Sea kayaking in Balagne: Agriates Desert, Calvi Bay and Scandola Reserve
This challenging kayak itinerary takes you from Saint-Florent to the Golfe de Porto in the Balagne region, crossing the Agriates Desert, the Bay of Calvi and the entire Scandola Reserve.
Using sea kayaks, lets sail along the wild coasts of Balagne and of the Ostriconi. Sail along the entire Agriate Desert. Catch sight on the typical ports of Nothern Corsica as well as Calvi and its famous citadel. Allow you to be amazed by the steep cliffs of the Nature Reserve of Scandola and the Calanques of Piana !
This unique 7 days trip allows you to discover an exceptionally wild coastline and changing landscapes using sea kayaks !
Program of the sea kayaking trip from Balagne to Porto
Sunday : Bastia – Ghignu
18 kilometers – approx. 4 hours sailing time
We organize a meeting at 9:00 am at the airport of Bastia Poretta. A shuttle is organized to reach Saint-Florent to start the first stage of your trip. Short briefing, explanations and instructions. The kayaks are already full of our necessary gear and stuff that are needed in this trip. You will only have to organize your personal stuff. First sailing of the trip while entering the Agriates Desert. We discover the coves of the Lotu and of Saleccia. We finally reach the cove of Ghignu and its former sheepfolds. This setting puts you in a Corsican athmossphere for this first night under the stars.
Hot cooked dinner on the beach, night under the stars.
Monday : Ghnignu – beach of Bodri
25 kilometers – approx. 5h30 sailing time
On this second day of sailing, we leave at dawn. We sail in the centre of the Agriates Desert which is an exceptionally wild area where a thick maquis grows between vales and rocky crests. These unique wild landscapes bring you in another world. We finally reach the Ostriconi and its cove reachable by foot only, or by boat. This cove is located at the mouth of the Ostriconi river, on an wild untouched landscape. Also, if we turn our gaze on the North, we can catch sight of the Cap Corse wich appears on the horizon. This spectacle is wonderful. Our sailing goes on, we sail along Ile Rousse and reach the beach of Bodri to spend the night there.
Hot cooked dinner on the beach, night under the stars.
Tuesday : Bodri Beach – Revellata Gulf
25 kilometers – approx. 5h30 sailing time
During this third day of sailing, we paddle around the coastline between Ile Rousse and Calvi. Davia, Algajola, Sant’Ambroggio and my typical ports that would be a shame not to discover. Then, the Punta Spano and its tower brings us back into a wild and untouched landscape. It is bordered with coves and jagged cliffs wich offer another dimension to the landscape. The amazing paradisiacal beach named the Arinella of Calvi shows us the way to reach Calvi and its famous citadel in which is located the historical centre of the city. Above Calvi, we can catch sight of the chapel from which Notre Dame de la Serra looks after the inhabitants of Calvi. We finally reach the Revellata peninsula where stands its lighthouse that will show us the way as it did to sailors over the decades.
Hot cooked dinner on the beach, night under the stars.
Wednesday : Gulf of LaRevellata –Argentella beach
28 kilometers – approx 7h sailing time
This sailing day might be the longest one of the entire week. We paddle along the West coast of the Revellata under the protection of Notre Dame de la Serra. Then, we start our descent on the Corsican West coast. We can glimpse the Monte Grossu and other of the highest peaks of Corsica in distance. From now on, the coastline become more and more jagged and the cliffs offers an unprecedented landscape. Some capes succeed one another before crossing Nichjaretu bay. Then we paddle along Capu Cavallo and its former semaphore. We paddle around Capu Di a Mursetta, the last cape of the day, and we finally reach the beach of Argentella located in the Crovani bay, where we will sleep.
Hot cooked dinner on the beach, night under the stars.
Thursday : Argentella beach – Focolara
18 kilometers – approx. 4 hours sailing time
We keep sailing in a wild and untouched landscape. We paddle around Punta Di Ciuttone and enter the Gulf of Galeria, where is located a picturesque little port. The mouth of the Fangu reaches the sea and the mountains in the background offer a wonderful landscape, just as if we where in a postcard. Our way continues alongside the cliffs untill we finally reach the cove of Focolara. This wonderful place welcomes us for the night.
Hot cooked dinner on the beach, night under the stars.
Friday: Focolara – Tuara
25 kilometers – approx. 5h30 sailing time
This sixth day of sailing brings us in the heart of the Nature Reserve of Scandola. This nature reserve is registered as a UNESCO World heritage Site. This place is a geological jewel born from volcanic eruptions 300 millions years ago. The biodiversity there is rich. You might be able to see ospreys and there impressive nests perched at the top of the cliffs. Yet on the verge of the extinction, this bird of prey repopulated this area thanks to the protection of the Reserve. We go on an extraordinary scenery while reaching the fishing village of Girolata. This village is reachable only by the sea or by foot. Further South, the beah of Tuara welcomes us for the last bivouac of our trip.
Hot cooked dinner on the beach, night under the stars.
Saturday : Tuara – Gulf of Porto
17 kilometers – approx. 3h sailing time
To start the last day of our trip, we leave the Gulf of Girolata and sail around the Monte Senino. His red cliffs contrast with the bright turquoise water of the sea. We paddle around the coastline southwards and we discover the arch of Purtellu and then the beach of Bussaghlia. In the distance we can finally catch sight of the famous tower of Turghju that stands bravely on the Capu Rossu. This last wonderful brings our trip to its end. The last stage of out trip brings us on the beach of Porto. We organize a transfer to our base near Ajaccio, and then another transfer in the late afternoon to the airport of Ajaccio.
