This exclusive stay allows you to discover a particularly wild coastline with changing landscapes by sea kayak on a 7-day itinerant stay!

Sea kayaking in Balagne:
Agriates Desert, Calvi bay and Scandola Reserve

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Presentation

Information

Equipments

Program

Presentation

This very demanding kayak itinerary will take you through Balagne from Saint-Florent to the Gulf of Porto, crossing the Agriates desert, the bay of Calvi and the Scandola Reserve in their entirety.

By kayak, follow us along the wild coasts of Balagne and the Ostriconi. Follow the entirety of the Agriates Desert. Catch sight of the typical marinas of Northern Corsica, as well as Calvi and its famous citadel. Let yourself be amazed by the steep cliffs of the Scandola Natural Reserve and the Calanques de Piana!

Information

Good to know

Sporting level of the Balagne to Porto kayak stay:

Difficult

This circuit is aimed at sporty people who have ultimately already had an experience of itinerant sea kayaking. It is a seven-day supervised route of a pronounced sporting nature. This stay is supervised by a state-certified sea kayak professional, specialist in our region.

The itinerary proposed in this stay is a technical and demanding one. Stretching 156 kilometres, the daily distances vary between 17 and 28 kilometres. The itinerary crosses many protected natural reserves which obliges us to determine the landing and bivouac sites in advance and thus offers few fallback options. This route is aimed at an informed and trained audience. It involves covering long distances by sea kayak for seven consecutive days. You need to feel capable of renewing the effort day after day. Also, this route requires very good physical fitness as well as prior experience of itinerant kayaking with bivouac nights.

Points to consider before registering for the Balagne to Porto kayak stay:

Please note: you are not likely to forget the sumptuous landscapes of Corsica, but they do not make it any less difficult! Your guide also reserves the right to refuse the departure of any participant whose equipment does not conform to the list below, and to end the participation of any person whose physical aptitude or behaviour is incompatible with the smooth running of the stay. This is why, for the success of the stay, so that everyone can fully enjoy it and for safety reasons, it is necessary that you meet the physical and material requirements.

Programmes are therefore given as a guide. Unforeseen events are of course always possible. Your guide may be led to modify the itinerary for various reasons, notably unfavourable weather conditions, the physical level of the group or any other external event beyond their control, the safety of the group remaining our priority.

To be expected

For navigation:

Anti-UV lycra (long sleeves preferred)
Swimming costume and shorts to avoid chafing
Water shoes with rigid soles (or trainers)
Windbreaker, sun hat or cap, sun cream, sunglasses with cord.
Flask or water pouch of at least 1L

For bivouac:

Low-volume sleeping bag comfort 5° (and possibly an outer bag for humidity on June and September stays),
Self-inflating mat (avoid bulky mats)
Self-inflating pillow
Headlamp (or torch)
Cooking kit ("Tupperware"-type hermetic box of 0.6L, cutlery and cup)

Clothing:

Fleece or ultralight down jacket (for cool evenings and mornings)
1 or 2 outfits (T-shirt, shorts and underwear)
Jeans or tracksuit

Hygiene:

Biodegradable soap, shampoo, toothpaste
Microfibre towel
Biodegradable toilet paper

Optionally: camera, mask, snorkel, card games or compact games, as well as cash for beach bars.

First aid kit:

Personal medication if you are subject to particular conditions (allergies, etc.).
To prevent and treat blisters: «Compeed»-type dressings.
To relieve ankle and knee problems: «Elasto»-type bandages.
To clean small wounds: impregnated gauze.
Sun protection for skin and lips.
To relieve intestinal problems particularly due to dietary changes (micropure capsules, ergyphilus – probiotics – smecta or Imodium/Tiorfan).
To relieve headaches and muscle pain (mineral salts, salt tablets or electrolytes).
To relieve insect bites.
To relieve seasickness.

Ask your doctor and pharmacist for advice, and remember that you will need to carry your first aid kit, so only bring the minimum necessary.

We also have a luggage storage facility where we can keep items you do not take on the stay. Therefore bring a bag for this purpose, on which your name and the name of the stay will be noted.

Restauration

Continental breakfast, then cold meal at noon and hot meal in the evening. Meals are prepared
collectively. Fresh fruit and vegetables, local products and varied menus are thus planned throughout the itinerant stay. Please let us know of any food intolerances or allergies.

Remember to bring snacks for the long days of navigation. Compotes, cereal bars, energy bars, dried fruit, gels… Indeed, everyone has their own dietary habits during exercise, it is important not to change them. Make sure not to restrict yourself and to bring a good daily quantity.

Guidance

State-certified guide. A true modern adventurer, they will be able to make you experience adventure through their passion.

The sea

The meeting point is at 9am at Bastia airport. A shuttle is organised to Saint-Florent, the departure point of our itinerant stay.

Equipments

Equipment provided:

Regulation sea kayak, approved buoyancy aid, spray deck, paddle, plastic waterproof bags, stoves, tarp in case of rain. The kayaks we use are single and double kayaks in which all belongings are loaded in order to navigate in complete autonomy.

It is also recommended to bring waterproof bags suitable for your equipment (electronics, clothing and sleeping gear), as well as plastic bags (we provide waterproof bags for your equipment, but a «tear» can always happen, so plastic bags are an extra protection).

Although the kayak compartments are large, only take what is strictly necessary as loading them will remain a game of optimisation. Narrow or soft items (clothing, sleeping bag and mattress) will be placed in the ends of the boats (front and rear tips), while heavy and dense objects (canned food, water) against the cockpit bulkheads.

Program

Jour 1 :

Sunday: Bastia – Ghignu

18 kilometres – approximately 4 hours of navigation

Brief briefing, presentation of the stay, explanations and instructions. The kayaks are already loaded, all that remains is to organise your personal belongings. First kayak navigation in Balagne, and entry into the Agriates Desert. We discover the famous beaches of Lotu and Saleccia. We finally reach Ghignu beach and its paillers, renovated former shepherds' houses. This traditional setting puts you in a Corsican atmosphere for this first bivouac night.