Cavallo Island in Corsica: the discreet gem of the Lavezzi

Cavallo Island is the largest island in the Lavezzi archipelago, 2 km off Bonifacio, between Corsica and Sardinia. The only inhabited island in the archipelago, it is entirely private and can only be reached by boat. For visiting sailors who are not residents, hugging its coast aboard a catamaran remains the freest way to discover its beaches and turquoise waters, an experience no road and no ferry can offer.

What is Cavallo Island and where exactly is it located?

Cavallo Island is a 120 ha private island at the southern tip of Corsica, in the Lavezzi archipelago (Corse-du-Sud). It is the only inhabited island in this archipelago, just 2.3 km from the Piantarella pontoon on the Corsican coast. Its position in the Strait of Bonifacio, between France and Italy, makes it a natural stop on cruises between Corsica and Sardinia.

An archipelago at the gateway to Sardinia

The Lavezzi archipelago forms a cluster of granite rocks and islands classified as a nature reserve since 1982. The Strait of Bonifacio nature reserve covers nearly 80,000 ha of French and Italian waters (79,460 ha officially) and represents one of the best-preserved marine areas in the western Mediterranean. Cavallo, with its 120 ha, is the largest and the only inhabited island in this archipelago. From the port of Bonifacio, it lies about an hour’s sail away. From Piantarella, the coast is only 2.3 km away.

Where does the name “Cavallo” come from?

The etymology of Cavallo points to the Roman quarries worked in antiquity on the island. The term “cavo” referred to the excavations dug into the granite. The island was formerly named “Coda di cavallo”, meaning “horse’s tail”, in reference to its shape. In Corsican, the pronunciation places the stress on the final “o”: Cavallò. This characteristic granite, pink and orange-pink depending on the light, tints the beaches and the waters with colours unlike any other in the Mediterranean.

Why is Cavallo called the island of billionaires?

Cavallo has carried the nickname “island of billionaires” since the 1970s. The island is entirely private property, with no public space accessible from land for non-residents. Its controlled access, the absence of shops open to the public and its reputation for absolute discretion built this legend, which is, in large part, very real.

Jean Castel and the birth of the legend

The modern history of Cavallo begins in 1947, when the marquis Guido della Rosa took an interest in the archipelago. It was, however, Jean Castel, founder of the famous Paris club of the same name, who became its owner in the late 1960s. In the 1970s, he had the island developed: a hotel, a restaurant, bungalows, and even a landing strip. The ambition was to create an “anti-Porto Cervo”, a discreet refuge for a wealthy clientele fleeing the crowds of the French Riviera or fashionable Sardinia. Brigitte Bardot, Mick Jagger and Caroline of Monaco are among the personalities who frequented the island in that era.

The current owners and the status of the island

Today the island is managed by the Cavallo Island Owners’ Association (ASIC), which coordinates the owners of private residences and regulates access. The island has neither public shops nor transport accessible to the general public. There are no combustion-engine cars: people get around in electric carts or by bike. The port of Cavallo can accommodate 230 boats, which makes it one of the best-equipped private marinas in the archipelago. For passing sailors, it is the main legal point of entry onto the island.

What are the most beautiful beaches on Cavallo Island?

The beaches of Cavallo are accessible from the sea, that is, from an anchorage offshore or a boat in the port. The water’s edge belongs to the maritime public domain, even on a private island: sailors can swim, snorkel and approach the coast freely from their boat.

Cala Greco, the emblematic beach

Cala Greco is the best-known beach on Cavallo. Facing north, towards the Corsican coast, it stretches out in pearly sand with deep turquoise waters. From the cockpit of a catamaran at anchor, the contrast between the orange granite, the pale sand and the translucent water offers one of the most striking panoramas of the Strait of Bonifacio. The seabed is shallow as you approach the beach, which makes it an ideal swimming and snorkelling spot for the whole family.

The other coves to explore

The island has several beaches and coves reachable by swimming from a boat at anchor. La Double beach is known for its sunsets and the Saint Lucia shells found on the sand. Cala Rosa owes its name to the pink granite that tints the sand a characteristic colour. Zeri beach, smaller, is surrounded by vegetation and has a small jetty. The bay of Palma is the largest beach on the island, with panoramic views over the archipelago and Sardinia in the distance.

How to reach Cavallo Island: what you really need to know?

Access to Cavallo Island is strictly controlled. There is no public ferry from Bonifacio. The only two ways to reach the island are the shuttle reserved for residents and access by private boat or rental catamaran.

The shuttle from Piantarella - residents only

A shuttle links the Piantarella pontoon (about ten minutes by car from Bonifacio) to Cavallo Island in 15 minutes. In the summer season, it makes 4 to 6 round trips a day. This access is reserved for residence owners, their guests and the clients of the island’s single hotel establishment. The reference operator is Rocca Navigation (06 89 82 90 86). There is no day ticket open to the general public.

Access by private boat or rental catamaran

For sailors, the port of Cavallo welcomes passing boats: 230 berths, a sandy bottom between 1.20 and 3 m, a maximum accepted length of roughly 35 to 40 m. Mooring is subject to the rules of the private marina. Outside the port, anchorages must absolutely avoid the Posidonia seagrass beds, protected by no-anchoring zones (ZIM). Since the beaches and the waters belong to the maritime public domain, sailors can swim, snorkel and hug the coast freely from their boat.

