the heights above.
Charts
| Imray | M6 – Ile De Corse (Porto Vecchio inset) |
|---|---|
| SHOM | 6911-6929 |
| Navicarte | 1004-1008 |
Weather
The Gulf of Porto-Vecchio is well-sheltered in terms of sea-swell, but winds can funnel up and down the Gulf between the high land on either side. Equally, winds in the Gulf are not necessarily a good indicator of the winds out at sea.
Also see Corsica.
Passages
Islands
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The Îles Cerbicale is a small archipelago in three miles south of the entrance to the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio.
The archipelago is a part of the nature reserve, Réserve naturelle des Bouches de Bonifacio. Landing and fishing and hunting are not allowed on the islands.
Communication
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
The harbour is at the end of the four mile long Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, which is entered between the lighthouses of Punta Chiappa and Punta San Ciprianu. The Gulf bends to the south after about three miles and the harbour is a further two miles at the end of the inlet, below the old town - which is very conspicuous. The gulf can be quite a windy spot with winds funnelling up or down the inlet.
Roche de la Pecorella [[Porto-Vecchio#Roche de la Pecorella|Roche de la Pecorella]] 41°36.763'N, 009°22.201'E an isolated rock in the entrance to the Gulf, which should be passed to the south.
Roches de Chiappino [[Porto-Vecchio#Roches de Chiappino|Roches de Chiappino]] 41°36.000'N, 009°22.222'E an unmarked rock (height 2-6.5 m) on S of the entrance, which could be dangerous in rough seas.
Entrance
Porto-Vecchio is a port of entry/exit to France.
Submit details about facilities for checking in - location of immigration & customs, etc.
Berthing
There is only one berthing option, Port de plaisance La Marine, the marina of Porto-Vecchio.
Port de plaisance La Marine
Port de plaisance La Marine [[Porto-Vecchio#Port de plaisance La Marine|Port de plaisance La Marine]] 41°35.406'N, 009°16.989'E Capitainerie
- VHF: 9
- Phone: 04 95 70 17 93
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: Port de plaisance La Marine
- Working hours: in season 8:00-21:00; out of season 8h30-12h, 14h-17h30
Prices in 2014 were:
- 78.30 € / night for 47-feeter (including water and electricity)
- shower paid extra, 2.5 € / 7 minutes
Anchorages
Warning: Anchorages in a number of locations in the region are regulated by the authorities. As a rule of thumb an anchorage is prohibited in the area up to 300m off the beaches.
Golfe de Porto-Vecchio
There are several bays around the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio where a yacht may find shelter, depending on the prevailing wind direction. Winds in the Gulf can, however, swing unexpectedly and it may be necessary to re-anchor to avoid being caught on a lee shore.
Yachts frequently anchor to the 
north of the marina [[Porto-Vecchio#north of the marina|north of the marina]] 41°35.998'N, 009°18.026'E , although it is often quite choppy here in the afternoon sea breeze. Another convenient anchorage is E of the channel [[Porto-Vecchio#anchorage is E of the channel|anchorage is E of the channel]] 41°35.779'N, 009°18.389'E .
Baie Stagnolu
Îles Cerbicales
The islands are the part of the natural reserve and the landing is prohibited.
In calm weather you can anchor off the islands, where the depths permit.
Rocher de la Vacca [[Porto-Vecchio#Rocher de la Vacca|Rocher de la Vacca]] 41°33.392'N, 009°23.232'E The park authorities installed 12 mooring buoys there. Using the anchor is prohibited.
North of Porto-Vecchio
Baie de San Ciprianu [[Porto-Vecchio#Baie de San Ciprianu|Baie de San Ciprianu]] 41°37.988'N, 009°21.363'E -- just north of the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio is a wonderful anchorage in a lovely sandy bay with crystal clear water. The water is so clear here, you can see your anchor dug in in five metres and more.
Golfe de Pinarellu [[Porto-Vecchio#Golfe de Pinarellu|Golfe de Pinarellu]] 41°40.432'N, 009°22.828'E -- a rarely visited pleasant anchorage. A "wilder" southern part is better sheltered. Good holding/
South of Porto-Vecchio
Folacca [[Porto-Vecchio#Folacca|Folacca]] 41°32.823'N, 009°18.736'E suitable for a stop in calm weather.
Toro islands [[Porto-Vecchio#Toro islands|Toro islands]] 41°30.641'N, 009°22.819'E For a day-stop in calm weather.
Punta de l'Acciaro [[Porto-Vecchio#Punta de l'Acciaro|Punta de l'Acciaro]] 41°32.533'N, 009°18.242'E Protected from N, NE
Golfe de Santa Giulia [[Porto-Vecchio#Golfe de Santa Giulia|Golfe de Santa Giulia]] 41°31.443'N, 009°16.565'E Some hotels ashore, restaurants and bars. Anchorage is prohibited inside the 300m band along the beached. Nevertheless inside this zone there is an organised moorings with buoys (paid, for example for <10m Jul-Aug 25€, May,Jun,Sep 20€).
