When is the cruising season in Sardinia?

Mid-June to mid-September, with May and early October as quieter shoulder months. July and August are the busiest, around Porto Cervo and in the Maddalena archipelago alike, and the weeks around 15 August most of all.

Where do charters depart from?

Porto Cervo is the principal harbour of the Costa Smeralda, with berths for large yachts. Porto Rotondo and Olbia, to the south and close to the airport, are the usual alternatives, and Cagliari serves charters that start in the south of the island.

Can charters extend to Corsica or the Italian mainland?

Yes. The Lavezzi islands and Bonifacio are a short crossing from the Maddalena, an hour or two under way, and Porto-Vecchio a little further. The Italian mainland, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily suit longer cruises, with the owner's agreement and usually a delivery fee if the yacht has to reposition.

What events shape the calendar?

The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's superyacht regatta in late May or early June and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in early September draw the largest fleets, followed in even years by the Rolex Swan Cup. Berths in Porto Cervo tighten sharply in those weeks and around 15 August, so the yachts and berths for those dates are best requested early.

Where can we cruise away from the peak-week crowd?

In the Maddalena, early and late in the day, when the day boats have left. Further south, Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei offer a different coast, with limestone cliffs and coves reached from the sea, well away from the regatta weeks of the Costa Smeralda.

How long should a Sardinia charter run?

A week covers the Costa Smeralda, the Maddalena and southern Corsica comfortably. Ten days or more allow the east coast as well, down to Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei, or a one-way route towards the south of the island. We fit the route to the time you have.

What does a Sardinia yacht charter cost?

As a guide, 20 to 30 metre motor yachts run from around EUR 30,000 to EUR 80,000 per week in the Mediterranean, 30 to 45 metre yachts from around EUR 80,000 to EUR 250,000, and yachts above 50 metres from around EUR 250,000, quoted individually. Running costs, VAT for the cruising area and gratuity are added, bringing the week to roughly 130 to 150 percent of the base rate.

Which airports serve a Sardinia charter?

Olbia Costa Smeralda serves the north-east with scheduled and private flights; Olbia's harbour is a few minutes from the terminal and Porto Cervo around 35 to 40 minutes by road. For the south, Cagliari airport is 7 kilometres from the city centre, and Alghero serves the north-west. Transfers to the yacht are arranged in advance.

Is a permit needed to cruise the Maddalena archipelago?

Yes. The archipelago is a national park, and a park ticket, priced by the length of the yacht, is required to navigate, moor or anchor within 300 metres of its coasts. It is bought online in advance, sailing yachts pay less, and some areas, including the sea in front of Budelli's pink beach, are closed to boats altogether.

Can a Sardinia charter go beyond the Costa Smeralda?

Yes. South of Olbia, Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei, with its limestone cliffs and coves reached from the sea, make a week of their own. The south, around Cagliari and the marine reserve of Capo Carbonara, is some 150 nautical miles from Porto Cervo by sea, so it suits a separate charter or a one-way route.

Italy · yacht charter

Sardinia.

Cruising the whole island, from the Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena archipelago to Tavolara, the Gulf of Orosei and the south. A Sardinia yacht charter usually starts in the north-east, with Corsica a short crossing away.

Speak to a yacht advisor

Overview

What to expect.

Sardinia is the Mediterranean’s largest charter-focused island and the operational anchor of the Costa Smeralda: a thirty-kilometre coast of pink granite, sheltered coves, and a fleet of marinas built to handle the superyacht business. Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo are the principal embarkation ports, and a Sardinia yacht charter typically begins from one of the two before working the coast.

The cruising splits into two registers. There is the close-in Costa Smeralda routing, short hops between the granite anchorages of Liscia di Vacca, Cala di Volpe and Romazzino, suited to swimming, lunch and the social rhythm of Porto Cervo. And there is the northern run into the Maddalena archipelago, a cluster of protected coves that stays quieter than the Smeralda throughout the season and reads as the better ground for owners who want distance from the peak-week crowd.

The northbound passage is the through-line. The Strait of Bonifacio, the Lavezzi islands and southern Corsica sit within an overnight passage of the Maddalena anchorages, which makes a Sardinia charter a natural base for a longer Italian itinerary rather than a fixed week in one bay. Onward routing to the Italian mainland is standard, and longer cruises are arranged toward the Amalfi Coast and Sicily.

