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5 minutes to book. Best day of our entire trip. Everything felt effortless from pickup to sunset.
Port guide
Portisco — at a glance
225 boats are available to book in Portisco from 2 bases; the largest are Marina di Portisco (123), Cala dei Sardi (102). The fleet is 127 sailing boats, 90 catamarans, 7 motor boats and 1 motor yacht. The most common models are Lagoon 42 (15), Lagoon 46 (13), Oceanis 46.1 (8), Oceanis 40.1 (7), Dufour 470 (6) — 96 models in all. Built 1998–2027, 9.5–23.8 m long, 1–7 cabins, up to 16 guests. Day rates start from €122; the typical boat here is around €542 per day, and every price on this page is the boat’s own listed rate before extras.
Portisco is the charter port of the Costa Smeralda: Marina di Portisco and Cala dei Sardi share the Cugnana gulf twenty minutes from Olbia airport, with the largest charter fleet in Italy between them. The cruising ground is the finest in the country — the La Maddalena archipelago an hour or two to the north, Corsica’s Bonifacio across the strait, Tavolara to the south — with the clearest water in the western Mediterranean and the dearest berths in it.
The season runs May to October; mid-July to the end of August is Costa Smeralda high season, when Porto Cervo fills and the La Maddalena buoy fields are booked days ahead. June and September have the same water at half the price.
Charter bases in Portisco
- Marina di Portisco 123 boats
- Cala dei Sardi 102 boats
Getting there
By air. Olbia Airport (OLB) is about 20 km from Portisco — 20–25 minutes by taxi or transfer, with direct flights from across Europe all summer. By ferry. Ferries from Livorno, Genoa, Civitavecchia and Piombino land at Olbia or Golfo Aranci, 20–30 minutes from the marinas. By road. From Olbia on the Porto Cervo road; paid parking inside the marinas for the week.
Portisco before you cast off
Porto Cervo, the Aga Khan’s 1960s resort village, is 15 minutes by road for the day before departure; Olbia’s old town and the Romanesque basilica of San Simplicio are 20 minutes the other way. The La Maddalena park is best seen from the boat, but the town of La Maddalena and Garibaldi’s house on Caprera are worth a stop in the week.
Supermarkets are in Portisco village and on the Olbia road; the marinas have mini-markets, chandlers, restaurants and fuel docks. Olbia’s market for fresh fish and vegetables.
A week from Portisco
Saturday — Portisco → Porto Cervo or Cala di Volpe (8 nm). North along the Costa Smeralda for a first night at anchor in Cala di Volpe or on the quay at Porto Cervo.
Sunday — Porto Cervo → La Maddalena, Cala Gavetta (12 nm). Into the archipelago (a park permit is bought online for the boat) and the town quay of La Maddalena.
Monday — La Maddalena → Spargi / Budelli (6 nm). The islands of the park: Cala Corsara on Spargi, the pink beach of Budelli seen from the water, Santa Maria for the night.
Tuesday — Santa Maria → Bonifacio, Corsica (12 nm). Across the strait to Bonifacio’s harbour inside the limestone cliffs; a customs formality but no visa.
Wednesday — Bonifacio → Lavezzi → Caprera (14 nm). The Lavezzi islands for a swim, then back into the park to the anchorages of Caprera.
Thursday — Caprera → Tavolara (20 nm). South past Olbia to the anchorage under Tavolara’s cliffs.
Friday — Tavolara → Portisco (10 nm). A short leg back to the marina; refuel on the way in.
Types of boats in Portisco
- Sailing boats 127 boats · from €122 per day
- Catamarans 90 boats · from €349 per day
- Motor boats 7 boats · from €480 per day
- Motor yachts 1 boat · from €2,274 per day
Ports near Portisco
Porto Rotondo (24 boats · 1 km) · Golfo Aranci (28 boats · 8 km) · Cannigione (70 boats · 11 km) · Poltu Quatu (5 boats · 12 km) · Porto Cervo (3 boats · 12 km) · Porto Pollo (4 boats · 24 km) · San Teodoro (3 boats · 31 km) · Cagliari (36 boats · 206 km) · All boats in Italy
Portisco · prices
What a charter in Portisco actually costs
Adriavela lists 225 boats leaving from Portisco. What separates one price from another is the type of boat, its size, and the base it leaves from — not the month you go.
