Intrepid Travels

Our next stop on the journey up the Corsican coast took us past the prominent red cliffs of Cap Rossu and round into the Golfe of Porto, renowned for being one of UNESCO's World Heritage sites. We had timed our departure so that we would arrive here before the afternoon winds built up, and that was a good move! We motored close to the awe-inspiring cliffs rising up steeply from the water, wondering at the vista of mountain beyond mountain as far as the eye could see, with fluffy clouds hovering over the tops. As we crossed the Gulf, we put up the sails and had a short but lovely sail across to our destination: the tiny port of Girolata, accessible only by boat, and in the heart of the nature reserve of La Scandola.
We were helped on to a mooring, with an orientation that put us looking back out into the bay, with the cliffs rising on both sides of us. The tiny village here consists of just a few rustic restaurants and houses for the workers. There is a large, well hidden, area for the collection of refuse (rubbish has to be sorted into compostable, recyclable or other waste); as there is no access here by road, all refuse has to be taken out by boat (or, twice a year, by helicopter). There is a strong feeling of the need to look after the environment, which is a pleasure to see.