Sardinia rewards advance briefing more than most Mediterranean grounds. The late-August and early-September regatta weeks compress the fleet hard into Porto Cervo, so berthing and crew availability are the constraints that shape the calendar, not the weather. An advisor holding the Costa Smeralda relationships fixes the embarkation port, the routing and the regatta-week berthing as one brief.

Private yacht charter in Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, with 1,849 kilometres of coastline: granite in the north-east, limestone cliffs along the Gulf of Orosei, and marine reserves from the Maddalena to the southern capes. A Sardinia yacht charter often begins in the north-east, near Olbia's airport, but the island holds several cruising grounds, each worth a week of its own.

Distance is the first thing to settle. Porto Cervo and Cagliari lie some 150 nautical miles apart by sea, so a week works one coast well rather than the whole island, and a fortnight, or a one-way route, can join two.

The coasts of Sardinia

The Costa Smeralda. The granite coast of the north-east, developed from the early 1960s by a consortium led by Prince Karim Aga Khan, with Porto Cervo at its centre; our Porto Cervo yacht charter page covers it in detail.

The Maddalena archipelago. Seven main islands and many islets, protected as a national park. A park ticket, priced by the length of the yacht, is needed to navigate, moor or anchor within 300 metres of the coast; the sea in front of Budelli's pink beach is closed to boats, and Cala Coticcio on Caprera is visited only with a licensed guide. Garibaldi's house on Caprera is now a museum.

Southern Corsica. Across the Strait of Bonifacio, the Lavezzi islands and the cliff-top town of Bonifacio are a short crossing from the Maddalena. In the French nature reserve of the Bouches de Bonifacio, yachts of 24 metres and over may anchor only beyond a line set by the Préfecture maritime; see Corsica yacht charter.

Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei. South of Olbia, Tavolara rises to 565 metres straight from the sea, inside a marine reserve created in 1997. Further south, the Gulf of Orosei runs for more than 40 kilometres of limestone cliffs, with coves such as Cala Luna and Cala Mariolu reached from the water, and the sea cave of the Bue Marino near Cala Gonone, the gulf's main harbour.

The south. Cagliari, the capital, has its own airport and harbour, and to the east the marine reserve of Capo Carbonara, off Villasimius, takes in the islands of Cavoli and Serpentara.

The north-west. Alghero, with its Catalan old town and its own airport, looks out to the cliffs of Capo Caccia; further north, the island of Asinara is a national park where navigation and anchoring are restricted.

A week from Olbia

An east-coast week might start at Tavolara, then run south to the Gulf of Orosei, around three hours under way, for two or three days among the coves before working back north to the Costa Smeralda. A northern week, through the Maddalena to Bonifacio, starts better from Porto Cervo, and a one-way route from Olbia to Cagliari joins the east coast to the south. Times assume a motor yacht at a typical cruising speed.

When to go

The season runs from June to September, with May and early October quieter. July and August are the busiest, the weeks around Ferragosto on 15 August most of all. The mistral, Sardinia's dominant north-westerly, can blow for several days and the Strait of Bonifacio is often windy, so the north is planned day by day, while the east coast lies in the island's lee. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda fills Porto Cervo for its superyacht regatta in late May or early June and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in early September.

Marinas and arrival

Olbia Costa Smeralda airport handles most of the private aviation into the north-east; Olbia itself is 4 kilometres away, and Porto Cervo about 35 to 40 minutes by road. Cagliari's airport is 7 kilometres from the city centre, and Alghero's 10 kilometres from the town.

Yachts and what a week costs

Yachts of every size cruise Sardinia in summer, from sailing yachts and catamarans to superyachts; for the south or the west, a yacht already positioned there avoids a long delivery. As a guide, 20 to 30 metre motor yachts run from around EUR 30,000 to EUR 80,000 per week in the Mediterranean and 30 to 45 metre yachts from around EUR 80,000 to EUR 250,000, before running costs; above 50 metres, rates start from around EUR 250,000 and are quoted individually. The Advance Provisioning Allowance of 25 to 35 percent, VAT for the cruising area and a customary gratuity of 5 to 15 percent bring the week to roughly 130 to 150 percent of the base rate. What a yacht charter costs sets out each line.

How a Sardinia charter is arranged

We start with the coast that suits your dates and your group, shortlist the yachts positioned for it, and set out the full cost, park tickets included, before anything is signed. The Sardinia yacht charter guide covers the regatta weeks and the southern routes, and Sardinia combines with the rest of the Italian coast for a longer voyage.

