Sailing around Corsica and Sardinia

Ajaccio is all class and seduction. Commanding a lovely sweep of bay, the city breathes confidence and has more than a whiff of the Côte d’Azur. Everyone from solo travellers to romance-seeking couples and families will love moseying around the centre, replete with mellow- toned buildings and buzzing cafes – not to mention its large marina and the trendy route des Sanguinaires area, a few kilometres to the west.

There are few towns that can boast such a dramatic, seemingly precarious position as Bonifacio! Teetering perilously atop an eroding limestone promontory that juts out into the sea, east to west, for around1.5km, it has to be seen to be believed. This jaw-dropping context is not, however, Bonifacio’s only attraction. Panoramically speaking, Bonifacio is extraordinary: 360-degree vistas take in Corsica’s coastline, vast swathes of the Tyrrhenian Sea and, 12km to the south, the neighbouring island of Sardinia.

Shamelessly seductive and fashionable, Porto-Vecchio is dubbed the Corsican St- Tropez, and it’s no wonder. Sitting in a marvellous bay, it’s the kind of place that lures French A-listers and wealthy tourists. Its picturesque backstreets, lined with restaurant terraces and designer shops, have charm in spades, and are presided over with grace by the photogenic ruins of an old Genoese citadel. Although there is no beach in the town proper, some of the island’s best, and most famous, beaches are close by.

Sardinia’s north-eastern coast is fringed with low cliffs, inlets, and small bays. This has become an upscale vacationland, with glossy resorts just outside the confines of the famed Costa Smeralda. Some of Italy’s most magnificent yachts are anchored in the waters of Porto Cervo. Golf courses, yacht clubs, and numerous alfresco restaurants and bars cater to those who want to see and be seen.

A small hamlet on the sea shore, lively and modern set in the heart of the famous Costa Smeralda, Porto Rotondo is one of the best-known venues for a five-star vacation in the north of Sardinia. With its bars and trendy eateries, restaurants offering ‘haute cuisine’ and a stylish small port surrounded by boutiques and contemporary art galleries, it has everything it takes to satisfy the most demanding clientele. Porto Rotondo is a small colourful centre, very stylish, which looks out over a splendid crystal-clear sea. The most beautiful beaches include Ira, the Sassi beach and Punta Volpe, magic bays but well-equipped and easy to reach.

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport offers private jets arrivals and departures. On the last day of your trip, you will be navigating towards the Airport of Olbia, where you will be able to take off and head to your next destination.