Diving Corsica | Scandola Reserve, Lavezzi Islands & West-Coast Wrecks

About Corsica

Corsica, the Île de Beauté, is a mountainous Mediterranean island whose dramatic granite and schist coastline drops into some of the clearest, most unspoiled water in France. The west coast holds the UNESCO-listed Scandola Nature Reserve, a cathedral of red cliffs, sea caves and gorgonian walls, while the south’s Lavezzi Islands are a granite labyrinth of swim-throughs and groupers. Ajaccio, Calvi and Bastia on the west and north offer walls, wrecks and the occasional WWII submarine or B-17 bomber, and the east around Porto-Vecchio hides the red-rock islands of Cerbicale. Corsica combines the wreck and reef variety of the mainland with a wilder, more remote feel, abundant marine life and superb visibility. It is a firm favourite for divers who want Mediterranean biodiversity without the crowds of the Riviera.

Highlights

• ✓Scandola Nature Reserve (UNESCO): red cliffs, sea caves and gorgonian walls
• ✓La Cathédrale (Scandola): a swim-through cavern with stalactites
• ✓Lavezzi Islands: granite boulders, swim-throughs and groupers
• ✓La Revellata (Calvi): a steep drop-off with amberjacks and occasional sunfish
• ✓Le Souffleur: a WWII submarine wreck off Ajaccio at 18-35 m

Getting There

Fly into Ajaccio (AJA), Bastia (BIA), Calvi (CLY) or Figari (FSC), or take the ferry from Marseille, Nice or Toulon. The island’s dive bases are spread along the coast from Calvi and Ajaccio to Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio, linked by the winding coastal roads and a few regional airports.