This guide is for you if you are staying in Olbia or on the Costa Smeralda and want to see the north-east corner of Sardinia in one day: Porto Cervo, a beach on the coast, San Pantaleo, Palau and Capo Testa. It covers what to decide before you book: the month, whether to add a boat to the islands, the beach rules, what to wear on the granite, and who the day suits.
When to go
July and August are the busiest months on this coast, on the roads and on the beaches. June and September are calmer and still warm enough to swim. If you can choose, those two months give you the same coves with more room on the sand.
In high summer the early start helps. You are in Porto Cervo at about quarter to eight and on the beach by nine, and you head up into the hills at San Pantaleo for lunch.
Wind is the other thing to think about, and the day has an answer to it at the end. At Capo Testa, the strip of land that joins the headland to the coast has a beach on each side, Rena di Levante and Rena di Ponente. When the wind hits one, the other is usually sheltered.
How the day fits together
Eight hours, from 07:00 at your hotel. The first half is the Costa Smeralda proper: Porto Cervo, then a cove such as Capriccioli, where the time is long enough for a real swim. San Pantaleo, the granite village in the hills behind the coast, is the lunch stop. Lunch is not included, and nor are beach services or boat trips.
The afternoon goes north. Palau comes first, with the Bear Rock above it. Then Capo Testa, at the very top of the island, with Corsica across the water. Capo Testa is about 67 kilometres from Olbia by road, roughly an hour and a quarter, so if you want longer there, tell your driver and shorten something earlier.
Because the vehicle is yours, the order and the time at each stop can change on the day. If the beach is the point of the day for you, stay longer and drop a stop.
The stops worth knowing about in advance
The Bear Rock at Palau
The rock stands on a granite headland at Capo d'Orso, about five kilometres from Palau, at over 120 metres. A path of about half a kilometre leads up to it from the old fort at Capo d'Orso, on a gentle slope that takes around ten minutes. From the top you look over the La Maddalena archipelago, towards the islands of Santo Stefano, Spargi and Budelli. The Greek geographer Ptolemy recorded the place in the second century, and wrote that it drew ships towards it like a magnet.
Capo Testa and the Valle della Luna
Capo Testa faces the strait between Sardinia and Corsica, the Bocche di Bonifacio, and a lighthouse on the headland still works for ships in the strait. On its western side is the Valle della Luna, a valley of wind-carved granite running down to the sea at Cala Grande. A community settled in its caves from the late 1960s and left carvings and paintings on the rocks. Entry is free, but the main path down to Cala Grande is narrow and winding, about 700 metres, and the paths in the valley are not marked. Go in trainers or walking shoes, not sandals.
Adding a boat to La Maddalena
Boats to the Maddalena archipelago leave from Palau. If the islands matter more to you than the rest of the route, we can build the day around a boat trip, with the drive before and after. Ask us when you book; the boat itself is not included.
Know one thing before you pick a boat. The Spiaggia Rosa on Budelli, the beach with pink sand, has been protected since 1998. Landing and walking on it are not allowed, and you see it from the sea only. Boat trips stop near it and usually put you ashore for a swim on neighbouring islands such as Spargi and Santa Maria.
Your own car, or a driver
This is a day for a car. The stops are spread along the coast and up into the hills, and you can drive them yourself if you hire one. On public transport, linking a cove on the Costa Smeralda, San Pantaleo and Capo Testa in one day would be hard.
What a driver changes is the parking and the planning. In summer you are looking for a space at every beach and in every village, and the person at the wheel does not get the swim. On the private day, fuel, tolls and parking are included, nobody in your group has to drive, and the route moves with the wind and the crowds. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to book and what to bring
- A swimsuit and a towel. The day is built so you can stop at a beach and actually use it.
- Shoes with grip for the granite at Capo Testa and the path to the Bear Rock.
- Sun protection and water, especially from June to September.
- A card or some cash for lunch, sunbeds and parasols if you want them, and any boat trip.
And one thing to leave behind: the sand. Sardinian regional law bans taking sand, pebbles, stones or shells from the beaches, even in small quantities, and fines people who do. Customs officers at the port of Olbia have seized it from departing passengers.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits couples and families staying on this coast who want a day that mixes the sea with the places behind it, and anyone arriving by air or ferry who wants to see the north-east before settling in. We collect from Olbia airport and the port; message us with your flight or ferry.
- Someone finds rough paths hard. Porto Cervo, the beach and San Pantaleo are easy. The Valle della Luna is not, and you can leave it out and stay with the view.
- You are staying in Cagliari. Capo Testa is about four hours' drive from Cagliari. Our Cagliari and South Sardinia tour starts from your door instead, and our guide to private tours in Sardinia compares the two.
- You are more than 16. Two vehicles travel together on one booking.
Questions people ask
Can we see more of the island?
Yes. Ask us about the Gallura hills inland.
What if we change our plans?
Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. See our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Choose the month with the crowds in mind, decide whether you want a boat, and pack for a swim and a scramble. The stops, the times and what is included are on the Costa Smeralda and Gallura private day tour page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
