
Sardinia Yacht Charter Itinerary
7 days
•57 nautical miles
Sardinia Yacht Charter
Here is a sample seven day itinerary for a yacht charter, which will take you along the glamorous Costa Smeralda, famous for its beautiful beaches and chic ports up to the stunning natural beauty of the Maddalena Archipelago National Park.
As with all our sample itineraries, the aim is to give you a flavour of the type of sailing holiday you can have in this region on a private charter and it can be tailored to your preferences. If you wish to take a longer cruise, you can sail northward to the island of Corsica.
Take a flight to Olbia in northeast Sardinia and then head for your starting point of either Cannigione or Portisco. Both marinas are under an hour drive from the airport and are equally ideal points of departure for a week of sailing in this area.
7 Days from Cannigione or Portisco
DAY

Day 1: Arrive at Cannigione or Portisco
DAY

Day 2: Cannigione or Portisco to Marina Dell Orso, Poltu Quatu (4NM/11NM)
DAY

Day 3: Marina dell Orso to Porto Cervo (4NM)
DAY

Day 4: Porto Cervo to Porto Rotondo (8NM)
DAY

Day 5: Porto Rotondo to Porto Palma, Caprera (13NM)
DAY

Day 6: Porto Palma to Cala Gavetta, La Maddalena (4NM)
DAY

Day 7: Cala Gavetta to Cannigione or Portisco (7NM/17NM)
7 Day Itinerary Sardinia

Fly to Sardinia and make way to either Cannigione or Portisco to pick up your yacht. Use the day to do some local exploring as well as stocking up with last-minute requirements for your week on board.
While in Cannigione:
Check out the night market and the plentiful bars and restaurants.
If time, visit the nearby giant Nuragic tombs in Li Lolghi (dating back to the first century AD) and the necropolis of Li Muri, dating back to 3,000 BC. The Nuragic civilisation was indigenous to Sardinia and lasted from the Bronze Age to the 2nd century AD.
While in Portisco:
- For your first holiday dip, check out the best local beaches, including Rene Bianca beach, Razza di Junco beach and Petra Rujo beach, as well as the town beach. The shallow sandy bottom of all these make them ideal for children. The snorkelling is great here too.

Time to raise anchor and start exploring the Smeralda Coast. Your destination today is the Gulf of Poltu Quatu. This narrow fjord was once a popular hideout for pirates, but now the gateway to the charming port of Poltu Quatu, meaning ‘hidden port’. The village and marina blend perfectly into the landscape but the resort was in fact built as recently as the 1970s!
While in the area:
- A good place to stop en route here includes Baia Sardinia, which overlooks the Maddalena archipelago. The entire bay has wonderful white beaches and turquoise blue waters. It is a popular spot for watersports too, particularly windsurfing.

The destination for today is Porto Cervo, home of the most glamorous port in Sardinia and the playground of the rich and famous. It is also the base of the Costa Smeralda yacht club, so look out for some exceptional sailing yachts and rub shoulders with the glitterati! Created by Prince Karim Aga Khan at the end of the 1950s, the harbour retains an air of exclusivity, with designer boutiques, fine restaurants, bars and clubs, as well as an array of impressive luxury villas. The original village in the Old Port, Porto Vecchio, is also worth visiting. While in the area: Before you arrive, chill out for lunch in a nearby beach. Cala Granu, with its fine white sand and shallow turquoise waters makes a super and sheltered option.

Head south from Porto Cervo to Porto Rotondo, another premier yachting centre. The name means ‘round port’ due to the natural inlet where the town was developed which is practically a perfect circle. The town is popular destination for celebrities and oozes with wonderful shops, restaurants and clubs.
While in the area: - Good stop-off points nearby include Ira Beach, which separates the Bay of Porto Rotondo from the Bay of Cugnana. - Soffi and Mortorio are wonderful islands to visit and just a short sail from Porto Rotondo.
Things to see and do in Porto Rotondo :
It is worth looking beyond the glamour and into the heart of the town where you will find an ancient amphitheatre as well as the San Lorenzo church, with its rare collection of 200 wooden statues.
If you have time to venture beyond the town, there are some great hikes to be had on the nature trails too.
Superb snorkelling and diving in the Tavolara Marine Protected Area.

It is time to sail away from the chic resorts to the peace and tranquillity of the La Maddalena archipelago. Although linked to the mainland of Sardinia by a bridge, Caprera, a 10 mile square island, has been declared a wildlife sanctuary and is protected from development, and is gloriously wild and rugged inland.
Things to do and see in Caprera:
Giuseppe Garibladi spent his last days on the island and his house is open to the public.
Centuries-old wrecks in the small inlet of Cala Coticcio.
Beautiful scenery including Mount Tejalone and Poggio Stefano, surrounded by striking pink granite rocks and reached by beautiful walks.

The main island is this beautiful archipelago, La Maddalena is only 12 miles square and surrounded by some of the most spectacular beaches in Italy and the clearest and cleanest waters. Many of the beaches are only accessible by boat, so it is a blissfully peaceful place to sail. The town of La Maddalena however is as lively and sophisticated as the resorts on the mainland coastline, but there are plenty of quiet corners to explore on the archipelago, both onshore and off.
While in the area:
Walk up to the Guardia Vecchia for panoramic view of the Strait of Boniface
Visit dune-backed beaches such as Bassa Tinita on the north coast
Check out the other islands, such as the uninhabited Spargi, with its pristine beaches.
Sail to the three most northern islands of Budelli, Razzolli and Santa Maria, if time allows.

Time to return to base today, but it is not far, so take time to explore as much as you can of the coastline and the La Maddalena archipelago before you drop anchor.
While in the area:
- Aim for one last celebratory lunch at one of the islands of the La Maddalena archipelago or drop anchor at one of the best beaches near Cannigione, such as Tanca Manna or Barca Bruciata.
Begin your Adventure
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