Sardinia and Corsica across the Strait of Bonifacio
8 days · 95 nm · starts in Portisco · Italy
Olbia → Marina di Portisco
Fly into Olbia and transfer to Marina di Portisco, where you take over the yacht. The marina itself has a small shop and restaurants, but the main provisioning is easier at a big supermarket on the way from the airport. In the evening, a calm handover, dinner and preparation for the first leg.
Portisco → La Maddalena
The main town of the archipelago of the same name. A good place simply to walk among the old Mediterranean streets, sit in small cafés, eat pizza and switch from airport mode to island mode. Neighbouring Caprera is tied to Garibaldi: he lived here from 1856 until his death, and his house is now a museum.
La Maddalena → Spargi → Santa Teresa Gallura
A passage through the most beautiful part of the archipelago. Spargi and its granite coves make the best swimming stop of the day, and from there you carry on to Santa Teresa Gallura at the very north of Sardinia. In the evening it is worth getting out to an agriturismo, a real Sardinian farm: cheeses, pasta, local wine and the famous porceddu, roast suckling pig. After a dinner like that, go back to the yacht with no ambitions of athletic achievement.
Santa Teresa → Bonifacio
This crossing is largely what the whole route is for. Cross the Strait of Bonifacio and enter an extraordinary natural harbour with the old town hanging above it on limestone cliffs. Arrive early — the marina is in great demand — then give the whole day to the stairways, the ramparts, the little streets, fish and Corsican cooking.
Bonifacio → Cavallo
Île de Cavallo is a small private island in the strait. There are almost no cars; people get about on foot, by bicycle and in electric golf carts, amid granite, gin-clear water and small beaches. The approach needs careful navigation among rocks and shallows: this is exactly where you forget the pretty photos and look at the chart.
Cavallo → Budelli
Back into Italian waters and into the heart of the park. Remember: off the famous Spiaggia Rosa, swimming, transit, anchoring and mooring are all prohibited, and you may not set foot on the Pink Beach itself — it can only be viewed from the marked path. Spend the night on an authorised buoy off Santa Maria or Razzoli, in water whose colour looks edited in photographs.
Budelli → Poltu Quatu
Out of the archipelago and on along the Costa Smeralda. Poltu Quatu is a marina in a narrow fjord between cliffs next to Porto Cervo: dearer than the average for this route, but sheltered from any wind and ten minutes' walk from the coast's main shop window. The final dinner is easiest here.
Poltu Quatu → Portisco
A short last leg along the shore. Refuelling, handover and the flight home from Olbia.
A week between two countries and one strait: start in Sardinia, cross to Corsica through the La Maddalena archipelago and come back along the Costa Smeralda. In seven nights — Italy, France, a Sardinian farm, a medieval town on a cliff and several islands, though most of the time you never leave the cockpit. A loop of about 95 nm with short legs of 8–22 nm; the main day is the crossing of the Strait of Bonifacio.
Practicalities
- The Strait of Bonifacio is the windiest place on the route: the mistral and the libeccio funnel through it at 25–30 knots with a short, steep sea. Plan the crossing to Corsica and back for the morning and only on a good forecast; in bad weather the Corsican part is replaced by two more days in the archipelago.
- Corsica is France: both countries are in Schengen and there are no border formalities, but the fleet must allow the boat to leave Italian waters — check at booking, some companies charge extra for it or restrict the cruising area.
- The La Maddalena archipelago is a national park: transit and mooring are paid, the permit is arranged online or through the base, some bays are closed to anchoring, and at Budelli's Pink Beach everything is prohibited, including transit. Check the route through the archipelago against the current park zone map.
- Berths: Bonifacio, Cavallo and Poltu Quatu are marinas — in season berths are booked ahead and a night is expensive. Budget for berths separately from the boat; the Costa Smeralda is most expensive in August.
When to go and what it costs
Italy is dearer than its neighbours in summer and noticeably cheaper in spring: a median €202 per person per week in spring against €462 in summer. If your dates are flexible, May and early June give the best balance — and booked 2–3 months ahead, a spring week comes out at about €173 per person.
RYC Rentals data, 2,062 offers from 2024–2026, as of 13 Aug 2026 · full breakdown →