Girolata

The Gulf of Girolata is located in the municipality of Osani in the department of southern Corsica. The anchorage is well known therefore it is often crowded with boats; there are other fairly sheltered moorings in the vicinity, although sometimes a strong sirocco wind blows.

The Girolata landing place consists of a natural inlet sheltered from all winds that offers mooring to small and medium-sized vessels. The place is quite wild and can be reached by land only with much difficulty via a very long dirt road.

There are a few wooden buildings and a few stone houses in the bay that are very atmospheric, and not far away a few typical restaurants nestled in a dreamlike atmosphere with prices appropriate to the environment.

All around dominates the unspoiled wilderness typical of western Corsica. Despite the impervious area, the gulf is very popular and tourists are dropped off on the beach by boats from all over.

For the past few years, a buoy field has been placed in the anchorage that allows for more secure mooring, albeit in very limited space.

The Girolata anchorage is located a short distance from the Scandola Reserve, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scandola Nature Reserve covers an area of 1,919 hectares between land and sea and includes the municipalities of Partinello, Calenzana, Ota, Galeria, Piana, Osani, and Serriera.

The marine reserve includes the island of Black Elpa and Scandola Peninsula, with hundreds of meters high rocks overhanging the sea and numerous underwater caves, an absolute paradise for snorkelers and scuba divers.

Fishing, collecting plants and flowers, camping and mooring at night are prohibited in the marine reserve. Mooring at the buoys in the Girolata anchorage is very quiet in almost all weather conditions, and the only danger is an area of very shallow water located in the eastern part in front of the beach.

Crowding aside, this anchorage is one of the most beautiful in Corsica, considering the unspoiled wilderness around it. The sea is transparent to the point that there is a sense of vertigo when looking at the surface, because you can clearly distinguish the deep rocky and sandy bottoms.

This is a great place to put on a mask and explore the cliffs and numerous caves that open up sheer underwater. Outside the marine reserve, it is also possible to catch large fish.

A short distance away is another spectacular bay, that of the Bloody Islands, so named because they offer unforgettable fiery red sunsets.