South cOast of Sardinia
7 days Itinerary
The South coast of Sardinia offers many opportunities to enjoy the beautiful sea and beaches. But also to experience the Sardinian culture, cuisine, and history.
This itinerary is a bit more difficult due to the absence of wind cover in the first and second quadrants. The wind thermals are from the south-east and there are often special wind conditions, so-called tramontane and gregale.
The starting point for this fantastic sailing trip will be Villasimius. Get ready for some lengthy cruises with stops at some of the island's most stunning beaches or cultural take-in on land.
Day 0 - Villasimius
Once arrived at the airport in Cagliari, you can either go directly to Villasimius. Or take a tour around the island’s capital, Cagliari.
This thousands old city is built on a hill and thus provides some amazing panoramic views. The best view is from the Castello walls. This is also an area that is one of the locals’ favorite hang-out squares with several bars and restaurants.
Villasimius is a great place to start your sailing journey. This area of the island provides many great leisure, culinary and culture options.
Photo: ""Villasimius" by Andrepax is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 1 - Bay of Villasimius
For the first day the sailing will take place on the southern east coastline of Sardinia by first surpassing the Capo Carbonara. On the western part of this promontory you have the old ruins of a stronghold, Punta Santo Stefano.
In front of the cape you have the island of Cavoli with its fire tower. As you sail at the east side of the cape, you enter in another bay with the beautiful beach of Porto Giunco. As you continue up North, the small sand beach inlet of Punta Molentis is also worth a visit.
As you continue sailing North, you will have on your right side the protected island of Serpentera. Cala Sa Calazziga is a beautiful place to anchor. This place has a small beach that is only accessible via water. The suggested evening stop is to go back again to the Marina di Villasimius.
Photo: "Aerial view of the lake Stagno di Notteri with Marina di Villasimius in the background, Sardinia, Italy" by dronepicr is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 2 - Gulf of Quartu
After leaving Villasimius you can set sail for a stop at Solinas. This town is between two promontories and has nice white sand beach.
The next stop is Torre delle Stelle. This is one of the popular vacation spots for Cagliari residents. It has two lovely fine white sand beaches, Genn’e Mari and Cann’e Sisa. The town offers many places for excellent lunches.
For the afternoon the first suggested stop is Mari Pintau. This lovely picturesque cove has a sandy bottom, clean water, and a dazzling array of colors that seem painted on the horizon ("pintau" in Sardinian).
As you sail further you head to the evening stop location of Cagliari after surpassing the promontory of Stella del Diavolo. This promontory dominates the view at the 8-km streched beach of Cagliari, Poetto.
Cagliari offers many excellent restaurants that offer traditional dishes. The Castello is a great place to visit and enjoy the panoramic view on the city. After dinner, it is nice to take a stroll on the characteristic boulevard and enjoy a gelato from one of the local ice cream makers.
Another option is also to go with the frequently going busses to the local beach of Poetto and take a stroll along the Lungomare and enjoy the live music in its many characteristic bars.
Photo: "Torre Delle Stelle" by Andy Powell is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 3 - Bay of Pula
For the third day you will start the day with a long cruise towards Pula. Once arrived in the bay of Pula you can enjoy this unique place. This location is distinctive because of its white sand beaches, the naturally alive rocks, the majestic tower, and the remnants of past civilizations.
Due to the background of the neighboring Roman ruins, Nora Beach is one of Pula's most well-known beaches. The harbor is protected from the wind by rocks and a headland that has the magnificent Coltellazzo tower. The beach is excellent for soaking up the sun and swimming in the shallow, clean water when the north wind is strong. The sea's glistening blue hues beckon you to swim, dive, or fish under the surface. Due to its proximity to Nora's archaeological park, it has important historical significance. Between the ninth and eighth century BC, the Phoenicians built the ancient city. The Romans, however, largely erased the remnants of the Phoenicians and the Punics. The region sits at the base of Capo Pula, the historic harbor, and is protected from the wind by an isthmus that connects it to the mainland.
Pula provides in the Summer periods a lively nightlife with lots of excellent restaurants, ice creame places, outdoor terraces and open shops till late in the evening.
Photo: "roman ruins" by clurr is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 4 - Chia & Malfatano
For the fourth day we are heading to Tuelada. After a morning cruise you will have your first stop at Chia. Chia is well-known for its long beaches of fine sand and dunes. You will remember this location after your sailing trip. Its iconic, desolate sand dunes stand up against the sea's blue color and the patches of green juniper that cling to them. The southern coast's most intriguing and pristine section starts here. By going to Cala Morto and to the Su Giudeu island, one may anchor and take a dive.
Next stop worth the visit is the magnificent beach of Tueredda. Attention is required in this area and while navigating further passing by Malfatano due to the presence of shallow waters.
As you head to the final stop of the day in the Port of Tuelada, you can still stop at various smaller inlets and take a dive in the crystal blue waters. The town of Tuelada and the area provide many options for excellent typical Sardinian dishes.
Photo: "cala cipolla, baia di chia" by clurr is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 5 - Gulf of Tuelada & Porto Pino
As you leave the habor of Tuelada, the recommendation is to enjoy the morning in one of the many bays in the gulf of Tuelada. A visit to Cala Zafferano cannot be forgotten. Other recommended bays are Cala di S’Ortixeddu and Cala di Porto Scudo.
As you continue by surpassing the cape of Tuelada, you can have some nice stops at the beaches of Cala Aligusta and Cala Zafferaneddu. The evening will be ending at the bay of Porto Pino.
Porto Pino is a treasure of the Mediterranean, a stunning location that is extremely near to the perfection of nature, and an ecosystem in which the sea, dunes, flora, and lagoons coexist together. The white sand beach at Porto Pino's bay stretches for nearly 6 kilometers before finishing at some of Europe's biggest dunes.
Photo: "Dune di Porto Pino" by cristianocani is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 6 - Island of Sant’Antioco
For the sixth day the sailing journey will continue to the island of Sant’Antioco. Around this island there are some beautiful stops like the beach of Coaquaddus, the natural Arc formation of Is Praneddas, and the fire tower of Mangiabarche.
For the late afternoon and evening a final stop at the towns of Calasetta or Sant’Antioco can be considered. Both towns have some very good fish restaurants.
Photo: "lungo mare a sant'antioco" by 1la is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Day 7 - Island of San Pietro
For the last day you will be heading to the island next to Sant’Antioco; namely, San Pietro. For this day the suggestion is to circumnavigate this island and admiring some of the beautiful nature of this island.
Good spots to anchor are Cala Guidi, Capo Sandalo, La Mezzaluna, Cala Vinegra, Nasca and La Caletta.
As you head to your very last stop in the port of Carloforte. This town is for sure the visit to with its historic centre where you can enjoy some typical Carloforte tuna in one of the many restaurants.
Photo: "Carloforte, San Pietro, Sardinia" by Odd Wellies is licensed under CC BY 2.0.