East cOast of Sardinia
7 days Itinerary
Sail along one of the Mediterranean's most beautiful coastlines. This itinerary will let you navigate through some stunning scenery.
The starting point for this fantastic sailing trip will be Villasimius (approx. 60 km from Cagliari) and set sails North to end at the village of Palau. Your sailing voyage will bring you along the relatively untouched coastlines of the island. The landscape is characterized by mountainous rocky landscape which flows magically out to the sea. Get ready for some beautiful anchorage places to swim in the midst of this beautiful nature.
Day 0 - Villasimius
Villasimius is the starting base for this sailing journey. It is located on the southeast corner of Sardinia and is an hour's drive from the island's capital Cagliari.
Villasimius and its surroundings are a true pearl for vacationers. In the lively little towns, you can enjoy some excellent Sardinian cuisine. And the seashores are characterized by breath-taking white sand beaches in the midst of rocky cliffs.
Photo: "villasimius" by kruder396 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Day 1 - Gulf of Carbonara
The first day is perfect to explore the inlets around Villasimius. Great places to anchor and have a dive in the water are Porto Giunco, Punta Molentis, and the Gulf of Carbonara.
You can decide to lodge at the base in Villasimius or anchor over the night in one of the many bays.
Photo: "Punta Molentis Beach in Sardinia, Italy" by dronepicr is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 2 - porto Corallo
The second day the trip will go up North and explore some of the beautiful long beaches of the island around Cala Sinzias, Costa Rei, and beyond till Porto Corallo. The coastline here is low and sandy.
This is a quiet harbor with some smaller surrounding villages and towns where you can find some good restaurants.
Photo: "File:Spiaggia di Portu de s’Illixi 06.jpg" by Olaf Tausch is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Day 3 - Arbatax
From Porto Corallo up the coastline becomes more rocky and steep. There will be many beautiful bays where to anchor and take a dive in the water. One of the first ones is between Capo San Lorenzo and Torre Murtas. Torre Murtas refers to one of the many characteristic towers that you will see all around the island.
On your way up to Arbatax you will encounter many more of these towers; Torre di San Giovanni di Sarrala and Torre di Bari. Here you will have also some nice beach bay areas to anchor at such as Spiaggia di Foxi Manna.
A bit more up north of this beach area, you have a stunning small inlet in the middle of nature called Spiaggia di Cala e’Luas. After Torre di Bari you will direct to your next stop for the evening, Arbatax. This town will be a lively small harbor town in the summer with several restaurant and bar options.
Photo: "File:08040 Baunei, Province of Ogliastra, Italy - panoramio (2).jpg" by goldpicasa is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Day 4 - Cala Gonone
The journey continues up next to the Orosei coast. This coastline stretches out like an amphitheater of rock and Mediterranean forests. Good places to stop are the beautiful Pedra Longa, Portu Cuau, Cala Goloritze, Cala Mariolu, and Cala Luna. Grotta del Blue Marino is also a nice stop to see some large wall carvings.
Cala Gonone and its surroundings are known for their beautiful nature, archeological remains, and craftsmanship. On the boulevard and parallel streets of this small touristic town, you can find small shops, bars, and restaurants. For more culture and history, the neighboring town of Dorgali is also worth the visit.
Photo: "File:Grotte del bue marino dorgali o.jpg" by delaere is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 5 - Porto Ottiolu
Your fifth day's route will give you several options to see some of the beautiful beach areas around Orosei, Cala Liberetto, Berchida, Capo Comino, Spiaggia di Su Tiriarzu, and Budoni.
The day ends at the port of Ottiolu. This town has a well-equipped tourist port and its small boulevard and main square provide services, bars, restaurants, and commercial shops.
Photo: "Boats in the Gulf of Orosei" by heatheronhertravels is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 6 - Porto Rotondo
Only a few kilometers separate you today from Costa Smeralda's beautiful rock landscapes and blue ocean as you set sail to leave the Gulf of Orosei.
There are plenty of decent shelters for all winds throughout this stretch of water, including exceptional anchorages like Cala Brandinchi and Capo Coda Cavallo, where you can stop for lunch and a swim before reaching the Tavolara.
Tavolara is a gorgeous and striking island, with vibrant hues in its marine protected area. You can land at Tavolara's single landing spot on the southern side of the island.
As you continue to set sail for Porto Rotondo, you can have some nice stops at Cala Moresca and Cala Sabina. Porto Rotondo is a popular tourist port town that has nice restaurants, bars, and shops. But it is also renowned for its lively nightlife in the summer period.
Photo: "Cala Moresca e Cimitero Inglese (Sardegna)" by gianfranco.vitolo is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 7 - Palau
The last day makes you enjoy Costa Smeralda to the fullest. There are so many beautiful spots to visit in this archipelago that it is hard to choose just a few spots to stop at.
One of the options is the island of Mortorio with its Cala di Ponente. Other nice stops are Capriccioli, Golfo Pevero and Porto Cervo. A visit to the island of Caprera is also worth a visit.
As you are approaching the nice town and the final destination of Palau, you can also sail by the Orso rock (Roccia dell’Orso). Palau will be a great place for your last evening as the town has some excellent restaurants, and especially in summers a lively nightlife.
Photo: "SARDEGNA (Roccia dell'Orso - Palau)" by musiogiovanni is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
