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Marine de Ficaghjola is one of the few coves in the picturesque Calanches de Piana which is easily accessible by land. With its fishing huts, pink cliffs and crystal-clear sea, it offers an enchanting setting. Snorkeling along its rocky shores, you may spot octopus, starfish, needlefish and large schools of saddled seabream.

School of saddled seabream in Ficaghjola
Saddled seabream is common all over the area.

How to get to Marine de Ficaghjola snorkeling spot?

Marine de Ficaghjola (or Ficajola) is located in the Calanches de Piana, on the west coast of Corsica. The spot is accessed from the village of Piana, either by car or on foot (4 km). By car, a winding road leads to a free car park. You then have to walk for about 800m on a marked path to reach the shore.

Ficaghjola Beach snorkeling map, Corsica

Water entrance for snorkeling Marine de Ficaghjola

You can enter the water wherever you want from the pebble beach.

Marine de Ficaghjola snorkeling exploration tips

You can snorkel all over the creek, which is some 200 meters wide.

Fried-egg jellyfish in Ficaghjola Beach
A Mediterranean jellyfish in Ficaghjola Beach’s crystal-clear sea.

In the center of the creek, you will find sandy beds attracting schools of needlefish and groups of hundreds of saddled seabream and damselfish. To the left and to the right, the rocks are bordered in places by small Posidonia patches where many fish find shelter

Common dolphinfish in Corsica
Rare encounter with a common dolphinfish in Ficaghjola Beach.

There is an interesting diversity of invertebrates at this location, where the rocks are home to black, yellow and red sponges. You can sometimes also encounter fried egg jellyfish, octopus, sea anemones and red starfish along the drop-offs.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

There is no restaurant on the beach, but you can bring your picnic.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Maximum depth6m
  • Water entranceFrom a pebble beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersMedium to high
  • Access costsFree
  • Restaurants nearbyNo

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.