Cala Corsara — Isola Spargi
Cala Corsara · Spargi south bay
41°13.8'N 009°20.6'E
Depth
5–14m
Bottom
sand
Alarm Radius
40m
Holding
Good holding
Recommended Anchor Alarm Radius
40m
On a park buoy, 40m covers the buoy line plus your length and will still catch a mooring that starts to drag or a strop that parts — set it, don't skip it because you are 'only on a buoy'. If you day-anchor on the sand instead, 85m suits 5–10m at 4:1 scope. The bay's shelter is from the north-west, so the alarm matters most when the wind backs into the south overnight and the whole field starts to roll.
About This Anchorage
Cala Corsara is the best-known anchorage on Isola Spargi and the natural Maestrale refuge of the western archipelago. The bay cuts into the south coast beneath wind-sculpted granite — one boulder is a locally famous profile known as the Witch's Head — and its sandy floor and pale water make it a favourite of both charter crews and the excursion fleet. The park maintains a mooring buoy field here, which is the correct way to spend the night: anchoring across the bay's Posidonia is prohibited and enforced. Spargi is uninhabited, with no facilities of any kind, and its beaches are Zone B — you may land at the designated ones but not on the rest of the island. The name recalls the corsairs who used the bay as a hiding place; a Roman wreck excavated off Spargi in the 1950s showed the anchorage has been in use for a very long time.
Protected From
N · NE · NW · W
Exposed To
S · SE · SW
Anchoring Rules
- Anchoring fee
- Free day anchoring on sand with a valid permit. Overnight only on designated buoys.
- Maximum stay
- 3 days
- Permit required
- Yes
- Permit details
- La Maddalena National Park permit required for all vessels. Buy online at lamaddalenapark.it before you sail; fees scale with LOA and sailing yachts receive a discount.
Restrictions: Zone B: anchoring on sand only, Posidonia strictly protected. Night anchoring prohibited outside designated park buoys. Landing permitted only at designated beaches.
Hazards
- !Open to the S and SE: excellent Maestrale shelter, but a Scirocco or Libeccio turns the bay into a lee shore — move to the north side of Spargi or back to La Maddalena
- !Posidonia across much of the bay floor: anchoring on it is prohibited and fined; use the buoys or verify sand visually
- !Buoy field fills early in July–August; arriving after 16:00 in high season often means no buoy
- !Excursion boats: heavy daytime traffic from Palau and La Maddalena, anchoring and departing at close quarters
Skipper's Tips
- →Take a buoy rather than anchor — it is the rule here, and the holding argument is moot once the field is laid over the sand
- →Come for the night rather than the day: the excursion fleet is gone by 18:00 and the bay is transformed
- →Cala Granara and Cala Ferrigno, immediately west, are quieter day alternatives on the same coast
- →This is the archipelago's Maestrale bolthole — if a strong NW is forecast for the week, plan your route so you can reach Spargi
Facilities
Nearest provisions: La Maddalena town (6nm)
Best Months & Season
May, June, September, October
May–October. Shoulder season is far better: the buoy field is half empty and the water is just as clear. In July and August the bay holds excursion boats all day and a full buoy field all night.
Recommended Anchor Types
Nearby Anchorages
Set Your Anchor Alarm to 40m
In Sardinia, the Maestrale can build from calm to Force 8 while you sleep. Safety Anchor Alarm monitors your GPS position continuously — alerting you the moment your anchor starts to drag.
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