“Costa Smeralda Coast”

Lat/Long – 40.9062° N, 9.7133° E

Tavolara is a small island off the northeast coast of Sardinia, Italy. The island is a limestone massif 5 kilometres (3 miles) long and 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) wide, with steep cliffs except at its ends. Its highest point, Monte Cannone, is 565 metres (1,854 feet) above sea level. A cove and beach can be found at each end of the island, Spalmatore di Fuori at the northeast, and Spalmatore di Terra at the southwest. Currently, the island is inhabited by only a handful of families and has a small cemetery and summer restaurant. The water around the island is a popular spot for scuba diving.

In the south of the Golfo di Olbia is Isola Tavolara and Isola Molara. In the area between these islands and the coast of Sardinia are several spectacular anchorages. Isola Tavolara itself is a huge block of granite, a feature that makes a landmark for miles around.

The nearest sizable town is Olbia, and the small fishing village of Porto San Paolo is directly across a small strait. The islands of Molara and Molarotto are nearby.

The island and the surrounding waters are part of the Tavolara and Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Preserve created in 1997. The environmental protections placed on the park have added restrictions to the use of the area for tourism.

A natural column of rock on the island’s coast resembles a human figure and is known as “the Stone Sentry” or “Pope’s Rock. Other stone formations include “Ulysses’ Bow” (a natural arch) and the “Grotta del Papa” (a cave accessible by sea and boasting Neolithic cave paintings).

“Costa Smeralda Coast”

Lat / Long – 41.0307° N, 9.5465° E

Porto Rotondo is located between the Gulf of Cugnana and the Gulf of Marinella, 13 kilometres north of Olbia. Together with Porto Cervo, the “capital” of the Emerald Coast, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Costa Smeralda.

Some of its beaches make up the crown of the Emerald Coast, and its marina offers a safe haven to over 600 boats of all sizes. The area surrounding Porto Rotondo is divided into three parts: Punta Nuraghe, Punta Volpe, and Punta Lada.

At the heart of this charming village is the Piazzetta San Marco, a peaceful square where locals gather for conversation and tourists lounge in quaint cafes enjoying their morning coffee. Porto Rotondo is a small port with a big reputation and some of the most stunning scenery anywhere along the coastline. This unassuming village is home to one of the most authentic travel experiences in Sardinia which is largely due to the lesser number of tourists in comparison with some other well-known destinations.

Named after the circular nature of the bay on which it was built, Porto Rotondo has a very unique appearance in that the port itself is almost entirely enclosed, while on the outer side of this sheltered bay, you can find the most idyllic beaches and a number of exclusive resorts in between.

The village is picturesque in every sense and most notable is the collage of colours of the surrounding area, from the reflection of the sun on the many expensive yachts docked in the harbour, the stunning white sandy beaches, the turquoise blue of the Mediterranean, to the green and luscious sporadic spaces.

“La Maddalena Archipelago”

Lat / Long – 41.0755° N, 9.6030° E

The island of Mortorio is a privately owned and uninhabited island located in the northeast of Sardinia near Cala di Volpe, part of the archipelago of La Maddalena. Of granite formation and very indented coasts, it extends for an area of about 0.60 km² and with a mountainous aspect, it reaches the maximum altitude of 77 meters above sea level. Despite being located a few miles from Costa Smeralda, the island is part of the municipality of Maddalena and the national park of the homonymous Archipelago.

It’s an untouched paradise, surrounded by rocks above and below water making for some beautiful snorkelling and swimming, offering three isolated and secluded bays frequented in summer by many day trips and small to medium-sized yachts.

Many birds nest on the island, protected and safeguarded by the International Park of the Strait of Bonifacio, of which the island belongs is a member.

In the eighteenth century, human and material remains were discovered dating back to a naval battle between the inhabitants of Pisa and those of Gene, during a war to secure domination of N Sardinia.

“Costa Smeralda Coast”

Lat/Long – 41.1315° N, 9.5357° E

The name (Cervo means ‘stag’ in Italian) comes from the branching shape of the inlet, which resembles the tines of a stag’s antlers.

