Nowhere in the western Mediterranean has water like northeast Sardinia. The granite of the Maddalena archipelago filters the sea into colours that look retouched, and the Costa Smeralda parks world class glamour right next to national park silence. A boat is the only way to have both in one day.
The Maddalena archipelago
Seven main islands, most of them park protected and uninhabited, an hour from Porto Cervo. Spargi's Cala Corsara, Budelli near the famous pink beach, and the Porto della Madonna lagoon between Budelli and Razzoli, where boats seem to float on air. Park rules protect the water and your captain carries the permits; the payoff is anchorages that have not changed in fifty years.
The Costa Smeralda itself
Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo are the harbours, but the coast between them is the point: Cala di Volpe, Liscia Ruja and the Mortorio islands, sand bottomed bays that go full Caribbean by ten in the morning. Lunch ashore at the famous hotels is bookable when you charter; lunch at anchor beats it more often than the prices suggest.
North to the strait
On settled days the run through the Bonifacio strait puts Corsica's white cliffs in view, and Lavezzi's boulder lagoons sit mid channel. It is one of the great short crossings in the Med, and it turns a day charter into a small expedition.
The practical frame
Day boats in the Sardinian fleet start around 1,000 euros as of summer 2026 with the larger crewed boats well above; weekly yachts position here all season, commonly pairing Sardinia with Corsica. The mistral is the wind to respect; captains route east of the islands when it blows. Live rates on the Sardinia page. July and August are peak everything; late June and September are the connoisseur's window with the water at its warmest.