Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
This spot has been added by
Last updated on May 3, 2021
With its black pebble beach overhung by a 16th century Genoese tower, Marine d’Albo is an authentic and unspoiled setting. The rocky beds that extend at the foot of the tower can be explored by experienced snorkelers. At the bend of the rocky ridges and drop offs, snorkelers will spot damselfish, combers, seabreams and wrasse.
Marine d’Albo is located on the west coast of Cap Corse, north of the Gulf of Saint-Florent. If you arrive from Saint-Florent by car (24km, about 30 minutes drive), you will pass by Marine de Negru, another snorkeling spot in the area. There is a large parking lot down the village, by the beach.
There are two options for entering the water: walk to the end of the beach and get into the water near the first rocks, or walk to the tower and then go down by small paths to the rocks.
The recommended snorkeling area is along the rocks at the foot of the tower, and can be extended to the rocky outcrop located a hundred meters from the shore (see map above).
At this spot, the seabed is rocky, with many crevices and overhangs to explore. The depth varies, between 1 to 2m on the shallows near the shore and 3 to 6m between the shore and the rocky outcrop.
The rocks are covered by a wide variety of seaweed, including Padina, Dictyota, and red algae. This spot is not populous with fish, but the species that snorkelers can come across are quite varied.
Schools of damselfish are found near the rocks, while painted combers and different types of wrasses hide in the seaweed. Seabream crosses the reef from time to time.
This spot is exposed, do not enter the water if the sea is rough.
There is a snack bar and a restaurant in the village.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. 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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
