Giraglia, island in France
Giraglia is a small islet off the coast of Ersa at the northern tip of Corsica, protected as a natural area. The island features a 25-meter white lighthouse with a black balcony, a square Genoese tower built in the late 1500s for defense, and a small chapel, all set among rocky cliffs overlooking the sea.
The island was fortified by the Genoese as a strategic defense point against pirates, with the tower built in the late 1500s. The current lighthouse was completed in 1848 to guide ships through the waters off Corsica's northern coast and was automated in 1995.
The island's name reflects its Genoese maritime past and connections to trade routes that once crossed this coast. Today, local fishermen and sailors use the waters around it, and the island remains a place where connection to the sea shapes how people live and work in nearby villages.
The island is accessible by boat from nearby ports like Barcaggio and Tollare on the mainland. Access is limited to protect wildlife and plants, so visitors should respect marked areas and stick to the shoreline when exploring.
The island hosts the Giraglia Rolex Cup, a famous sailing race that starts from Saint-Tropez and circles the island before heading to Genoa in Italy. Additionally, about 25 to 30 pairs of Scopoli's shearwaters breed here each year, a seabird species that nests in ground holes.
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