The average week is €5,408 and the cheapest boat on the list is €860. Figures are list prices for a 7-night bareboat charter, refreshed nightly; the exact total for your dates is confirmed on the boat’s own page before you book.
| Boat type | Boats | Guests | From | Average | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sailing boat 9.5–18.5 m · 4 cabins · built 2019 | Boats127 | Guests4–13 | From€860 | Average€3,153 | |
| Catamaran & trimaran 11.3–23.8 m · 4 cabins · built 2023 | Boats90 | Guests6–16 | From€2,447 | Average€8,551 | |
| Motor boat 9.5–14.3 m · 1 cabins · built 2023 | Boats7 | Guests2–4 | From€3,360 | Average€10,116 | |
| Motor yacht 23–23 m · 3 cabins · built 1998 | Boats1 | Guests7–7 | From€15,920 | Average€15,920 |
| Charter length | Available for a trip type | Share of fleet |
|---|---|---|
| One day | Available for a trip type 13 | Share of fleet6% |
| Two days | Available for a trip type 25 | Share of fleet11% |
| Three days | Available for a trip type 38 | Share of fleet17% |
| Four days | Available for a trip type 39 | Share of fleet17% |
| One week | Available for a trip type 225 | Share of fleet100% |
Short charters are priced per boat and date rather than by the week, so no range is quoted here. Pick your days on a boat’s page and the rate comes back live.
| Budget / week | Boats | Sleeps | Typical size | Mostly | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under €1,500 | Boats14 7% | Sleeps6 | Typical size11 m | Mostly14 sailing boats | |
| €1,500 – €3,000 | Boats41 20% | Sleeps8 | Typical size13 m | Mostly38 sailing boats, 3 catamaran & trimarans | |
| €3,000 – €6,000 | Boats101 50% | Sleeps10 | Typical size13 m | Mostly66 sailing boats, 33 catamaran & trimarans, 2 motor boats | |
| €6,000 – €12,000 | Boats33 16% | Sleeps10 | Typical size14 m | Mostly29 catamaran & trimarans, 3 sailing boats, 1 motor boat | |
| Over €12,000 | Boats14 7% | Sleeps10 | Typical size17 m | Mostly11 catamaran & trimarans, 2 motor boats, 1 motor yacht |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a yacht charter in Portisco cost?
Day rates on the boats listed here start from €122 and the typical boat is around €542 per day; a week (7 nights) starts from €860. Prices are the boats’ own listed rates; fuel, marina fees on the route and local taxes are paid separately.
What kinds of boats can I charter in Portisco?
225 boats are available to book in Portisco: 127 sailing boats, 90 catamarans, 7 motor boats and 1 motor yacht. The most common models are Lagoon 42, Lagoon 46, Oceanis 46.1, Oceanis 40.1.
Which marinas do charters leave from in Portisco?
Charters in Portisco leave from 2 bases: Marina di Portisco (123 boats), Cala dei Sardi (102 boats).
Can I take a boat out for just one day?
Yes — 13 boats here accept a single-day booking, and 25 take two days. A day rate is quoted for the specific boat and date, so pick your day on the boat’s own page and the price comes back live.
What is not in the price?
The figure is for the boat. Transit log, tourist tax and the APA are mandatory, set per boat, and paid at the base. Skipper, hostess, extra equipment and other services are optional and also settled at the base.
Why do some boats show no price?
22 of the 225 boats in Portisco are on request — usually larger or crewed yachts, where the rate depends on the week and the crew. They are left out of every figure above.
How far is the airport from Portisco?
The nearest airport is Olbia Airport (OLB), about 15 km away as the crow flies; Figari Sud-Corse Airport (FSC) is about 65 km. Transfer times by road are longer; most charter companies arrange a transfer to the base on request.
Do I need a licence to charter bareboat in Italy?
For a sailing yacht or any boat with a larger engine, yes: a recognised skipper’s licence is checked at handover. Small motorboats with engines under 40 hp can be hired without one. Without a licence, a skipper is booked as an extra on the boat page.
What day do charters start?
Weekly charters run Saturday to Saturday: handover in the late afternoon and return to the base the evening before check-out at 9:00. Day charters start in the morning from the same pontoons.
Do we need a permit for the La Maddalena archipelago?
Yes. The national park charges a daily or weekly fee per boat, bought online before entering; anchoring is restricted to sand patches and buoys to protect the seagrass, and rangers check.
Can we sail to Corsica from Portisco?
Bonifacio is about 12 nm across the strait from the archipelago; most charter companies allow it within the week, with a customs formality on arrival. Check the boat page or ask before booking.
Read next
- Italy guide: when to go, where to sail, what a charter costs
- Yacht Charter in Sicily: Sailing the Aeolian Islands
- Amalfi Coast by Boat: Capri, Positano and the Bay of Naples
- Yacht Charter in Sardinia: La Maddalena, the Costa Smeralda and Beyond
- Yacht Charter in Italy: Costs, Bases and the Routes Worth Sailing