It is this freedom that makes Cavallo a stop in its own right for a catamaran cruise in Corsica: dropping anchor facing Cala Greco, sleeping at anchor with the pink granite as a backdrop, enjoying the reserve’s waters without sharing a crowded beach. An access that only a boat truly allows.

What to see and do around the island on a cruise in the Lavezzi?

Cavallo is a stop, not a landing destination for sailors. But the waters that surround it and the neighbouring islands of the Lavezzi archipelago make up one of the richest cruising grounds in the Mediterranean.

Snorkelling and diving in the nature reserve

The Strait of Bonifacio nature reserve concentrates 37% of the Mediterranean’s remarkable species in its waters. More than 150 fish species are recorded here, along with extensive Posidonia seagrass beds, groupers and morays. Posidonia, often nicknamed “the lung of the Mediterranean”, forms underwater meadows that are the most reliable indicator of water quality. The reserve shelters particularly rare seabirds: the Scopoli’s shearwater, of whose national breeding population the Lavezzi islands host more than a third, and the Mediterranean shag, with more than half of France’s breeding numbers. Quiet zones have been established by order of the maritime prefect of the Mediterranean (31 July 2023, valid for five years) to protect the nesting of the shag, the Audouin’s gull and the common tern: they cover the north of the Lavezzi, Ratino, Porraggia and Perduto islands, not Cavallo directly.

To take this dive into the depths of the Lavezzi further, our article on snorkelling in the Lavezzi islands details the best spots and the rules to know before putting on the mask.

The Lavezzi archipelago as a base to explore from

The Lavezzi islands, direct neighbours of Cavallo, have a different status: more accessible to sailors, they allow you to anchor in unspoilt coves while ranging out towards Cavallo, Bonifacio or nearby Sardinia. In a single day’s sailing, you can hug the coast of Cavallo in the morning, explore the depths of the Lavezzi in the afternoon and reach Bonifacio in the evening to moor in the marina. This is the type of itinerary that Sailoe builds for its cruises in southern Corsica.

The Strait of Bonifacio nature reserve: why is Cavallo a treasure to protect?

Cavallo is surrounded by the waters of the Strait of Bonifacio nature reserve, one of the best-protected marine areas in the entire Mediterranean. Although the island itself, private and inhabited, is excluded from the reserve’s perimeter, the waters that border it and the neighbouring Lavezzi islands have been fully part of it since 1982. This reserve covers nearly 80,000 ha of French and Italian waters, between the southern tip of Corsica and northern Sardinia. It shelters 37% of the Mediterranean’s remarkable species, more than 150 fish species and the main French breeding colonies of Scopoli’s shearwaters and Mediterranean shags.

Sailing in these waters carries concrete responsibilities: respecting the Posidonia no-anchoring zones (ZIM), not using soap or detergent products on board, not discharging wastewater into the reserve’s waters. These rules are posted in the surrounding marinas and apply to all the waters of the archipelago. This protective framework is precisely what preserves the exceptional quality of the seabed that people come here to find.

To prepare your stop in this area, the Sailoe Corsica page presents all the itineraries available from Bonifacio and the cruising options in the Strait of Bonifacio.

Frequently asked questions about Cavallo Island

Is Cavallo Island open to the public?

No, Cavallo Island is not open to the public in the traditional sense. The interior of the island is entirely private property, managed by the Cavallo Island Owners’ Association (ASIC). Disembarking from the shuttle is reserved for residence owners, their guests and clients of the hotel establishment. The water’s edge, however, belongs to the maritime public domain: sailors can approach the beaches from the sea, swim and snorkel freely from their boat.

Can you anchor your boat at Cavallo?

Yes, the port of Cavallo welcomes passing boats. It can take 230 boats, with a sandy bottom between 1.20 and 3 m and a maximum accepted length of roughly 35 to 40 m. Outside the port, anchorages are subject to the nature reserve’s rules: the Posidonia seagrass beds are protected by no-anchoring zones (ZIM) that must absolutely be respected. The marking in place in the archipelago’s waters clearly indicates the authorised zones.

How long is the crossing from Bonifacio?

From the port of Bonifacio by boat, it takes about an hour’s sail to reach Cavallo Island. From the Piantarella pontoon, closer to the island on the Corsican coast, the shuttle reserved for residents makes the crossing in just 15 minutes. In the summer season, this shuttle runs 4 to 6 round trips a day.

Can you visit Cavallo Island on a catamaran cruise?

Yes. By catamaran, you can hug the coast of Cavallo, anchor in the port or near the beaches accessible from the sea, and snorkel in the reserve’s waters. It is even the freest way for non-residents to enjoy it: from the anchorage facing Cala Greco or the bay of Palma, the view of the pink granite and the turquoise waters is open and crowd-free. A rental catamaran with a skipper lets you combine Cavallo and the Lavezzi islands in one or two days.

What species do you see while sailing around Cavallo?

The waters of the Strait of Bonifacio nature reserve shelter more than 150 fish species, including groupers, breams and morays. Dolphins are regularly seen in the Strait of Bonifacio. The reserve is also one of the main nesting sites for the Scopoli’s shearwater and the Mediterranean shag in France. Underwater, healthy Posidonia seagrass beds are the rule rather than the exception, a sign of exceptional water quality compared with the rest of the Mediterranean coastline.