Sardinia has the clearest water in the Mediterranean and three quite separate cruising grounds on one island, and a week only fits one of them. The Maddalena archipelago in the north east, the Costa Smeralda beside it, and the western coast around Alghero and the Asinara are each a week in themselves, and the passage between north and south is two long days.
What a boat costs here
Read on 11 September 2026, Sailo lists 582 boats in reach of Sardinia at an average of 1,915 EUR a day, from 1,000 at the cheapest to 5,000 at the dearest, which is the deepest Italian fleet in this record after Sicily. Nautilus Yachting prices an Italian low season two to three cabin bareboat monohull at around 1,200 GBP a week, which is the country floor rather than a Sardinian one.
The Maddalena week
From Portisco or Cannigione, north into the archipelago: Caprera, Spargi, Budelli with the pink beach, Santa Maria, and across the Bonifacio strait to Corsica if the paperwork allows. Forty miles covers the lot and most of the week is spent moving between anchorages three miles apart. This is the best water on the island and it is inside a national park with a daily fee scaled to boat length, bought online before entry.
The western week
From Alghero, north to Porto Conte and the Capo Caccia cliffs, then up to Stintino and the Asinara, which is a national park and a former prison island with restricted landing. It is emptier, cheaper and more exposed than the north east, and the mistral reaches this coast, which the Maddalena side is largely sheltered from. A week here needs a forecast in a way a Maddalena week does not.
What the park costs and where the money goes
The Maddalena archipelago charges a daily fee by boat length and by whether you anchor or take a buoy, and the charter base will tell you to buy it online in advance. Beyond that, August berths on the Costa Smeralda are among the most expensive in the Mediterranean and Porto Cervo in particular runs to several hundred euros a night for a forty five foot boat, which is the real cost of a Sardinian August.
Questions people ask about sailing sardinia itineraries
How much is a boat in Sardinia?
Sailo lists 582 boats averaging 1,915 EUR a day, from 1,000 to 5,000, read on 11 September 2026. Nautilus prices an Italian low season bareboat monohull at around 1,200 GBP a week.
Which Sardinian itinerary is best?
The Maddalena archipelago from Portisco or Cannigione: forty miles, anchorages three miles apart and the clearest water in the Mediterranean. The western coast from Alghero is emptier, cheaper and more exposed.
Is there a park fee?
Yes. The Maddalena archipelago charges daily by boat length and by whether you anchor or take a buoy, bought online before entry. The Asinara in the north west is also a park with restricted landing.