Les Îles Sanguinaires (Grande Sanguinaire)

Sitting at the very mouth of the Gulf of Ajaccio, the dive zone hugs the inner south-southeast flank of Grande Sanguinaire (Mezzu Mare), so the island and the Corsican mainland shadow the northern and eastern sectors — the inner side stays calm and clear in most conditions. The open exposure runs S through SW to W toward the Tyrrhenian Sea, where the Libeccio (SW wind) and open-Mediterranean wind-waves build the largest sea; the northwesterly Mistral is only partially felt here because the headland and island deflect it. Diving is best on settled days, and operators flip to sheltered pockets when a Libeccio swell wraps the southwest faces.