A yacht charter in Sardinia is quite an experience. Sardinia is a universe unto
itself. I n this italian island the local language is incomprehensible to all other
Italians. An island with one of Europe's most stunning coastlines it's waters teem
with fish it's golden sands disappear into oceans of blue it's rugged mountains
are covered with flocks of sheep producing cheese so pungent, your palate will never
forget.
Sardinia is completely unique and the perfect place for a yacht charter holiday
that mixes excitement with the exotic. During the summer, yacht charters flock to
Sardinia . With an average of 300 days of sunshine per year, concentrated from April
to September and warm winds off the African continent, the Sardinian climate, can
be quite delightful and not quite as hot as other yacht charter areas in the Mediterranean.
You'll find, despite their weird and wonderful ways, that the Sardinian ports compete
rather well with the Mediterranean ’s other chic hot spots. Summers tend to attract
lovely warm days and crowds of millionaires, supermodels and luxury yachts, especially
to the prestigious Yacht Club Costa Smeralda at Porto Cervo, near Olbia. This spectacular
and unrivalled island presents a variety of shapes. In fact Sardinia is a surprising
blend of "diversities" originated from its complex natural, historical and cultural
richness, as it has been, since the most ancient ages, a meeting point for the various
cultures of the populations which have landed on and colonized its coasts.
If you choose to charter your yacht in Sardinia, you should decide first of all
if cruising the north or the south of Sardinia , two completely different worlds.
North Sardinia is the temple of fun. Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo with their nightlife,
chic restaurants and boutiques attract the international jet set. In the northern
part of the island, between Alghero and Olbia you will also find a rich coastline
alternating beaches and bays while the landscape is predominantly rocky. A fantastic
journey along the northern irregular coasts of Sardinia, where nature has been wonderfully
moulded by a civilization, the roots of which stretch back at the time of the first
inhabitants of the Mediterranean .
Porto Cervo, the heart of the Emerald Coast , is the exclusive holiday place favoured
by the rich and famous that come to this paradise to enjoy the sea and the nightlife.
The architecture of this summer spot fits with its surroundings, villas with dry
stone walls and immaculately kept gardens scattered with Mediterranean vegetation
and low palm trees. Porto Cervo has two harbours, Porto Vecchio (Old Port) is on
the South-eastern side and dates back to the 1960s’, the new harbour is equipped
with the most up-to-date infrastructures to cater for the international marine traffic.
At the height of summer the harbours become literally the showroom of the most beautiful
and biggest yachts that money can buy, many tourists walk past the yachts admiring
such excess. Anyone not wanting to use the port may anchor in the bay, where one
can enjoy total privacy. Porto Cervo has a Yacht Club, some exclusive hotels and
restaurants, such as the renowned Cala di Volpe, great shops and numerous night
bars and clubs. The nightlife evolves around La Piazzetta. For the golf lovers there
is one of the greatest golf courts in the world. Set between the sapphire bays of
Pevero and Cala di Volpe Pevero is the supreme masterpiece of the greatest of American
golf designers, Robert Trent Jones. Described by several golf writers as 'the most
beautiful place to play golf in the world', the course is also splendidly demanding.
Due to the care which has been taken to preserve the natural environment of the
Porto Rotondo area, since 1967, international investors have made this area one
of the most sought after destinations of the most exclusive tourism. Porto Rotondo
is today the sworn rival of the, relatively close, Emerald Coast, attracting exponents
from the International Jet Set. The Piazzetta, created entirely in local stone,
the granite amphitheatre and the Church of St Lorenzo are of great architectural
interest. Here one finds the boutiques of the world's top fashion designers, interior
decorators and craftsmen. The harbor, where some of the most beautiful yachts of
the Mediterranean are moored, is not to be missed. The beaches of Porto Rotondo
include that of Spiaggia Ira, at Punta Nuraghe, which divides the Gulf of Porto
Rotondo from that of Cugnana the small beaches of Punta Asfodelo with their supremely
white sand and turquoise sea the beach Spiaggia dei Sassi e delle Alghe, on the
road which leads to Punta Volpe Marinella Beach which is the largest and best equipped,
perfect for waters sport enthusiasts. The small town of Porto Rotondo owes much
of its Venetian influence to its major developer, the Count Dona Delle Rose. Although
less well known in the UK than the Aga Khan’s famous Porto Cervo development, Porto
Rotondo attracts its own "jet setters" and celebrity spotting is still a popular
pastime.
Facing Palau is the Archipelago of La Maddalena, unquestionable natural attraction
of extraordinary beauty, from where, reaching its highest point, Guardia Vecchia,
you'll be able to enjoy a view of all the islands of the archipelago, sweeping all
the way to Corsica.
In the short stretch of sea of the Bocche di Bonifacio dividing Sardinia from Corsica,
many islands, of all sizes, rise from the waters, forming the Archipelago of La
Maddalena considered one of nature's authentic masterpieces. They're grouped in
the eastern (Santo Stefano, La Maddalena, Caprera, with the small islands of Monaci,
Sperduti di Caprera, Pecora, Porco, Delle Bisce, Chiesa, Della Paura, Cappuccini)
and the western ones (Spargi, Budelli, Razzoli, Santa Maria with the little islands
of Spargiotto, Spargiottello, Barrettini, Barrettinelli, Corcelli, La Presa, Paduleddi).
The archipelago is characterized by various forms of granite, moulded by the wind
and rain: the phenomenon of the "tafoni", big round rocks with fantastic shapes,
entirely excavated by the crumbling of the rock from within. One of the most renowned
is the one at Capo d'Orso on the coast in the vicinities of Palau.
