This route starts from Porto Cervo and works north into the Maddalena's shallow anchor fields before swinging back along the Costa Smeralda for a late-afternoon club stop. It suits a motor yacht or catamaran carrying tenders and a full toy rack, and it keeps the day loose enough to trade an hour of swimming for an hour on the beach club sunbeds, or the other way round.
Crew load paddleboards, snorkel gear and the tender before guests board, so the run north starts without delay. The crossing to the Maddalena is short enough that breakfast is often still being cleared when the first islands come into view.
One of the more reliable anchor fields in the archipelago for tender work — shallow, sheltered, and wide enough that swim platforms and toys can run at the same time without crowding. Most boats give this two hours before the wind builds.
Crew serve lunch on board while the yacht holds position within sight of Budelli's pink-sand shoreline; landing isn't permitted, so this is a viewing pass rather than a stop. It's a natural point to check the early-afternoon Maestrale forecast before deciding on the next leg.
On the return south, boats with a berth or tender-in arrangement can pull in near one of the clubs fronting the Costa Smeralda coast for a couple of hours off the water — sunbeds, a change of pace, and a shorter ride back to Porto Cervo afterward.
The yacht is back on berth or anchor by early evening, timed so guests can either stay aboard for a quieter dinner or step ashore to a waterfront trattoria in Porto Cervo. Crew debrief on the day's toy use before securing gear for the next charter.
Sardinia's charter grounds run from the granite coastline of Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo down through the Maddalena Archipelago's chain of islands, with longer runs possible toward Stintino's La Pelosa in the north-west or Cala Luna on the wild Supramonte coast to the south. Most guests choose between a full-day loop close to Porto Cervo or Palau and a multi-day route that strings two or three anchorages together, sleeping aboard rather than returning to a marina each night. Both formats work from the same fleet; what changes is the plan, not the boat's basic seaworthiness.
Fleet fit matters more here than in most cruising grounds, because the anchorages themselves vary — shallow, sheltered fields in the Maddalena suit a catamaran or mid-size motor yacht with a tender and swim platform, while a call near one of Costa Smeralda's coastal clubs is straightforward for most motor yachts with the right draft. Our range runs from compact day boats to superyachts such as the Oceanco The Wellesley (56m) or Feadship Emerald (50m), most carrying up to 12 guests, so a family day out and a ten-guest corporate booking are planned differently from the outset rather than fitted into one default itinerary.
Season shapes what's realistic on the water. June through September is peak: the Maddalena's anchor fields fill early, La Pelosa gets crowded from mid-morning, and Porto Cervo's marina — the busiest superyacht berth in the Mediterranean — needs booking well ahead, particularly around the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta in September. May and October trade some warmth for easier availability and fewer afternoon Maestrale blows, the north-west wind that can build quickly in the Sardinian Strait. None of this rules out a booking; it changes which anchorages and start times we recommend.
Pricing follows the same logic as the route: day rate, fuel and APA are quoted against the specific itinerary and vessel, not a flat seasonal figure, so a 30-nautical-mile Maddalena circuit from Porto Cervo carries a different fuel picture than a Bonifacio Strait crossing to Corsica with French customs clearance, or a 200-nautical-mile return run to Stintino. We set out guest capacity, sleeping capacity for multi-day charters, and what's included before confirming a date, and we handle late-notice requests where the calendar allows — useful in a region where marina space and toy availability can tighten fast in high season.