Sardinia Sailing Holidays: 7 unbelievably Good Tips

Plan the perfect Sardinia sailing holidays with helpful tips on the best routes, costs, timing, and charter options this season.

I can even tell you the exact moment I became hooked on sailing in Sardinia. I was on the deck of a hired yacht just outside La Maddalena, coffee cooling in my hand, watching the water turn from navy blue to pale blue to what I knew was rightfully someone else’s photoshopped blue. ‘Does this even look real to you?’ My mate said. He wasn‘t wrong we are now 3 sailing holidays in and I still have to do a double take at that water.

If you‘re reading this, you‘re probably somewhere between “I think I‘m interested in doing this” and “wait, seriously, how do I book a sailing holiday for Sardinia without losing half a finger?”I’m here to share what I’ve learned from making all the mistakes myself, so you don’t have to.. This comprehensive guide to Family Sailing Holidays: Complete Travel Guide explains everything: the options of trips, when to go, how much it‘s going to cost, the skill level required, and the routes that your friends will be green with envy over your Instagram feed.

Why Sardinia?

Since we knew that Sardinia has previously been a subject to ethnographic and anthropological research, it seemed appropriate to do a comparative analysis between this island and other European regions of research. Moreover, the intense studies conducted on the local culture could be used as a benchmark for the constructed data by parallel analysis.

Sailing in the Mediterranean there are plenty of options. Greece offers the whitewashed villages, Croatia provides the islands piled one on top of the other in domino fashion but Sardinia has something different. Something a little less “Post Card” and more “Hidden Twin to one side”.

The island is in the Goldilocks zone too far away from the Italian and French mainland to be a day trip, but not so far that whole bulges of the coast stretch have been knocked brown and deserted. The granite cliffs of the north give way to the bluest waters I have ever swum through, and the wind (more to come) is actually good sailing conditions, not just bearable.

Picture this: Greece is the standard starter everyone orders in the restaurant, Sardinia is the special meal the regulars keep asking for in a hushed tone. Same venue, different atmosphere. How can you blame Sardinia sailing holidays for being so attractive to anyone bored of the Mediterranean script?

The Variety of Sardinia Sailing Holidays

This is where most people go wrong, so this is where we need to clarify. There isn‘t one pure way to “do” a sailing holiday. There are actually four and the one you choose will ultimately define your sailing experience.

1. Skippered Charter

You rent the boat, but you also hire a professional captain to sail the boat. Now you can lay back, swim, eat, and fake that you know what a jib is, while someone else actually does the sailing.

Most suitable for: Learners, families, groups who want the experience without the hassle, or people who like me, on my first trip just don‘t quite get the concept of winds and want to stay dry.

2. Bareboat Charter

No skipper. You (or a member of your group) already possess an appropriate sailing qualification and have sole charge of the craft.

Ideal for: seasoned sailors craving complete independence, no predetermined route, no schedules of others, only you and the vessel deciding daily where to set sail, depending on the wind and your desires.

3. Flotilla Holiday

A convoy of boats travels in convoy along a prearranged course often with a leading boat and chase boats available should anything go wrong.

Best for: more advanced sailors who want the freedom of having no boats around, but would still like the back-up (and social aspect) of other boats close by. Sort of like traveling in a convoy except everyone is in a yacht.

4. Cabin Charter

Instead of booking the entire yacht, you can also book just a cabin, and by doing so, share a much bigger yacht with other intrepid travelers.

Ideal: solo travelers or couples looking to save money, but not sacrifice the sailing experience.

Quick comparison:

Type	Experience Needed	Group Size	Cost Level	Freedom Level
Skippered	None	Any	Medium-High	Medium
Bareboat	Sailing license	Any	Medium	High
Flotilla	A bit of experienceSome experience.	Groups	Medium	Medium-High
Cabin	None	Solo/couples	Low-Medium	Low

On my first trip, I went skippered. I am glad I did. There is a certain bit of humility in understanding that you can‘t, after all, moor a 40-foot yacht in a crosswind on your first attempt.

