BOAT-COMPARATOR Guide

Boat rental in Olbia and the Costa Smeralda

Hire a boat in Olbia to explore the Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena archipelago: beaches, anchorages, national park, budgets and useful tips.

Olbia is the main gateway to north-east Sardinia, a stone's throw from the Costa Smeralda and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. Here wind-carved pink granite, white-sand beaches and turquoise seabeds make a setting hard to match. Hiring a boat is the only real way to reach the finest coves, most of them closed to the road or packed on the beach side. Every mile unfolds a new range of blues, from the turquoise of the shallows to the deep blue of the passes between the islands, and the pink granite glows warm at either end of the day, when the light is at its best.

From Olbia to the Costa Smeralda

From Olbia you head up toward Porto Cervo, the fashionable heart of the Costa Smeralda, by way of the Gulf of Cugnana and Porto Rotondo. The coves multiply: Cala di Volpe, Liscia Ruja, Capriccioli, where the water turns lagoon-coloured. Along the way, sheltered anchorages are plentiful for a first swim, and the sailing stays easy in settled weather, in the lee of the islets.

The Maddalena archipelago

Further north, the Maddalena archipelago national park lines up dream islands: the pink beach of Budelli, Spargi, Santa Maria, Caprera. The whole area is protected: access, anchoring and landing are regulated by zone, with a park entry ticket. You will find the full detail in our Sardinia, Costa Smeralda and Maddalena guide. Ask your operator which permits to arrange and which zones are open for the day.

Which boat, what budget

For a day of roaming, a day-cruiser (250 to 900 €/day) or a RIB (200 to 600 €/day) is enough to string coves together. To explore the Maddalena over several days, a catamaran (800 to 1,500 €/day or 3,000 to 8,000 €/week) offers stability and space at anchor. A skipper (150 to 350 €/day) knows the granite shallows. The same boat varies by 10 to 25 % between platforms: Boat-Comparator sets SamBoat, Click&Boat, GlobeSailor and Boataround against each other, service fees included.

The finest beaches

Some beaches give themselves up only to the sea: Cala Coticcio, nicknamed the Sardinian Tahiti, on Caprera island, or the milky waters of Spargi. At Budelli, the famous pink beach is off limits to protect its sand: you admire it from the water without landing. Respect the park markers and swimming zones, which protect some of the most fragile seabeds in the Mediterranean.

The right window

The key factor here is the mistral: this north-westerly can rise hard and fast in the Strait of Bonifacio. Check the forecast, leave early and keep a margin to get home. From June to September the water is superb. Book well ahead in summer and check the cancellation policy, which varies by owner, before you confirm.

Compare the platforms now →

Also worth reading

• How much does it cost to rent a boat in 2026? Real prices
• License-Free Boat Rental in France: Rules, Prices & Where to Book
• Renting with or without a skipper: how to choose