Budelli — Spiaggia Rosa (La Maddalena)1 hr 30 min from Portisco
The famous pink beach, strictly protected — you anchor offshore and admire it, no landing. The surrounding La Maddalena National Park has the clearest water in the Mediterranean.
Emerald coast
Yacht Charters in Sardinia
Granite sculpted like modern art, water that out-blues the Caribbean, and the La Maddalena archipelago — a national park you can only truly see by boat.
Northern Sardinia is the Mediterranean's clearest water attached to its most sculptural coastline. The Costa Smeralda made it famous — Porto Cervo remains the summer harbour of the superyacht world — but the real prize is the La Maddalena archipelago just north: seven main islands, dozens of islets, and anchorages like Cala Corsara and the pink-sand Spiaggia Rosa that simply do not exist anywhere else.
Charters run from Olbia, Portisco or Cannigione, and a week comfortably covers the archipelago with a side of Corsica — Bonifacio's white cliffs are two hours across the strait. Expect real sailing: the mistral gives this corner of the Mediterranean proper wind, which is exactly why the sailing crowd loves it.
What to look for in the right vessel
Filters we pre-applied to the sardinia & la maddalena shortlist below.
La Maddalena park
A protected archipelago with mooring rules and a park permit — your crew handles both. The reward is water clarity that ruins you for everywhere else.
Real sailing wind
The mistral funnels through the Strait of Bonifacio. Sailors get genuine passages; motor-yacht guests get dramatic scenery in flat morning seas.
Corsica day-trip
Bonifacio is close enough for lunch — a medieval town on a chalk cliff above a fjord harbour. Two countries in one charter.
Porto Cervo scene
If you want one big night — quayside people-watching, the Billionaire club, boutiques — it is here. The anchorages stay blissfully quiet regardless.
Shortlisted vessels
See full vessel directory →Finding the right vessels…
When to go
Sardinia & La Maddalena charter season at a glance. Air and sea temperatures are typical daytime values.
| Month | Air | Sea | Crowd | Vibe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 22°C | 18°C | Quiet | The archipelago at its emptiest and greenest, water clear but cool. Anchor anywhere — the Costa Smeralda hasn't woken up yet. |
| June | 26°C | 21°C | Moderate | Warm days, swimmable sea, La Maddalena lively but not yet packed. The best all-round month. |
| July | 29°C | 24°C | Peak | High summer — turquoise water, busy anchorages off Budelli and Spargi, the Porto Cervo scene in full swing. |
| August | 30°C | 25°C | Peak | Ferragosto on the Costa Smeralda: the see-and-be-seen peak. Spectacular, priciest, book far ahead. |
| September | 27°C | 24°C | Moderate | Warm sea, thinning crowds, the light going gold over the granite. Many sailors' favourite Sardinia month. |
| October | 23°C | 22°C | Quiet | Calm mornings, quiet coves, warm-enough water early on. A relaxed, cheaper close to the season. |
MayQuiet
Air 22°C · Sea 18°C
The archipelago at its emptiest and greenest, water clear but cool. Anchor anywhere — the Costa Smeralda hasn't woken up yet.
JuneModerate
Air 26°C · Sea 21°C
Warm days, swimmable sea, La Maddalena lively but not yet packed. The best all-round month.
JulyPeak
Air 29°C · Sea 24°C
High summer — turquoise water, busy anchorages off Budelli and Spargi, the Porto Cervo scene in full swing.
AugustPeak
Air 30°C · Sea 25°C
Ferragosto on the Costa Smeralda: the see-and-be-seen peak. Spectacular, priciest, book far ahead.
SeptemberModerate
Air 27°C · Sea 24°C
Warm sea, thinning crowds, the light going gold over the granite. Many sailors' favourite Sardinia month.
OctoberQuiet
Air 23°C · Sea 22°C
Calm mornings, quiet coves, warm-enough water early on. A relaxed, cheaper close to the season.
Getting there
OLB · Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport
15–35 km to Portisco / Cannigione / Porto Cervo marinas
From marina
20–40 min
Transfer
€40–80 depending on marina
Taxi cost
Olbia is the gateway to the north — direct summer flights from London, Milan, the German hubs and much of Europe. Charters board at Portisco, Cannigione, Porto Cervo or Olbia itself; Cagliari (CAG) in the south serves the opposite end of the island.
Practical info
What you should know
- La Maddalena National Park
- The archipelago is a protected marine park: access is regulated, some coves are buoys-only or capped, and Budelli's pink beach is strictly no-landing. A daily park fee applies per boat; your captain holds the permits and knows the rules.