When to Go: Timing Your Sardinia Sailing Holiday

Islands have a sailing season that goes from mid-May to mid-October, but not all of those months are the same, and it‘s truly worth scheduling around that instead of just choosing the week you‘re off work.

Personally I think the best two months are May and June. The weather is warm, steady sailing wind without being aggressive, and most importantly you‘re not sharing every mooring with 40 other boats. The prices are also definitely more reasonable before the peak summer onslaught.

July and August, for a reason: hot, very reliably sunny, the water is at its warmest for swimming. However you will pay extra, the marinas will be busy and the popular islands such as the Maddalena archipelago, will have a certain ‘all you can eat’ quality about them. If you do choose to visit during these months, book several months early.

September is the sleeper choice. The hubs decrease and the water is still warm from summer, and the evenings have some kind of Golden hour glow to them that every sunset feels framed and waiting to be entered in some contest. I know many experienced racers who swear by September, and having done it myself I believe them.

October could still be an option, particularly at the start of this month, but the wind can be a lot more variable and some of the operators are beginning to finish for the year.

Another detail to be aware of. Sardinia receives the effects of the Mistral and Scirocco winds and these can give rise to more powerful gusts especially in the Strait of Bonifacio between Sardinia and Corsica. This is one of the most boisterous areas of the Mediterranean Waters – great if you are experienced, off putting if you are not. This is the sort of detail that an easily forgotten charter will take care of so you need not worry.

Is prior sailing experience necessary?

Short answer: no it doesn‘t, but in the context of your question, it really does depend on what kind of holiday you pick.

If you go skippered or cabin charter on your own you need nothing. You could have never so much as seen a rope beforehand (sea side or land side) and you would still have the most awesome week. I was one of those people.

If you are thinking about bareboat or flotilla, you will normally require an accepted sailing qualification – typically an ICC or another national license of a similar standard, depending on boat size and the charter operator’s requirements. Some flotilla companies are slightly more flexible if you do have informal experience and can prove your skills, but it‘s best not to assume and always ask the operator beforehand.

Here‘s an analogy that convinced another of my friends: selecting a type of holiday sailing is analogous to selecting a time to explore an unfamiliar city. Traditionally every skippered charter is like having your own chauffeur who also happens to be a local guide your group takes in everything, and you can relax entirely, secure in the knowledge that you won‘t get lost. If you chose a bareboat, it would be like hiring a car, more freedom, more opportunities to go wrong (not that this isn‘t sometimes the best bit).

The Best Sailing Routes and Itineraries in Sardinia

This is actually my favorite part, so try to.

La Maddalena Archipelago

If you only indulge in one thing while in Sardinia, this is it. This group of granite islands just off of the north east coast has water so transparent, it plays tricks on your sense of how deep the ocean is… I swear I saw an anchor in three feet of water, only to discover that it was only six inches. (shorter than I am, I might add). The uninhabited islands of La Maddalena, especially off of Budelli with its infamous Pink Beach, now a protected area, and Spargi come close to feeling pristine.

Costa Smeralda

The “Emerald Coast” is more polished and already developed than the western gulf coast… strings of marinas now dot the coast where the mega-yacht owners have become serious yacht money. It ‘s stunning, but in a different way, swank rather than wild and natural… Definitely worth stopping in just to admire all the superyachts!

The Strait of Bonifacio

Between Sardinia and Corsica, beautiful green islands on either side, lies a stretch of rough water with dramatic limestone faces on the Corsican flank and a truly invigorating if on occasion white-knuckle sail when the wind blows.

The South Coast

Less congested? A bit more relaxed? Long sandy beaches rather than the granite theatrics you get up north? If you want a more peaceful trip, with fewer boats elbowing in on the same anchorage I think I‘d send you here.

