BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide

Boat Rental in Bastia: Cruising Cap Corse

Boat rental in Bastia: Erbalunga and the east coast of Cap Corse, fishing marinas and quiet beaches, which boat to choose, best season and budget.

Bastia is more than a gateway to Corsica: it is a genuine boating base, facing one of the island's most authentic coastlines. From the Vieux-Port or the Toga marina, the eastern shore of Cap Corse unrolls its fishing hamlets, Genoese towers and grey pebble beaches, far from the crowds of the southern gulfs.

The cruising ground: the east coast of Cap Corse

Heading north, the stops follow one another naturally. Erbalunga, a handful of miles away, is the classic image of the Cap: a village huddled around its ruined Genoese tower, with fair-weather anchoring in front of the café terraces. Further up, the marina of Sisco, then Pietracorbara and its long sandy beach, offer easy swimming stops. Early starters can push on to Santa-Severa, or even Macinaggio and the protected Finocchiarola islets — a nature reserve best admired from the water without landing. On a clear day, Elba appears on the horizon.

Bear in mind that true shelter is scarce along this coast: the Cap's marinas are small fishing harbours, often full in summer, and most stops are made at anchor over sand or pebbles. Bring plenty of water, a sun awning and a snorkelling mask — the seabed around the rocky points between Erbalunga and Sisco is among the richest in fish anywhere near Bastia.

Which boat to choose

The RIB is the ideal tool for Cap Corse: fast enough to cover the distance, reassuring if the sea builds on the way back. A motorboat suits a family day out as far as Pietracorbara, while a licence-free boat will stay in the immediate surroundings of Bastia. For a week afloat, a sailboat opens the route to Elba and Capraia, or a full lap of the island. Compare RIB rentals from Bastia, or read our guide to sailing around Corsica.

When to go

The season runs from May to October, with pleasant water until the last fine days. Wind shapes your plans: in a libeccio (westerly), the east coast often remains workable while the other side of the Cap is untenable; in an established easterly, it is wiser to postpone or switch to Saint-Florent, on the far side of the peninsula. Leave early — the water is almost always gentler in the morning, and the run home to Bastia is then downwind in the afternoon thermal breeze.

Budget: the ranges we see

Expect 200–600 € per day for a RIB, 250–900 € per day for a motorboat, and 300–700 € per day or 1,500–4,000 € per week for a sailboat. A skipper — invaluable for finding the Cap's best anchorages — costs 150–350 € per day. For an identical boat, price gaps between platforms reach 10–25 %, with service fees of 0 to 9 %: Boat-Comparator compares live offers in Bastia and across Corsica, with no affiliation to any platform. Cancellation policies vary by rental company — read each listing carefully.

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Also worth reading

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• License-Free Boat Rental in France: Rules, Prices & Where to Book
• Renting with or without a skipper: how to choose