La Maddalena, is the most extended island and is mostly levelled. Along the southern
coast lies the city of La Maddalena, delimited in the western part by the cape of
Punta Tegge and in the eastern part by the ample bay of Cala Camicia and Punta Moneta
facing this bay, at a distance of 500 meters, is the island of Santo Stefano. The
natural environment is still wild and its coasts shelter small beaches overlooking
fabulous waters. Going north, the coastline forms the coves of Spalmatore and Porto
Massimo, then the cape of Marginetto with Point Marginetto, the most northern of
La Maddalena. The coast goes back down south-west, forming, with the peninsula of
Abbatoggia, the deep gulf of Monti di Rena the granite, here, is finely levigated
by the violent west wind forms vast sandy dunes. You'll find the same phenomenon
going just a little further south, past Punta Abbatoggia and past the little island
with the same name, in the area of Spiaggia Bassa or Trinità where the sandy landscape
is even more fascinating, with its dunes of very fine white sand. The coastline
continues with the steep massif of Guardia Majore, penetrating just a little further
in the bay of cala Inferno, rocky and irregular from there it goes back up west
and then turnes definitely south with Punta Testiccioli. The whole area is one of
the most inaccessible and the granite is marked by the sea's fury and by the strong
north winds. A good refuge is Cala Francese, just a little further south, overlooked
by a large granite quarry.
Caprera island is smaller than la Maddalena but its total coastline is longer, 45,5
km, because of the long and narrow cape of granite that stretches all the way to
Punta Rossa, seat of a Navy Military base since 1887. The extreme southern coast
of Caprera is a morphologically very frail and unsteady area a profound opening
of the sea forms the marvellous Porto Palma. The entire eastern coast of Caprera
and also the northern one, are formed by striking cliffs of granite, almost totally
unaccessible, so evocative and beautiful, formed by the more steep side of the long
massif of Mount Teialone.
The island of Asinara situated in the north-western part of Sardinia has an extension
of 5.200 ha., while the sea's surface extension is 21.000 ha. The coastline is 110
km.long. It belongs to the Government and is part of the territory of the town of
Porto Torres. The island is 17,5 km. long and its maximum width is 6,14 km. The
western part is characterized by high schistose falaises, steep rocky slopes with
numerous landslides and ravines, large canals and crevices, while in the eastern
part you'll find wide bays and small beaches with the tipical rough sand of the
granite morphology with ample rocky outcrops. This island is famous for its unique
landscape and for the environmental beauties, but also and mostly for the rich wildlife:
many are the species living on the island, some are very rare and, unfortunately
threatened with extinction.
In the southern part of Sardinia with your yacht, you should not miss to see the
coasts along Costa Rei, Porto Corallo, Cala Sinzias and Cala Pira.
The Gulf of Angels (Golfo degli Angeli) is a splendid scenery space that appears
from the sea on the south side of Sardinia limited by Pula and Nora from the west
and by the seaside resorts of Villasimius on the east, through the extreme Capo
Carbonara in front of which a remote and wild Isola dei Cavoli is visible.
Cagliari is the principal town, hidden like a precious jewellery in the centre of
the gulf. The coasts of the Gulf form interminable beaches with thin and bright
sand. Across the panoramic street with spectacular cliffs and expanses of crystal
and transparent water the easter bow unties through beautiful beaches and bays of
Capitana, Torre delle Stelle, Solanas, Capo Carbonara, Isola dei Cavoli. There are
several sport activities from typical water sports (including diving and snorkelling)
to trekking, horse riding and golf.
Regarding the island history, there are a lot of interesting archaeological points
to visit in the Gulf. For example Nora – the Sardinian Atlantis – the antic Phoenician
– Punic - Roman town discovered more than ten years of excavations. According to
the epigraphic Phoenician documents Nora was considered the most antic settlement
of Sardinia. In the neighbourhoods of Nora, in Pula, you could visit the Tower of
Saint Efisio (Torre di Sant'Efisio) of the unknown age, coming probably from around
early VII century. Travelling through urban areas between Quartu S. Elena and Cagliari
it is quite impossible to miss the expanse of marshland - lack of Molentargius (Stagno
di Molentargius)– a settlement of beautiful aquatic birds, especially flamingos
that reproduced there since 1993. They are protected and recognised nearly all over
the world.
The coast of the Sulcis Iglesiente (South Western Sardinia) is disquieting, characterised
by excavated roads and long beaches with dunes and cliffs, where the rare hawks
called Eleonarae still nest. The land has been populated since the old Ages as evidenced
by Montessu's necropolis with its Domus de Janas (Witches' houses).
Visit Carloforte, where architecture, language, tastes and scents remind the region
of Liguria. In fact the population of the little island descends from the coral
fishermen coming from Liguria imprisoned by the Saracens and released by Carlo Emanuele
III in 1736. But the real treasure in this area is the long beach, characterised
by white dunes, which goes from Capo Pecora to Piscinas. Walking along this beach
you might meet wild rabbits, partridges and, with good binoculars, also the very
rare Sardinian deer.
The Sardinian yacht charter scene has increased in popularity, of late, and the
types of yacht charter are all the main types of yacht charter including motoryachts,
sailingyachts, catamarans, luxury yachts and the ever more frequent super yacht
charter.
As with other parts of the Mediterranean and Italy, the Sardinian yacht chartering
season generally runs from April to the end of October. The summer season in July
and August is the hottest and tends to have lighter winds. This is also the high
season as far as yacht charter goes.