The foundations for Porto Cervo were laid in the 1960s when a consortium led by the then Aga Khan began the development of the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) along the enchanting NE coast of Sardinia. The original development, now known as Porto Vecchio, is at the SE end of the inlet. Further into the inlet on the NW side is the newer harbour, which incorporates the exclusive Costa Smeralda Yacht Club and a luxury hotel and villa development.

Be prepared to blow your cruising budget if you moor here for long – or alternatively anchor in the sandy cove to the north of the breakwater (get there early as there’s not much room to swing). The inlet is well sheltered and only easterlies (which are fortunately rare) might give a problem to yachts in the anchorage.

The inlet of Porto Cervo can be hard to spot as you sail along the coast, but there is generally a substantial amount of traffic coming in and out to guide you. There are dangerous shoals along the coast to the north and yachts should keep well off if approaching from this direction.

The main dock is the expensive (in-season) Marina di Porto Cervo in the upper part of the inlet at Marina Village. Alternatively, you can investigate Marina dell Orso which is part of the Poltu Quatu hotel complex.

It’s possible for just 2-3 yachts to anchor in the small cove at the entrance to the inlet, although the swinging room is very limited. Anchor in 5.0 – 6.0 metres. The holding is good in sand.

“La Maddalena Archipelago”

Lat/Long – 41.2069° N, 9.4617° E

Porto Palma is one of the most beautiful anchorages in the whole archipelago. It is situated at the southern end of Caprera island, it is sheltered from all directions except south and offers idyllic mooring in turquoise water on the clean white sand. The best anchorage is on the eastern side of the bay at 5.0 – 9.0 metres. Some buoys were installed by the park.

The Centro Velico Caprera (tel. 0789.738529) operates from a jetty at the head of the bay and by anchoring here you are away from the busy sailing regattas that fill the bay during the summer months.

Cala Coticcio is a butterfly-shaped inlet lying on the east side of Caprera island. It is open to the south but sheltered from all other directions. Both bays are very popular during the season and the beaches are buoyed off for swimming to prevent crews from going ashore from anchored boats.

“La Maddalena Archipelago”

Lat/Long: 41.2166° N, 9.4047° E

The Maddalena archipelago, which takes its name from the principal island, La Maddalena, is a group of seven islands lying on the southern side of the Strait of Bonifacio between Corsica and Sardinia. National park status protects the islands from unsympathetic development and the beautiful sandy coves and cobalt blue waters surrounding the islands make them one of the most idyllic cruising grounds to be found anywhere in the Mediterranean.

The island of Maddalena has a small, 130-berth marina, Marina Cala Gavetta, but the principal pleasure of a visit to the islands is the wonderful and largely unspoilt anchorages.

“La Maddalena Archipelago”

Lat/Long -41.2830° N, 9.3534° E

Budelli is an island in the Maddalena archipelago, near the Strait of Bonifacio in northern Sardinia, Italy. It is one of the seven islands that comprise Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park.

Budelli is located several hundred metres south of Razzoli and Santa Maria islands. It has a surface of 1.6 square kilometres (0.62 sq mi) and an overall coastal span of 12.3 kilometres (7.6 mi). The highest point is Monte Budello, at 87 metres (285 ft).

In antiquity, the Romans used the island. More recently, it was the site of some of the filming for Red Desert, released in 1964. For decades, the island had a series of private owners.

Budelli is one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean Sea, especially renowned for its Spiaggia Rosa (Pink Beach), on the southeastern shoreline, which owes its colour to microscopic fragments of corals and shells, such as Miriapora truncata and Miniacina miniacea, and was featured in Antonioni’s 1964 film Il deserto rosso (The Red Desert). Budelli is one of four uninhabited islands in the Maddalena archipelago, the others being Caprera, Spargi, and Razzoli. However, since 1989 the island’s permanent caretaker has been Mauro Morandi, who took over from a married couple.

“Corsica”

Lat/Long – 41.3872° N, 9.1593° E

The inlet of Bonifacio in Corsica is one of the most spectacular natural harbours in the Mediterranean. Situated at the head of a deep fjord, the berths are protected from winds coming from any quarter.