Tell us your dates, the size of your group and what you have in mind, and we will come back with a shortlist. Start the conversation.

Fleet

Yachts available in Sardinia.

Amer 36m

10 guests · 5 cabins · 2024

Bilgin 50m

12 guests · 6 cabins · 2024

Pershing 26m

7 guests · 3 cabins · 2022

Princess Yachts 22m

8 guests · 4 cabins · 2022

Season

When to cruise.

Best months: June to September
Prevailing winds: Maestrale · light afternoon breeze
Typical base ports: Porto Cervo Marina · Marina di Porto Rotondo · Olbia · Cagliari

Luxury yacht in Porto Cervo marina on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda

Mid-June through mid-September. The Costa Smeralda fleet peaks in late July and August, while the Maddalena anchorages stay quieter throughout. The two compression weeks are the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in late August and early September, which draw the largest fleet of the year and tighten berthing in Porto Cervo.

Ports

Marinas and anchorages.

Porto Cervo Marina
The principal Costa Smeralda harbour and the single private superyacht facility at the centre of the coast. International fleet coverage in peak weeks.
Marina di Porto Rotondo
The secondary Costa Smeralda port. Quieter than Porto Cervo and used for embarkation on northbound routings.
Olbia
Cagliari

Frequently asked

Practical questions.

When is the cruising season in Sardinia?: Mid-June to mid-September, with May and early October as quieter shoulder months. July and August are the busiest, around Porto Cervo and in the Maddalena archipelago alike, and the weeks around 15 August most of all.
Where do charters depart from?: Porto Cervo is the principal harbour of the Costa Smeralda, with berths for large yachts. Porto Rotondo and Olbia, to the south and close to the airport, are the usual alternatives, and Cagliari serves charters that start in the south of the island.
Can charters extend to Corsica or the Italian mainland?: Yes. The Lavezzi islands and Bonifacio are a short crossing from the Maddalena, an hour or two under way, and Porto-Vecchio a little further. The Italian mainland, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily suit longer cruises, with the owner's agreement and usually a delivery fee if the yacht has to reposition.
What events shape the calendar?: The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda's superyacht regatta in late May or early June and the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in early September draw the largest fleets, followed in even years by the Rolex Swan Cup. Berths in Porto Cervo tighten sharply in those weeks and around 15 August, so the yachts and berths for those dates are best requested early.
Where can we cruise away from the peak-week crowd?: In the Maddalena, early and late in the day, when the day boats have left. Further south, Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei offer a different coast, with limestone cliffs and coves reached from the sea, well away from the regatta weeks of the Costa Smeralda.
How long should a Sardinia charter run?: A week covers the Costa Smeralda, the Maddalena and southern Corsica comfortably. Ten days or more allow the east coast as well, down to Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei, or a one-way route towards the south of the island. We fit the route to the time you have.
What does a Sardinia yacht charter cost?: As a guide, 20 to 30 metre motor yachts run from around EUR 30,000 to EUR 80,000 per week in the Mediterranean, 30 to 45 metre yachts from around EUR 80,000 to EUR 250,000, and yachts above 50 metres from around EUR 250,000, quoted individually. Running costs, VAT for the cruising area and gratuity are added, bringing the week to roughly 130 to 150 percent of the base rate.
Which airports serve a Sardinia charter?: Olbia Costa Smeralda serves the north-east with scheduled and private flights; Olbia's harbour is a few minutes from the terminal and Porto Cervo around 35 to 40 minutes by road. For the south, Cagliari airport is 7 kilometres from the city centre, and Alghero serves the north-west. Transfers to the yacht are arranged in advance.
Is a permit needed to cruise the Maddalena archipelago?: Yes. The archipelago is a national park, and a park ticket, priced by the length of the yacht, is required to navigate, moor or anchor within 300 metres of its coasts. It is bought online in advance, sailing yachts pay less, and some areas, including the sea in front of Budelli's pink beach, are closed to boats altogether.
Can a Sardinia charter go beyond the Costa Smeralda?: Yes. South of Olbia, Tavolara and the Gulf of Orosei, with its limestone cliffs and coves reached from the sea, make a week of their own. The south, around Cagliari and the marine reserve of Capo Carbonara, is some 150 nautical miles from Porto Cervo by sea, so it suits a separate charter or a one-way route.