Off Bonifacio, Lavezzi and the multiple islets that surround it make up an archipelago resembling Eden, classified as a nature reserve.
The spectacular landscape offers a feeling of immediate change of scenery.
The main island is strewn with rocky chaos with phantasmagorical shapes and punctuated with coves of fine sand.
People come there for the day for relaxation, strolls, snorkelling or diving.
For boaters, it is also an idyllic anchorage.
To see and do
THE BEACHES
The idyllic beaches are the main attraction of the Lavezzi. Framed by huge blocks of granite and bathed in crystal clear water, they inevitably make you think of the Seychelles. To the north of the main island, the beach of
Cala di Chiesa
, considered the most beautiful, has the advantage of being protected from the prevailing winds and boats cannot approach it, which gives it a more exclusive, unlike the superb
Cala d'Achiarina
beach
, which overlooks a bay where many boats anchor. Continuing south, you come to the beach of
Cala di u Lioni
then the intimate beach of
Cala di Chiorneri
. To the east is a nugget, the beach of
Cala di Veccia
, in the hollow of a nicely designed handle.
There are other tiny coves that can be found around the rocks, by surveying the island on foot.
Activities
The main island, uninhabited, is crisscrossed with
marked trails
that present no difficulty, given the absence of elevation. It takes one to two hours to go around it. During the hike, in addition to the beaches (sand and pebbles), we discover a multitude of ecosystems and biotopes: dunes, small cliffs, moors, scrub, scrub ... As for the fauna, it is easy observe various species of birds, including the crested cormorant, the peregrine falcon, the Audouin's gull, the osprey, the gray shearwater. The only constraint: not to deviate from the trails, not to climb on the rocks and not to pick or collect anything, because the whole of the archipelago is classified as a nature reserve.
As for the seabed surrounding the Lavezzi, they are a real aquarium in which parades a multitude of fish that can be observed in
snorkelling
(mask and snorkel).
Another option is
scuba diving
, with the Bonifacio Plongée center, which organizes trips to the iconic site of
Mérouville
, east of the Lavezzi.
In the middle of a rocky set in about fifteen meters of water, a dozen imposing brown groupers, used to the presence of divers, let themselves approach.
We also see barracudas and liches.
History and heritage
At the south-eastern end of the Lavezzi Islands, the lighthouse marks the strait that separates Corsica from Sardinia. It is one of the most dangerous areas in the Mediterranean because of the reefs, currents and bad weather. Adobe Stock
The Lavezzi are uninhabited, but there are traces of occupation dating back to prehistoric times. As you explore the main island, you pass two cemeteries,
the Achiarino
cemetery
and the
Furcone cemetery
(where there is also a small chapel). Here lie some of the victims of the terrible tragedy of February 1855, when the frigate "La Sémillante", caught in a raging sea, shattered on a reef of the Lavezzi, leaving several hundred missing. A
pyramid-
shaped monument
has been erected in memory of the castaways, on an islet southwest of the main island, accessible by swimming. To the south, the
Lavezzi lighthouse
, 12 meters high, inaugurated in 1874, marks the Strait of the Bouches de Bonifacio, between Corsica and Sardinia.
Read also: Four good reasons to discover Bonifacio in the off-season
Access
SPMB, the Bonifacio sea trips company, offers a discovery of the Lavezzi Islands nature reserve.
SPMB / Press photo
The main island is about ten kilometers south-east of Bonifacio. From the port of Bonifacio, the maritime shuttles of the
SPMB
(spmbonifacio.com) serve it regularly, with a departure every hour from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in season (€ 37 per person). The journey takes about 30 minutes. On site, you can spend as much time as you want on the island before taking the return boat (last rotation at 6.30 p.m.). Good to know: this company offers free private parking to its customers next to the ticket office (a real asset in season). Another, more intimate formula: a half-day or full-day excursion in the archipelago aboard a catamaran, a service provided by the
Bonifacio sailing club
(voilesdebonifacio.com), from € 60 per person.
To know
There is no infrastructure on the main island, no restaurant, bar, toilet, or drinking water.
It is therefore necessary to provide a picnic for the day as well as a garbage bag to bring back your waste.
And since there is no shade, you have to bring something to protect yourself from the heat of the sun (sunscreen, hat, parasol).
Accommodation
Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs is nestled in a dreamlike setting where the blue of the sea and the sky merge with the magic of colors.
Hotel & Spa des Pêcheurs / Photo press
The archipelago is uninhabited with the exception of the island of Cavallo, which is home to several luxurious residences as well as a luxury establishment, the
Hôtel & Spa des Pêcheurs
(hoteldespecheurs.com, tel.: 04 95 70 36 39, from € 400 per double room), feet in the water, equipped with a swimming pool, spa and private beach. The 50 rooms, most of them with terrace and sea view, are very spacious and bright.
