Porto Cervo Sardinia Italy
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Porto Cervo Sardinia

Today we’re going to show you the beautiful seaside resort of Porto Cervo, in Sardinia Italy.

Porto Cervo is the capital of the Emerald Coast (Costa Smeralda) in the north east part of the island of Sardinia. The name Emerald Coast comes from the Emerald green color of the water in this particular area of Sardinia. 

History

The resort town was founded in 1964 by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. He and some investors were looking for a spot to build a new seaside resort in the early ‘60.

They found this natural harbour with pristine water, a beautiful landscape, and dramatic granite rocks. The project of the resort was made by some of the most famous architects of the time like Luigi Vietti and designer Jacques Couelle.

Since the building of the old port and the village the resort grew and more areas were added. 

How to get to Porto Cervo

You can reach Porto Cervo by plane from the Olbia Costa Smeralda airport located about 30 km south of the resort. There are several flight a day from different Italian airports and Olbia. Also Olbia is well connect with some of the majors airports in Europe.

You can also travel to Porto Cervo by Ferry Boat from Livorno or Civitavecchia on the mainland.  These ferries will either take you to the port of Olbia or Golfo Aranci and both are about a half-hour south of Porto Cervo by car.

The ferry ride is about 8 hours long and we recommend traveling at night and be sure to get a cabin. If you want to know more about taking the Ferry to Sardinia check out our video here.

The Village

The Village is divided into 5 separate areas. These are:

The old town

This is the first part of Porto Cervo to be built. Its main core is the Piazzetta (the little Piazza). In the old town you can find all the high end stores and boutiques. It is the perfect place for a stroll, to do some expensive shopping and to enjoy people watching.

The old port

This was the original port built in the 60s to accommodate the large yachts visiting Porto Cervo. Nowadays it is still an important part of the port and some of the biggest private yachts dock here. Also it has an area called the waterfront with some great bars to sit and sip a cocktail or a glass of wine while watching the boats. 

The Promenade

This is one of the new additions to the village of Porto Cervo. Here you can find some great shops, art galleries, restaurants, and bars. It is the perfect place for an afternoon stroll while watching the amazing murals on the walls of this area.

The new port

The Consortium Costa Smeralda built the new marina in the 70s to accommodate the increasing number of yachts and boats visiting Porto Cervo. The Marina can accommodate more than 700 vessels ranging from a few meters to extra large ones. Overlooking the new Port you will find the exclusive Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. Porto Cervo is also famous for some of the best regattas in Europe like the Rolex maxi yacht race that is hosted here each September. 

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda

Sa Conca and Stella Maris

The little church of Stella Maris – It overlooks the New Port and has some of the best views of the marina and the old port.

Sa Conca is one of the oldest condominium built in Porto Cervo, it is located on the hill of Sa Conca and offers remarkables views of the New Port, the Old Port and the island of Caprera.

Beaches

Near Porto Cervo, you can enjoy some amazing beaches also it’s where you’ll find Andrea and I when we’re there. The most famous ones are:

Liscia Ruja

This beach is also called long beach because it is the biggest and longest of the beaches in Costa Smeralda. It is located about 15 driving south of the main village.

To get there, you’ll need to drive a few minutes on a dirt road. The beach has white and pink sand with shallow blue water. On the beach, there are few restaurants, bars, and areas with sunbeams.

Cala Granu 

This is the closest beach to the main village and is also known as Orange beach. It only takes a few minutes drive to reach it. Alternatively it’s also possible to reach this beach in approximately 20 walking from the village. The beach has white sand and turquoise water. On the beach it is possible to rent chairs and umbrellas

Romazzino

This beach is located about 20 minutes by car from the main village of Porto Cervo. It has white coarse sand and spectacular clear water. 

Principe beach

This is probably one of the most famous beaches in the area and one of the busiest. From the parking lot, there is a 15-minute walk to reach the beach. The beach has powdery white sand and shallow turquoise water. Unfortunately, the beach is pretty small and very popular, for this reason it could be one of the busiest beaches as well.

Grande and Piccolo Pevero

These two beaches are also close to the village. In fact they are located only 5 minutes, by car, from Porto Cervo.

The Grande Pevero (Big Pevero) is the biggest of the two. It has white powdery sand, beautiful turquoise water, areas with sun beds and food track. In addition this is probably the best beach for family with young children due to the nice shallow water and the proximity to the main village.

If you want to know more about the best beaches in Sardinia you can check out the following article.

Nearby attractions

There’s a few Nearby attractions from Porto Cervo that are also worth a visit.

Maddalena archipelago

This is probably one of the best excursions to do in the area. You will enjoy the archipelago the best by small boats. You can take a charter boat that shows the highlights of the archipelago. And by the way, here’s an article about a boat tour of Maddalena.

Nuraghi 

These are old towers built by ancient Sardinians thousands of years ago. And they’re common all over the island. Some are very well restored and can be visited. Near Porto Cervo there are a couple that can be explored by the town of Arzachena.

Nuraghe

San Pantaleo

San Pantaleo is a little village located on top of a mountain about a 15-minute drive from Porto Cervo. This beautiful town has some amazing little art and crafty stores. Also, there’s some cute places to eat or to enjoy a drink. Further San Pantaleo also hosts a very popular, and very busy market every Thursday. 

Sardinia San Pantaleo
San Pantaleo

Santa Teresa, Castelsardo and the North Coast

The cute town of Santa Teresa is the gateway to Corsica and from downtown Santa Teresa you can see the white chalky cliffs of Bonifacio in Corsica.

Santa Teresa di Gallura

You will enjoy the north coast of Sardinia because it is rugged, wild, and very beautiful with some incredible white sandy beaches with turquoise water.

Castelsardo is an old fortress built on top of a hill overlooking the blue Mediterranean water. It is a beautiful village to explore and learn about its old history.

Well, we hope you enjoyed this virtual visit to Porto Cervo Sardinia, if you have any questions leave a comment below. 

Rick and Andrea

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4 Comments

  1. Hello, I very much enjoyed your video and reading the above as well. I would like to ask if you know, (or where I can find out) the hours of the market that is held on Thursdays at San Pantaleo. We will be arriving by boat in late June and will be in Porto Cervo on a Thursday. Also what would you consider the best type of transportation to get around Porto Cervo.
    Thank you in advance for your help.

    1. Hello there, thank you for your comment. The market in San Pantaleo is in the morning usually between 8am and 1pm. Kepp in mind that it gets really busy there and sometimes it is a bit difficult to find parking.
      The best way to get around is by car or by motorbike.
      If you have any more questions please let us know.
      Rick and Andrea

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