Yacht Charter Costa Smeralda — Porto Cervo, Cala di Volpe, La Maddalena

Sardinia's north-east coast is the most discreet superyacht week in the Mediterranean. The Aga Khan's consortium built Porto Cervo in the 1960s to be deliberately quieter than the Riviera; sixty years later it still is. The granite headlands, the Sardinian-white sand at Cala di Volpe and Liscia di Vacca, the wind-shadow anchorages of the Maddalena archipelago — the Costa Smeralda is the week the office sends clients who have already done the Riviera and the Greek islands.

Porto Cervo — the only Mediterranean harbour built for this

The Porto Cervo Marina takes hulls up to 100m on the outer quay; the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda berth alongside the YCCS clubhouse is the photographed corner. The town above the marina is a single development — Hotel Cala di Volpe, Hotel Romazzino, Hotel Pitrizza, the YCCS, Le Boutique della Piazzetta — designed by Jacques Couëlle to feel like a local village. It is not. It is the most curated marina town in Europe.

Berths for August are contracted twelve months ahead through the marina office and a small network of yacht agents. The office secures these as part of the charter agreement, not separately.

The anchorages — Cala di Volpe, Liscia di Vacca, Capriccioli

• Cala di Volpe — the deep bay south of Porto Cervo, anchor in 5–8m on sand, lunch at Hotel Cala di Volpe's beach club
• Liscia di Vacca — the bay north of Porto Cervo, sheltered from the Mistral, sand bottom
• Capriccioli — south coast of the headland, twin beaches separated by a granite spur, classic Smeralda postcard
• Romazzino — anchor under Hotel Romazzino, swim platform to the beach
• Cala Granu — Porto Cervo's inner cala, sheltered overnight option in westerlies

The La Maddalena archipelago — the protected week

La Maddalena is a national park: seven granite islands (Maddalena, Caprera, Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, Santo Stefano, Razzoli) with regulated anchorage. Each anchorage has a permit and a sand-bottom-only mooring rule; the Posidonia restrictions are the strictest in the Mediterranean. Yachts above approximately 24m require the captain to register a daily route the night before with the park authority.

• Cala Corsara (Spargi) — turquoise water over white sand, anchor restricted
• Spiaggia Rosa (Budelli) — the pink-sand beach, beach itself is no-step but swimming offshore is allowed
• Cala Lunga (Razzoli) — narrow granite cala, sheltered from all wind directions
• Cala Coticcio (Caprera) — the "Tahiti of Sardinia," restricted access from land

The Bocche di Bonifacio — the crossing to Corsica

The strait between northern Sardinia and southern Corsica is eight miles wide and full of granite stacks (Lavezzi archipelago). On a settled day, the office runs the crossing mid-morning, anchors at Cala di Greco or Cavallo Island for lunch, and continues to Bonifacio for an overnight in the calanque under the cliffs. Bonifacio town is the most dramatic harbour entry in the Mediterranean — the boat motors into the cliffs and the citadel sits 60m vertically above the water.

The week as the office books it

• Sat — embark Olbia (Marina di Olbia or Marina Cala dei Sardi), short run to Porto Cervo, overnight at YCCS
• Sun — lunch at Hotel Cala di Volpe beach club, sundown at Liscia di Vacca
• Mon — Porto Cervo morning ashore, afternoon Capriccioli and Romazzino, dinner at Phi Beach
• Tue — northbound to La Maddalena, anchor Cala Corsara (Spargi), lunch aboard
• Wed — La Maddalena continued — Budelli, Razzoli, Cala Lunga overnight
• Thu — Bocche di Bonifacio crossing, Cala di Greco lunch, Bonifacio overnight in the calanque
• Fri — Bonifacio morning, back to La Maddalena, sundown at Cala Granu
• Sat — disembark Porto Cervo or Olbia

The seasonal window

Late May through June: cooler water (19–22°C), Mistral risk (the northwesterly wind that pushes down from the Gulf of Lion), the green hills of inland Sardinia still flowering. July: settled summer, busy. August: the photographed weeks — the YCCS Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup runs in early September and spills the busy season backward into late August. September is the office's favourite — warm water, quieter anchorages, the harvest in the Gallura vineyards inland.

Aviation in and out

Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB / LIEO) handles jets to G650 on the published slot system. Slots fill weeks ahead in August; the office holds priority contacts with the FBO. Helicopter transfer from Olbia to Porto Cervo Heliport takes nine minutes; by car it's thirty-five minutes.

Discretion notes

Costa Smeralda is the discreet alternative to the Riviera. Photographers are present at the YCCS quay during the regatta weeks; off-season the marina is empty enough to walk freely. The hotels (Cala di Volpe, Romazzino, Pitrizza) operate tighter privacy than equivalent Riviera hotels — staff are trained not to photograph and the lobbies don't carry public traffic.