Bonifacio is one of the most visually arresting harbours in the Mediterranean, and arriving by yacht with children, watching the white cliff citadel emerge from the sea, is an arrival that lasts in memory. The harbour itself, a narrow fjord whose entrance only becomes visible at the last moment, is a perfect first lesson in seamanship for older children on the bow watching for hazards. Beyond the entrance, the town quay and marina provide all services for a family charter.
For families, the Bonifacio area offers an exceptional combination of swimming, exploration and cross-border adventure. The Lavezzi marine reserve to the south-west has the clearest water on either coast, safe shallow bays for young swimmers, and sandy beaches accessible only by water or a forty-minute walk from the ferry. The Maddalena archipelago in Sardinia, thirty minutes across the Strait, adds a different language, different food and the gentle novelty of crossing an international border by tender.
Family-capable charter yachts in this region start from around 30,000 euros per week for a compact eight-berth motor yacht and rise to 250,000 euros for a 55-metre vessel with a dedicated beach club, full watertoy inventory and space for up to fourteen guests. The advance provisioning allowance, around 30 percent, covers food, fuel, water activities and berthing.
The peak season for family charters in Bonifacio is July and August, when sea and air temperatures are highest. June offers warmer water than the mainland Med but lighter crowds.