End of the stay.
In 2025, there is only one departure :
from June the 8th to June the 14th
Please contact us at this phone number :
04 95 25 91 19
in order to receive the technical sheet of the trip !
If you are a formed group and if you want to do a trip in off season, please contact us so that we can make your plan true !
English speaking trips are planned too, please contact us to know more about the dates !
Physical level of this sea kayaking trip from Saint-Florent to Porto
Difficult
This trip has been made for sporty people and advanced paddlers, meaning people who already experienced sea kayaking travelling trips. This guided trips lasts 7 days and it has a pronounced sporty level. The people who will manage this trip is a seakayaking state-certified guide, who knows our coastline inside out.
This trip offers a technical and challenging itinerary. It is at least 156 kilometers long, and daily distances vary from 17 to 28 kilometers. We paddle along some protected nature reserve meaning that we are forced to set up a strict itinerary and offers not much fallback solutions. This trip is intended for informed, forewarned and experienced people. In other words, it means to paddle during 7 days in a row and cover long distances. You have to be capable of repeating the same effort day after day. Furthermore, this trip asks for a good physical condition and a previous similar experience.
To take into consideration before any booking on our trip from Balagne to Porto
Beware : you won’t forget that soon our magnificent landscapes, but they are as beautiful as they are challenging. Our guide reserves himself the right to turn your participation down if your gear doesn’t match the list you will find below. Also in order to oversee the smooth running of the trip, the guide reserves himself the right to end someone’s trip if any behaviour or physical condition would interfere in its continuity. In other word, the success and the safety of this trips demands you to think twice about your physical condition before joining us.
Our program is given for information only. Please note that the weather forecast, as well as the shipping forecast, might oblige us to change our itinerary. The guide only can take any decision of this kind to ensure the safety of the group.
Provided gear for the kayaking trip from Balagne to Porto :
Approved sea kayaks, safety jacket, waterproof skirt, paddles, waterproof plastic bags, stoves, tarps. We une single seater and two seaters kayaks in which are boarded all our stuff to sail independantly.
We advise you to bring your own waterproof bags for any specific devices as well as extra plastic bags (we offer plastic waterproof bags but a tear might happens. In this way, plastic bags offer an extra protection).
Please note that the weather forecast, as well as the shipping forecast, might oblige us to change our itinerary. The guide only can take any decision of this kind to ensure the safety of the group.
Camping
Under the stars Plan a sleeping bag (moderate volume), and a ground mat (ideally self-inflating). In the event of rainfall, the group will use a collective tarp. We will paddle along protected Nature Reserve. This explains why we will sleep in several campings alongside the coast every time we are in a protected area.
Attention : no showers or toilets on the route, so it is important to procure a foaming soap with sea water that you will find at a shipchandler.
Catering
Continental breakfasts, cold cooked lunches and hot meals for dinner. Each and every meal is prepared with the assistance of the entire group. Every meal is provided with fresh vegetables and local products. Varied menu all along the trip.
Please bring snacks with you for the challenging sailing days. Steweds fruits, cereal bars, energizing bars, dried fruits, gels… Indeed, we all have our own eating habits during physical efforts, it is essential not to change. Please do not retrict yourself in order to have a sufficient daily nutritional intake.
Guidance
State-certified guide. Modern times explorer, he will make you adventure even more enthralling !
Non included gear :
For the sailing part :
- Anti-UV ray lycra (ideally long sleeve t shirts)
- swimsuit and short in order to limit the friction
- water shoes (or sports shoes)
- windcheater, sun hat or cap, sunscreen, sunglasses ideally tied to a lace
- flask of 1L minimum
For the bivouac part :
- sleeping bag 10°C modestly sized (if wanted you can add a bivvy bag for the humidity
- self inflating mattress (please avoid the sizeable mattress such as exercise mat)
- self inflating cushion
- headlamp (or flashlight)
- kitchen utensils set (hermetic box “Tupperware” of 0.6L, cutlery, tumbler)
Clothing :
- fleece jacket or ultralight down jacket (for cool mornings and evenings)
- one or two outfits (tshirt, short and underwear)
- Jean or tracksuit
Hygiene :
- biodegradable soap, shampoo and toothpaste
- microfiber towel
- biodegradable toilet paper
Potentially : camera, diving mask, snorkel, deck of cards, cash for the beach restaurants.
First-aid kit :
- Personal medications if you are subject to particular disorders (allergies, etc.).
- necessities to avoid and treat blisters (dressings such as “Compeed”)
- necessities to relieve ankle and knees problems (strips such as “Elasto”)
- necessities to clean an insignificant wound (soaked compress)
- Sunscreen for the skin and for the lips
- Necessities to relieve intestinal discomforts due to a change in your diet (probiotics, Smecta, Imodium, Tiorfan)
- Necessities to relieve headache and sore muscles (mineral salt or electrolytes for example)
- Soothes insect bites.
- Necessities to relieve the seasickness
Please seek advice from your doctor and from your pharmacist. Please note that you will have to carry your first-aid kit with you, in this way do only bring what is strictly necessary. Therefore, make sure you have an extra bag provided for this, on which will be written your name and the name of the stay you take part in.
We have a luggage storage where we can store extra stuff you wouldn’t need during your trip. Please bring an extra bag to this end and write your name on it
Program of 2025 :
As this trip is a new one, we offer one departure date only for 2025 :
