or in the west basin opposite a waterfront
lined with pizzerias and trattorias.
Maurizio is crowded in high season
with plenty of tourists ashore but if you
can fi nd a berth, there’s always plenty
to watch. All kinds of boats use this
bustling harbour, including small coasters.
SOOTHING SAN REMO
The quietly luxurious harbour at San Remo
has excellent facilities and a hospitable
feel. Quite modest boats mingle naturally
with superyachts and the staff at Portosole
Marina have a calm, civilised touch.
Sheltered by coastal mountains, San
Remo was one of the original grand resorts
of the Italian Riviera, whose palmy days
began in the 1840s when English and
Russian aristocrats were drawn by the
mild winters and glorious surroundings.
Later in the 19th century, San Remo
became even more desirable when
pampering hotels and the railway arrived.
As with Nice and Cannes, the 1920s and
’30s saw a more glitzy boom as celebrities
discovered this Mediterranean jewel. Though the tourism
is less exclusive now, San Remo still has the ‘Old Riviera’ magic.
CROSSING TO CORSICA
Sooner or later you’ll be tempted to cross to Corsica, a spectacular
island whose mountainous spine falls dramatically towards the
west coast. Corsica’s highest peak, Monte Cinto, reaches nearly
9,000ft within 14 miles of the sea.
From Genoa the nearest part of Corsica is Cap Corse, on the
east side of which Macinaggio Marina lies in a delightful bay
where lush green country slopes down to the harbour and
a golden beach. From Genoa to Macinaggio is 90 nautical
miles, not too arduous a run for fast boats on a quiet day.
Bastia’s Port Toga Marina is 18 miles south of Macinaggio,
or you might cruise back around Cap Corse to Saint Florent
in its south-west crook. Saint Florent feels like a sleepy St
Tropez, with brasseries and chic houses looking across the
harbour. The town huddles on a low point near a round
citadel, and clean white sands stretch around the shore.
CROSSING TO CALVI
Having decided to cruise from Genoa to Corsica,
I’d plan a direct passage to Calvi, about 110 miles
at a touch west of south. Calvi is an enchanting
place to linger and is well placed for fair-weather
hops down Corsica’s west coast.
The marina crouches behind a steep-sided
citadel, overlooking a splendid bay whose leafy
shores and crescent beach curve away beneath
rolling hills. Yachts of all sizes lie at anchor in
piercingly blue water, wafted by cooling breezes.
Along the marina esplanade there are bars, cafés
and restaurants galore, many with shaded decks
at the water’s edge. Behind the harbour, Calvi’s
old quarter is a maze of winding streets, beckoning
steps and unexpected courtyards.CORSICA’S WEST COAST
Cruising south from Calvi, you pass remote beaches and holiday
villages before the coast becomes
higher and more rugged towards
Punta Palazzo. Around Scandola
coastal reserve, steep red cliffs are
weathered into weird sculptures.
In quiet weather, you can edge in
close to see the caves.
Off Punta Rossa you swing into
a magnifi cent gulf, following the
soaring granite wall towards a humped
promontory topped by a Genoese fort.
Behind this spur hides Girolata village,
once a remote settlement but now on
the tourist trail with several restaurants
and beach cafés. A few local boats
bring in fresh fi sh. The anchorage
is reasonably well protected so in quiet
weather, you can spend a memorable
night in this exquisite cove with the
hills of Corsica all around. The water
is crystal-clear, with turquoise shallows
at the head of the bay.Sooner or later you’ll be tempted to cross to
spectacular Corsica, whose mountainous spine
falls dramatically towards the west coastPILOT BOOKS AND GUIDES
For the Riviera coast, use Italian
Waters Pilot by Rod and Lucinda
Heikell, http://www.imray.com at £37.50.
For Corsica, use Mediterranean
France and Corsica Pilot by
Rod and Lucinda Heikell,
http://www.imray.com, £45.
For a fascinating take on
Genoa’s chequered history, dip
into Genoa, ‘La Superba’: Rise
and Fall of a Merchant Pirate
Superpower by Nicholas Walton.TRAVELA touch of the ‘Old
Riviera’ magic at
San Remo’s harbourThe Girolata anchorage
at Corsica