Golfe de Porto Novo [[Porto-Vecchio#Golfe de Porto Novo|Golfe de Porto Novo]] 41°30.119'N, 009°16.661'E Surrounded by high hills. Protected from SW. Warning: Take care of the shoal extending from the Punta di Capriccia at the SE tip of the cove.
Golfe de Rondinara [[Porto-Vecchio#Golfe de Rondinara|Golfe de Rondinara]] 41°28.166'N, 009°16.220'E Almost landlocked cove opened to E. If mistral is blowing its better to anchor behind the S small isthmus. Warning: Take care of rocky patch starting just in the middle of the cove and continuing N. The area around is prohibited for anchoring anyway. Also there is an access channel for motorboats from the pier at the SW shore towards the exit from the cove.
Golfe de Santa-Manza
Aka Golfe de Sant'Amanza
SW basin [[Porto-Vecchio#SW basin|SW basin]] 41°24.650'N, 009°13.483'E
Plage de Canettu [[Porto-Vecchio#Plage de Canettu|Plage de Canettu]] 41°25.406'N, 009°13.589'E Suitable for settled weather
Rocchi Bianchi [[Porto-Vecchio#Rocchi Bianchi|Rocchi Bianchi]] 41°25.728'N, 009°13.667'E Good protection from W, SW by high cliff on the shore.
Amenities
| Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Water | at the berths |
| Electricity | at the berths |
| Toilets | In marina |
| Showers | In marina, tokens (€2.5) sold at marina office; water runs for 7 minutes non-stop. |
| Laundry | Washing machines are available in the harbour office. |
| Garbage | Bins behind the marina |
| Supplies | |
| Fuel |  Fuel berth [[Porto-Vecchio#Fuel berth|Fuel berth]] 41°35.452'N, 009°17.127'E tel. +33 4 95 70 21 40
|
| Bottled gas | |
| Chandlers |  Chandler [[Porto-Vecchio#Chandler|Chandler]] 41°25.728'N, 009°13.667'E close to the harbour
|
| Services | |
| Repairs | Limited repairs, slipway, 3 GRU 5 and 30 t |
| Internet | |
| Mobile connectivity | |
| Vehicle rentals | |
Provisioning
Good supermarket and other shops up in the town, a steep 15 minute walk from the harbour.
Casino supermarché [[Porto-Vecchio#Casino supermarché|Casino supermarché]] 41°35.161'N, 009°16.894'E A supermarket close to the marina (Rue du 9 septembre; Mo-Sa 8h30-19h30, Su 8h30-12h30)
- E.Leclerc [[Porto-Vecchio#E.Leclerc|E.Leclerc]] 41°35.859'N, 009°16.605'E A hypermarket at NW edge of the town (Les 4 chemins Ccial Grand Sud; Mo,Sa 8h45-21h, Tu-Fr 8h45-20h30, Su 8h45-12h45)
Eating out
-
Le Bistrot [[Porto-Vecchio#Le Bistrot|Le Bistrot]] 41°35.368'N, 009°16.988'E was excellent in 2003 (carpaccio of raw fish and magret de canard).
- Someone's recommended L'Antigu [[Porto-Vecchio#L'Antigu|L'Antigu]] 41°25.728'N, 009°13.667'E (51, Rue u Borgo)
Transportation
Tourism
The town, built on a steep hill above the harbour and enclosed by powerful fortifications, is very picturesque when not over-run with tourists.
Its compact grid of narrow, cobbled streets leads onto the main square, Place de la Republique, ringed with lively bars and cafes where one can people-watch the day away. Some of the defensive bastions remain, and there are splendid views from them down over the harbour and the salt marshes inland. The Genoese Gate facing the harbour gives onto a wonderful prospect of the harbour, sea, and the surrounding mountains. Lining the old city wall here is a row of restaurants (and an excellent pizzeria) with unbeatable views over the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio.
Around five kilometers north of Porto-Vecchio harbour is the little village of Araghju. The attraction here is the stunningly sited Bronze Age fortification of Casteddu d'Araghju, a 20 minute steep climb up a rough track from the village. The site is one of the best preserved of its kind on the island, with walls in some places as high as four metres.
 Casteddu d'Araghju |
 Entrance, Casteddu d'Araghju |
 View from Casteddu d'Araghju |
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Discussions
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Porto-Vecchio at the Wikipedia
- Porto-Vecchio at the Wikivoyage
References
See France.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit. Personal experiences?
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Porto-Vecchio and this page's details validated:
- June 2003 --Atheneoflymington
- June 2014 --Mithril
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Names: Lighthouse, Atheneoflymington |