- Berths vs anchoring
- Porto Cervo's marina is among the most expensive in the world in peak season. Crewed charters overwhelmingly anchor in the archipelago's coves and tender ashore — the water is the whole point anyway.
- APA & VAT
- Crewed charters run on an APA of about 25–35% of the base for fuel, food, drinks and berths. Italian VAT is normally included; ask how it's treated on your quote.
- Winds
- The northwesterly mistral can funnel through the Strait of Bonifacio and blow hard; the archipelago has sheltered coves for every wind direction, which your captain uses to plan each night.
- Tipping
- The Mediterranean norm is 5–15% of the charter fee for good service, in cash (EUR), to the captain to share with the crew.
Anchorages within reach
Where most week-long itineraries from this port actually go. Sail times are approximate, in fair conditions.
Spargi — Cala Corsara1 hr 30 min
A shallow, luminous turquoise bay in the heart of the archipelago — the picture-postcard La Maddalena anchorage, on buoys within the park.
Cala Coticcio (Caprera)1 hr 45 min
Nicknamed "Tahiti" for its water — a tiny granite-framed cove on Garibaldi's island. Numbers are capped in season; your captain plans the timing.
Porto Cervo45 min from Portisco
The Costa Smeralda's glamour capital — a designer marina and a piazzetta scene. Anchor in nearby Cala Granu or Liscia di Vacca and tender in for the evening.
Tavolara1 hr from Olbia
A sheer limestone monolith rising 500 m straight from the sea, with a single beach restaurant at its foot. Dramatic lunch anchorage south of the granite coast.
Bonifacio, Corsica (France)1 hr 30 min from La Maddalena
The Strait of Bonifacio's cliff-top citadel is a routine cross-border day trip — bring passports; your captain handles the French formalities.
Onshore
What to do the day before boarding and after disembarking, plus a short list of restaurants worth the walk.
Day before charter
Olbia is the practical base — a lively old town, good seafood and minutes from the northern marinas. If you want the full Costa Smeralda entrance, a night in Porto Cervo or Cannigione sets the tone before a Saturday boarding.
Day after disembarking
Most flights leave Olbia through the day, so a final swim off Portisco is easy. With a spare day, the nuraghe of Arzachena (bronze-age stone towers) or the granite hinterland around Tempio Pausania show a Sardinia beyond the beaches.
Where to eat ashore
- Ristorante Il Pescatore (Porto Cervo)Seafood
Old-harbour classic below the glamour — the Costa Smeralda's catch done simply, with a terrace over the water.
- La Casitta (Isola Santa Maria)Island seafood
A tiny restaurant on a near-uninhabited island in the archipelago, reached only by boat — book ahead and tender in.
- Ristorante Da Thomas (Olbia)Modern Sardinian
In town — bottarga, fregola with clams and the island's Vermentino, a step above the marina standard.
- Spinnaker (Porto Rotondo)Beachfront
Long-running lunch institution on the sand — grilled fish, house pasta, and the passeggiata of the Costa Smeralda summer.
Or consider another port
Same coast, different starting line — the brief case for each alternative.
Amalfi Coast & Gulf of Naples →
Swap granite and clear water for cliff villages and glamour — Positano, Capri and the most photographed coast in Italy.
Sicily & the Aeolian Islands →
Head south for volcanoes and a wilder, quieter archipelago — Stromboli by night, Panarea's scene, Salina's calm.
Tuscany & Elba →
A gentler mainland-and-islands week — Elba's beaches and the Tuscan archipelago, easy for families.
Frequently asked questions
For sardinia & la maddalena.
Where do Sardinia charters start?
Olbia is the workhorse base — its airport (OLB) is 20 minutes from the marinas at Portisco and Cannigione. Porto Cervo itself hosts mostly larger yachts. Some one-way charters finish in Palau or Santa Teresa.
What is the La Maddalena permit?
The archipelago is a national park with an entry fee per boat per day and anchoring rules to protect the seagrass. On a crewed charter the captain arranges the permit and knows which coves allow overnight anchoring.
Is the water really that clear?
Yes. The granite seabed and lack of rivers keep sediment near zero — 20-metre visibility is normal. Cala Coticcio on Caprera is nicknamed "Tahiti" for a reason.
How windy does it get?
The mistral can blow hard for two or three days, especially early and late season. Itineraries flex around it — the archipelago always has a lee side, and the fjords at Porto Pozzo and Cannigione are bomb-proof shelter.
Ready to find your charter?
Take our 5-question matcher to get a personalised shortlist, or chat with us on WhatsApp if you'd rather just ask.