Arrondissement de Sartène

This post is written by Ruby ^_^

The air smells of salt and diesel. Chalk cliffs rise up out of the water all around us. I can hear engines humming and the seagulls screeching. The deck shifts from the wash of a passing motorboat. Sunlight flashes off her gleaming hull into our eyes. We round the corner into the thin channel which leads up to “The best kept secret in France,” Bonifacio.
Yeah
This is certainly a town that won’t be leaving our memory anytime soon. The Citadel lies perched on the eroding cliffs, its stony walls looming up above us. There are marinas on both sides of the narrow bay and the murky water is constantly buzzing with traffic.

Tying up is somewhat hectic (to say the least), as there is limited space and lots of other people nosing their way in and out. Regal is just tied up when we see a giant Superyacht reversing her way down between both marinas, with hardly any space on either side — and I thought our berthing was stressful!

When the evening draws in, Dad and Colm go to dinner, while Mom hits the Citadel via the tourist train. Bonifacio is lit up beautifully, both from the lights of the boats and the restaurants in the narrow cobbled streets. Music starts playing from a few nightclubs fronting onto the water, and the town comes alive in a way it never did during the sticky afternoon heat.

Mom and I share an ice-cream in the cockpit when she returns, and we gaze out at the lights and music, marvelling at the nightlife beauty of this unique town.

In the morning, I walk up to the top of the cliffs, and enjoy the beautiful view of far-off Sardinia. When we motor out the channel and out into the open sea, I can point out where I walked to. This view of Bonifacio from the sea is breathtaking. Looking in at the cliffs, you would have no idea that an entire port was hidden behind those chalky rocks.Read more