Porto Cervo
A village the Aga Khan drew in the 1960s on the granite of Gallura, a marina of seven hundred berths below its church, and the beaches of the Costa Smeralda half an hour from Olbia.
- Arrival
- Olbia Costa Smeralda · OLB
- To the village
- About 35 minutes by car
- Private jets
- Eccelsa private terminal at Olbia
- Best time
- May to October
The city
The Piazzetta, the marina and the coves.
Porto Cervo began in the 1960s, when Prince Karim Aga Khan bought this stretch of the Sardinian coast and asked the set designer Jacques Couelle to build a village for it. The result climbs from the old harbour to a raised Piazzetta of lanes, balconies and boutiques, with the church of Stella Maris above. The newer marina, built from the 1980s, holds seven hundred boats, and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda runs its regattas from here.
The season is long. From May to October the days reach 21 to 29 °C, and July has almost no rain at all. Cala di Volpe and Liscia Ruja lie to the south, with the small islands of Mortorio and Soffi offshore for a day on the boat.
Arriving
Olbia, thirty kilometres away.
Olbia Costa Smeralda serves both kinds of arrival, with a separate terminal for private aviation. Porto Cervo is thirty kilometres north by road.
- Barcelona 1 h 10
- Geneva 1 h 10
- Lagos 5 h 20
- Bahrain 5 h 35
- Cape Town 11 h 10 long-range jet
When to go
May to October.
Mediterranean, with long dry summers. From May to October the days reach 21 to 29 °C, and July averages just 5 mm of rain. The sea is warmest in August, at 25 °C.
- 14° J 53 14°
- 14° F 59 13°
- 15° M 56 14°
- 17° A 43 14°
- 21° M 29 17°
- 26° J 18 20°
- 28° J 5 23°
- 29° A 17 25°
- 26° S 31 23°
- 21° O 68 21°
- 17° N 64 18°
- 15° D 82 15°
What to see and do
Days in and around Porto Cervo.
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Landmark
Stella Maris
Michele Busiri Vici's church, looking down over the masts of the marina.
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Landmark
The marina
Seven hundred berths, a Blue Flag for years running, and the international regattas of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.
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Landmark
The beaches
Grande and Piccolo Pevero, Romazzino, the Principe and Capriccioli, all within a short drive of the port.
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Golf
Pevero Golf Club
Robert Trent Jones Snr laid out the 18 holes between the Gulf of Pevero and the bay of Cala di Volpe, and the course has been played since 1972.
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On the water
Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
More than sixty granite islands and islets make up Sardinia's first national park, among them Budelli with its pink beach, Spargi and Santa Maria.
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Culture
Compendio Garibaldino
Garibaldi began building the Casa Bianca on Caprera in 1856 and lived on the island until his death in 1882; the house and estate are now a state museum.
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Culture
Arzachena Archaeological Park
Eight prehistoric sites around Arzachena span the fifth to the second millennium BC, from the Nuraghe La Prisgiona to the giants' tombs of Coddu Vecchju and Li Lolghi.
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Food & wine
Vigne Surrau
Opened in 2000 near Arzachena, this Gallura winery pours its Vermentino and Cannonau at tastings with local produce and holds exhibitions of modern art.
Where to stay
On the beach and inland in Gallura.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel The original beach hotel of the Costa Smeralda, opened in 1965 and reopened by Belmond in 2024, with four hectares of gardens.
- Cascioni Eco Retreat Fifteen suites on a farm of almost twenty hectares, among some three thousand olive trees.
- Petra Segreta Resort & Spa An old Gallurese farmstead restored among granite boulders, home to the starred Il Fuoco Sacro.
Where to dine
Starred tables near the port.
From the MICHELIN Guide 2026, shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these restaurants.
- Italo Bassi Confusion Restaurant One Michelin star Creative €€€€ Promenade du Port, Porto Cervo
- Capogiro One Michelin star Modern €€€€ 7Pines Sardinia, Baia Sardinia
- Il Fuoco Sacro One Michelin star Mediterranean €€€€ Petra Segreta, San Pantaleo
Elsewhere in Italy
More reasons to come.
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Rome
The Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Vatican across the Tiber.
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Milan
The Last Supper, the roof of the Duomo, and the fashion weeks.
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Venice
Palazzi on the Grand Canal, and the islands of the lagoon.
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Florence
The Uffizi, the Duomo, and the Chianti hills to the south.
- San Marino (Republic) A republic of its own on Mount Titano, some forty minutes by road from Rimini airport.
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Como
Villas and gardens along the lake, an hour north of Milan.
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Amalfi
Positano, Ravello and the coast road, with Capri offshore.
- Taormina A hill town over the Ionian Sea, facing Etna.
Flying to Porto Cervo?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.