The Tuscan archipelago and Cap Corse
The Tuscan archipelago is not the Mediterranean of the brochures: there is no chain of bays an hour apart, but there is Elba, the size of a small country, near-empty Capraia and a crossing of open sea to Corsica. A loop of about 155 nm, and on two of the seven days you go hours without sight of land — a route for a crew that wants to sail rather than sit.
Day by day
Punta Ala
- Punta Ala42.807, 10.733
The nearest airports are Florence and Pisa, about two hours away by car. Punta Ala marina sits in pine woods on the mainland shore opposite Elba; do the big shop on the way, as the marina itself has only a small store.
Punta Ala → Portoferraio (Elba)
- Portoferraio42.815, 10.332
Across the Piombino channel. Portoferraio is Elba's main town, in an enclosed bay under two Medici forts; Napoleon's villa is here too, from the not quite a year he spent on the island. Berth in the old harbour, a couple of minutes from the centre.
Portoferraio → Capraia
- Capraia43.050, 9.838
Out into open sea to the north-west. Capraia is a volcanic island with a single harbour and a single village on the hill above it; it was a prison until 1986, which is why almost nothing has been built here. In the evening, climb to Il Paese and have dinner looking across at Corsica.
Capraia → Macinaggio (Corsica)
- Macinaggio42.962, 9.452
The second sea crossing and a change of country. Macinaggio is a small port at the very tip of Cap Corse, where Corsica begins: a marina, a few restaurants and a coastal path out to bays with no road to them.
Macinaggio: Cap Corse
- Macinaggio42.962, 9.452
A free day in the north of Corsica. From here people walk to the beaches of Tamarone and Cala Francese, climb to the Genoese tower on the headland, or take a car around Cap Corse — a hundred kilometres of hairpins between the sea and the vineyards of Patrimonio.
Macinaggio → Porto Azzurro (Elba)
- Porto Azzurro42.763, 10.400
The longest day of the route: back across the sea to the eastern side of Elba. Porto Azzurro is the former Spanish fortress of Longone above a round bay, and today one of the most pleasant harbours in the archipelago.
Porto Azzurro → Punta Ala
- Punta Ala42.807, 10.733
Back to the mainland along the south coast of Elba and through the Piombino channel. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Weather: open sea lies between Elba, Capraia and Corsica, and the mistral from the north-west raises a short, steep swell here. Plan both long crossings for the morning and only on a fresh forecast; the fallback in wind is to stay on Elba, which is enough for a whole week on its own.
- Corsica is France: both countries are in Schengen and there are no border formalities, but the fleet must allow the boat to leave Italian waters. Check at booking — some companies charge extra for it or restrict the cruising area.
- Capraia and part of these waters lie inside the Tuscan Archipelago marine park: anchoring is not permitted everywhere and boats take buoys off Capraia. The base issues the zone map, and it changes from season to season.
- Berths: Portoferraio, Porto Azzurro, Capraia and Macinaggio are marinas, booked ahead in August and expensive by the night. Budget for berths separately from the boat.
When to go and what it costs in Italy
Median € per berth per week from the agent's latest check, monohulls; each month's page has both boat types, a chart and boats departing that month.
Discounted boats in Italy
All boats in Italy
How long is the Punta Ala — Macinaggio route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 155 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Punta Ala. Overnight stops in order: Punta Ala, Portoferraio, Capraia, Macinaggio, Macinaggio, Porto Azzurro. The longest leg is day 6, 45 nm.
When is the best time to sail the Punta Ala — Macinaggio route?
Italy's season runs May to October. June and September give the best balance of weather and price; July and August are the peak, with expensive, busy marinas, which is why in Sardinia you anchor out. May and October are the shoulder months: cooler water, cheaper boats. By the agent's latest checks (monohulls), the cheapest month is November: a median of ≈€254 per berth per week. The most expensive is January, at ≈€280. The most boats with 20% off or more are in November: 52%. The agent checks the current month and the next five; each month has its own page with the numbers.
How much does a yacht for this route cost?
A whole boat in Italy for a week starts from €934 in the agent's current selection: the cheapest discounted week departing in the next three months. Prices per berth by month are higher up the page; the boats are under “All boats in Italy”.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
