BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide
Corsica or Sardinia: comparing the two shores of the Strait of Bonifacio
A strait just a few kilometres wide separates two Mediterranean sailing styles. What really sets Corsica and Sardinia apart for a week on a boat.
Between the southern tip of Corsica and the north of Sardinia, barely a dozen kilometres separate two islands often compared, sometimes combined into a single cruise. Here's what really sets them apart when planning a week on the water.
A strait separating two styles
From Bonifacio, perched on its limestone cliffs, a few hours of calm sea bring you to the La Maddalena archipelago on the Sardinian side — two moods that mirror each other, covered in detail in our guide to Bonifacio and the Lavezzi Islands. Corsica, wilder and more mountainous on its west coast, contrasts with a more built-up northern Sardinia around the Costa Smeralda, developed from the 1960s onward into an upscale seaside resort.
La Maddalena and Italian regulations
The La Maddalena Archipelago National Park enforces strict anchoring rules around its protected islets, in line with other Italian marine reserves in the Mediterranean. Research on the effectiveness of these reserves shows their ecological payoff depends directly on the actual level of on-the-ground enforcement, not just the regulatory label (Guidetti et al., Italian marine reserve effectiveness: Does enforcement matter?, Biological Conservation, 2008, see the study on Google Scholar) — good reason to check the permitted zones before anchoring on the Sardinian side.
Budget and crowds
Budget €250-900/day for a motorboat or RIB on either shore, more for a catamaran (€800-1,500/day). Corsica, in high demand in July-August, posts steep peak-season rates around Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio; Sardinia and its Costa Smeralda charge comparable or even higher prices at the most sought-after spots, notably around Olbia.
Combining the two?
In calm weather, a day trip can link both shores, taking in the Lavezzi Islands on the Corsican side and La Maddalena on the Sardinian side in a single loop — provided you check the formalities and the strait's weather, known for sometimes strong currents. Our guide to sailing around Corsica helps build a fuller itinerary if you stay on the French side.
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