Cala di Greco – Isola di Lavezzi

Cala di Greco (Italianization of Cala di U Grecu) is the bay of Lavezzi where it is easiest to moor, enjoying the wonders of this pearl of the Straits of Bonifacio without risking too much for the pitfalls of the outcropping boulders and shallow waters that characterize most of Lavezzi’s bays.

Cala di Greco is located in the eastern part of the island, is exposed to winds from quadrants I and II, and offers little more than minimal shelter from westerly winds. In sustained westerly winds, however, it is inadvisable to anchor at Lavezzi: the presence of rocks, outcropping boulders and shoals makes anchoring extremely risky if sea and visibility conditions are not perfect. For this same reason, although the presence of a lighthouse guides navigation and the approach to the island at night, it is necessary to plan to land in Lavezzi during the day.

Cala di Greco is a wide and rather deep bay;anchoring is possible in the sector delimited by the yellow buoys. It can be accessed from the south and west, while to the north one must watch out for shoals.

In addition to the wide space of the bay, it is also possible to take advantage of the smaller inlet to the northwest for anchoring; in the southeastern part of Cala di Greco, however, pay attention to the mooring points (buoys and small pier) reserved for the vehicles that bring tourists to Lavezzi from Bonifacio every day. If you moor in their spaces, besides being awakened in the morning at 8 a.m. by a couple of angry Corsicans, you will have violated the park’s strict regulations.

Lavezzi is in fact part of the Bocche di Bonifacio Nature Reserve established in the 1990s, and although control by park guards is very discreet, it is careful and continuous. Access to and stay in the park is free of charge, but it is advisable to check for any new regulations before planning to sail in this area. The reserve’s mission is to protect the fauna and flora, terrestrial and marine, of the Mouth Islands (Cavallo, Piana, Ratino, Porraggia and Perduto), and the good result achieved is evident. At Lavezzi, it is possible to encounter with a simple dive from the boat all the Mediterranean marine fauna elsewhere threatened: huge specimens of king bream swim under swarms of bream and sea bass in a seabed covered with posidonia. For professionals, less than a mile east-northeast of Cala di Greco it is possible to dive 20 to 30 meters into the famous “Secca di Lavezzi” to see up close, and often feed, specimens of grouper weighing more than 30 kg. Sailing further offshore it is not difficult in the right season to see tuna and cetaceans.

Lavezzi is an island of enchanted, timeless beauty, and well worth visiting even from land. The beaches are free, demarcated and well-maintained paths guide the walk throughout the island, which really offers many points of interest despite being small (50 hectares), exclusively rocky and uninhabited. You can get close to the lighthouse, simply enjoy the spectacle of the granite boulders carved into incredible shapes by the wind and the sea, admire the vegetation that descends to the sea, the birds that are the real inhabitants of Lavezzi, read the story of the Semillante shipwreck on the plaques inside the two cemeteries commemorating the hundreds of sailors who died in that terrible accident in 1855.