Bonifacio is the closest harbour to the Italian island of Sardinia and is an enjoyable place to wait for the winds to die down before crossing the Strait of Bonifacio. The islands of the Lavezzi archipelago (Iles Lavezzi) are about six miles east of Bonifacio It’s worth warning you, however, that the French part of the Strait of Bonifacio (including the Lavezzi archipelago) is proclaimed a natural reserve, Réserve Naturelle des Bouches de Bonifacio. Marine activities in the reserve including fishing, navigation, and anchoring are regulated by the authorities.

The Strait of Bonifacio is one of the windiest places in the western Mediterranean, regularly experiencing nearly gale force winds whenever the prevailing winds are much above force 4/5. With anything east or west in the winds (which is most of the time), the winds are funnelled through the gap between Corsica and Sardinia and the seas whipped up into an unpleasant short swell. Consequently, the harbour is often filled with yachts waiting for a clear passage across the Strait or round to Porto-Vecchio.

Marina di Portisco is an enchanting but modern tourist port in the Gulf of Cugnana, in the middle of the Costa Smeralda, one of the most beautiful locations between Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia. Perfectly situated within the natural environment, the marina is well protected by a long outer breakwater jetty consisting of three sections and an inner jetty with a right-angled turn, and it has been awarded the European “Blue Flag” environmental certification every year since 1996 for the purity of its transparent waters and the pristine condition of the seabed. This is the ideal starting point for exploring the most evocative places on the island, either underwater or on the land. Thanks to the wide variety of facilities and comforts available at Marina di Portisco you can enjoy an extraordinary sailing holiday from here, in harmony with the rhythms of the sea and satisfying your every desire. Entirely built of Sardinian granite, with 589 berths of up to 90 meters in length and with water up to 10 meters deep by the quayside, Marina di Portisco is one of the few Italian ports that can accommodate superyachts with exceptionally deep draughts. Thanks to the efficient organization of the port, the high level of services, facilities and assistance on land, together with its very clean waters, which drastically reduce the costs of periodic careening, Marina di Portisco is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Mediterranean.

The proximity of the marina to Olbia airport (20 minutes) and to a private heliport make it easily accessible at any time of the year.

Address: Marina di Portisco S.p.A.
Strada Panoramica Costa Smeralda km 0,100
Phone: +39 0789.33520
Email: info@marinadiportisco.it
Website: http://www.marinadiportisco.it/en_US/
VHF Channels: 09
Open: All year
Max Length Berths: 90m
Number of Berths: 589

Marina Services: Water assistance, fuel distribution and bunkering, garbage collection, equipment hire, diving assistance, weather forecasting, free wifi, courtesy car, security and video surveillance, pump out, reception, online delivery.

One of the main and largest marinas on Sardinia, Marina di Olbia, is located in a special spot, protected by its depth inland, within the natural Gulf of Olbia. Open year-round, and the marina offers modern berthing and modernized facilities, as well as shipyards, essential nautical services, and everything else you could need inside and surrounding the marina, including a control tower refuelling station and technical and bureaucratic support centre.

The waterfront redevelopment also includes a wide selection of shops, clubs and restaurants, services and leisure opportunities: all features that make the new marina attractive as a mooring place and as somewhere to gather with family and friends or simply relax. It is one of the safest and most well-protected marina locations on the island in any weather situation, with a draft depth of 5 meters and wide space for manoeuvering to ensure safe and comfortable access to the mooring docks.

Marina di Olbia is less than a mile away from the airport and very close to the ferry terminal, with daily runs to the mainland. A free shuttle bus runs between the marina and the shopping centre, town centre, airport and ferry terminal. A few nautical miles away from the harbour entrance, you’ll find some of the most breathtaking of the Costa Smeralda coast, where the emerald sea and long, sandy beaches highlight this compelling landscape.

Address: Via Piovene 8, Olbia, 07026, Italy
Phone: +39 0789 645 030
Email: info@marinadiolbia.it
Website: https://www.moys.it/en/
VHF Channels: 9
Open: All year
Max Length Berths: 80m
Number of Berths: 270
Marina Services:
Water & Electricity. Customs & Immigration. Fuel Dock & Truck. Delivery. Showers, Restaurants. Shopping.