A one-week charter would probably be something like; leave from Olbia or Porto Cervo, two or three days in La Maddalena archipelago, a day crossing over the Bonifacio Strait (if the wind allows), and then backtrack along the west coasts, popping into the smaller, less populated bays. But frankly, the true pleasure of sailing is that the ‘plan’ is an order of magnitude less rigid.

What‘s Typically Included

Be crystal clear about what your quote includes prior to booking anything, as this is the area where additional charges tend to occur.

Usually included:

The boat and the equipment.
Bedding/Towels (may not be provided make sure always)
Safety equipment Safety equipment has also been considered. First aid kits and fire extinguishers will be available on and around the project site. This is common practice and requirements for our samples. In case of an emergency, transport to the nearest hospital can be provided.
For a skipper if you‘ve booked skippered

Usually NOT included:

Fuel
Food and drinks (a few charters include a starter provision pack, most don‘t)
Marina/mooring fees at each stop.
Guidelines for the skipper/crew:
Other water activities (paddleboards, snorkel gear, etc., sometimes available for rent)

The second time I bit off a little more than I could chew and on the hook off a gorgeous and pricey looking marina, I totally underestimated the mooring costs and did some quick mental maths on my phone app. Additional costs as a percentage of headline rate? 15-20%.

How Much Will a Sardinia Sailing Holiday Cost?

Prices vary wildly depending on boat size, season, and charter type, but here‘s a rough framework:

Cabin charter: Around EUR600–EUR1,200 per person per week, with food and drinks on top in most cases
Skippered charter (under 20 m yacht, shared between 6-8 persons): around EUR1,000-2,500 per person for a week, varies according to season and boat level of luxury.
Bareboat charter: Often the cheapest per head if you have a full boat as you‘ll not be paying for a skipper but you will need the relevant sailing qualification.
Flotilla holiday: Like the bareboat price, but plus a flotilla fee for the lead crew and support.

July & August prices can be 30-50% more than shoulder-season (May, June, September) prices for the same boat and route. Bear this huge variation in mind when trying to plan a budget for your Sardinia sailing holiday!

Practical Tips From Someone Who‘s Learned the Hard Way

A few things I wish someone had told me before my first trip:

Bring minimal stuff, and bring soft travel bags. Hard-sided luggage is a pain to stow on board a boat. (I experienced this firsthand as I attempted to fit a hard-sided carry-on into a locker designed for soft-sided duffels)
Seasickness will creep up on you. Even the most seasoned sailor can succumb to the Mediterranean chop. Bring along tablets for motion sickness, you never know. It‘s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Book marinas or anchorages ahead in the high season. Once word gets around that you‘re arriving, popular places quickly become “full up”. The chances are that in July and August you‘ll find all the free spaces occupied by other people‘s boats.
Inquire about the age and condition of the boat, rather than just its size. A new, small boat can be a much more comfortable week than a large, old boat with a dodgy engine.
Watch out for the wind forecasts. Winds in Sardinia tend to change rapidly, particularly around the Bonifacio Strait. Your skipper (or you if you are bareboating) should be watching the forecast daily, not just one at the beginning of the holiday. Small habits like this distinguish a pleasant Sardinia sailing holiday from a stressful one.

Conclusion: Is a Sardinian Sailing Holiday Really Worth It?

I‘ll be honest. Having three trips under my belt I just can‘t imagine doing the “normal” beach holiday anymore. There is something about waking up on the water, choosing at will what bay you‘ll be cruising in on this day, and then watching the sun set behind granite cliffs every evening that a resort can‘t imitate.

Whether you come skippered (whether, like me, you have no idea from a bowline from a bow tie) or you‘re a sailor baffled to get behind the wheel yourself, Sardinia will repay the effort of proper planning. What type of charter is right for your experience? Determine the season that suits your priorities and plan on the necessary budget for extras.

And when you‘re standing on that deck, coffee in hand, and watching the water do this unfathomably turquoise thing believe me, I get it. If you‘ve been wavering, then take this as your reassurance: Sardinian Sailing Holidays are almost guaranteed to convert you into a sailing vacation junkie.