Scandola Nature Reserve

Scandola occupies a peninsula of red rhyolite on the west coast, created in 1975 as one of the first reserves in Europe to protect land and sea together, and UNESCO listed it as part of the Gulf of Porto. The cliffs are volcanic, weathered into columns, arches and caves, with the rock red and ochre against very clear water. Ospreys nest on the ledges; the Corsican population had fallen to a handful of pairs and recovered here. There is no road in and landing is forbidden, so boats pass along the cliffs without stopping. Visitor pressure has led to caps on boat numbers and restricted approach distances.

What you actually see

• The red cliffs - rhyolite columns, arches and caves above clear water.
• The osprey nests - ledges holding a recovered breeding population.
• The clear water - protected sea with visible marine life.
• The Gulf of Porto - the wider UNESCO coastline on the same trip.

When to go

May to June and September; boats run roughly April to October and cancel in swell. Numbers and approach distances are restricted, so trips book ahead in summer.

Honest expectations

No landing is permitted at all; the reserve is seen from a boat. Restrictions have tightened and some operators no longer enter parts of it. Sea conditions cancel trips often and the crossing can be rough.

Nearby

Porto and the Calanques de Piana lie south; Girolata is inside the gulf.