# 7-day sailing itinerary in Italy: north Sardinia and Bonifacio > 6-leg, about 61 nm route in Italy, north Sardinia and Bonifacio: day-by-day stops, distances, marinas, park rules, wind by month and best months. Sourced. URL: https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/italy/ Last updated: 2026-10-29 Author: Catamaran Index editorial team A classic 7-day sailing itinerary in Italy in north Sardinia starts and ends in Portisco and goes Portisco → Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo) → La Maddalena → Caprera → Bonifacio (Corsica) → Budelli / Santa Maria → Portisco: 6 legs and about 61 nautical miles in straight lines between the stops (our calculation; you will sail further). By our rules the best month for it is September, when the mean wind at Portisco, Sardinia is 8 knots (our calculation from NASA POWER data); from 1 June to 30 September La Maddalena allows anchoring only on sand or mud, according to a news report on the harbour office's ordinance. *Checked 29 Oct 2026. Our editorial route, not a navigation plan, and not yet reviewed by a sailor. Distances are straight lines between the stops ([how we calculate](#method)); fees are labelled official, secondary or not verified ([labels](#labels)). Your charter base will brief you on the route, depths and conditions.* ## Day by day | Day | From → to | Distance (straight line, our calculation) | Overnight | What to know | |---|---|---:|---|---| | Day 1 | Portisco → Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo) | 5.9 nm | not verified | – | | Day 2 | Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo) → La Maddalena | 7.6 nm | not verified | **[Secondary source]** La Maddalena (1 June–30 September): anchoring only on sand or mud, banned outright in some areas; 7 knots within 500 m of the coast (L'Unione Sarda, April 2026). ([L'Unione Sarda (newspaper)](https://www.unionesarda.it/news-sardegna/gallura/la-maddalena-stretta-su-navigazione-e-ancoraggi-per-tutelare-lambiente-marino-aks58wdj)) Fees: see the [fees table](#fees). | | Day 3 | La Maddalena → Caprera | 2.7 nm | not verified | Same rule as at La Maddalena. | | Day 4 | Caprera → Bonifacio (Corsica, France) | 17.2 nm | not verified | **[Secondary source]** Bonifacio is in Corsica, France, so the leg to it crosses from Italian to French waters. ([OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder)](https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/)) | | Day 5 | Bonifacio (Corsica, France) → Budelli / Santa Maria | 10.2 nm | not verified | Same rule as at La Maddalena. | | Day 6 | Budelli / Santa Maria → Portisco | 17.0 nm | not verified | – | Total: about 61 nm in straight lines over 6 legs (our calculation). This route has 6 sailing days; the other day is free for weather, a longer stop or the hand-over (our suggestion). *Our editorial note: The La Maddalena archipelago is a national park with its own rules and fees.* ## Distances between the stops The longest hop is Caprera → Bonifacio (Corsica) at about 17.2 nm; the shortest is La Maddalena → Caprera at about 2.7 nm (our reading of the table). Coordinates are OpenStreetMap's, rounded to 4 decimals. For Budelli / Santa Maria OpenStreetMap gave an island or area point, not the harbour or anchorage itself, so that leg's distance is approximate. | Stop | Latitude | Longitude | |---|---:|---:| | Portisco | 41.0336 | 9.5247 | | Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo) | 41.1319 | 9.5354 | | La Maddalena | 41.2128 | 9.4055 | | Caprera | 41.2071 | 9.4649 | | Bonifacio (Corsica, France) | 41.3877 | 9.1686 | | Budelli / Santa Maria | 41.2826 | 9.3463 | Coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, [ODbL](https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright) ([OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder)](https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/), checked 29 Oct 2026). ## Marinas, moorings and fees on this route | Fee | Amount | Status | Source | |---|---|---|---| | La Maddalena park permit for a charter boat | Not verified *(The park's site refused our connection.)* | not verified | – | Fees are examples and are **not added together**: they depend on the boat's length, the day and where you actually stop. Every other cost of the week, per person: [true cost of a week in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/true-cost/italy/). ## Park and anchoring rules - **La Maddalena:** **[Secondary source]** La Maddalena (1 June–30 September): anchoring only on sand or mud, banned outright in some areas; 7 knots within 500 m of the coast (L'Unione Sarda, April 2026). ([L'Unione Sarda (newspaper)](https://www.unionesarda.it/news-sardegna/gallura/la-maddalena-stretta-su-navigazione-e-ancoraggi-per-tutelare-lambiente-marino-aks58wdj)) - **Bonifacio (Corsica, France):** **[Secondary source]** Bonifacio is in Corsica, France, so the leg to it crosses from Italian to French waters. ([OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder)](https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/)) More on moorings and parks: [snorkelling and diving in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/snorkel-dive/italy/#moorings). ## Wind and weather by month on this route Mean air temperature and mean wind at one reference point, Portisco, Sardinia (41.176, 9.526), for this route. Our verdict column applies our best-time rules to that point ([how](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#itineraries)). | Month | Mean air temperature | Mean wind | Our verdict | |---|---:|---:|---| | [January](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/january/) | 10 °C | 11 kn | Best value · Cool | | [February](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/february/) | 11 °C | 10 kn | Cool | | [March](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/march/) | 12 °C | 10 kn | Cool | | [April](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/april/) | 14 °C | 9 kn | Cool | | [May](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/may/) | 18 °C | 9 kn | Mild | | [June](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/june/) | 24 °C | 8 kn | Peak price · Warm | | [July](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/july/) | 27 °C | 8 kn | Peak price · Warm | | [August](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/august/) | 27 °C | 7 kn | Peak price · Warm | | [September](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/september/) | 23 °C | 8 kn | Sweet spot | | [October](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/october/) | 19 °C | 9 kn | Mild | | [November](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/november/) | 14 °C | 10 kn | Best value · Cool | | [December](https://catamaranindex.com/where-to-sail/december/) | 11 °C | 10 kn | Best value · Cool | Windiest month: January (11 kn); calmest: August (7 kn) at Portisco, Sardinia (our reading of NASA POWER means). Mean wind is not gusts or sea state. The grid cell at Portisco, Sardinia has an elevation of 187 m and includes land, so temperatures are indicative only. Air temp = NASA POWER monthly mean 2 m air temperature (T2M); wind = monthly mean 10 m wind speed (WS10M), converted from m/s to knots (kn) with 1 m/s = 3600/1852 kn. For each calendar month we average the 2016–2025 values (10 full years). POWER's meteorological grid is ½° latitude by ⅝° longitude (roughly 55 × 50 km at these latitudes), so one cell cannot show local sea breezes or coast-to-hill temperature differences. They are our calculation of average conditions, not a forecast, not gusts, and not sea conditions. Mean wind is lower than the peak winds you will feel on the water. Weather data obtained from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center's Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) Project, funded through the NASA Earth Science Division (pulled 2026-10-28) ([NASA POWER](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/), checked 28 Oct 2026). We changed the data: we averaged the monthly values for 2016–2025 and converted wind from m/s to knots (our calculation). ## Best months for this route - **Best weather:** June, July, August, September (our rule: warm, and outside the hurricane or wet season where we have a source). - **Sweet spot:** September (our rule: best weather, and not one of the three priciest months). - **Calmest, for families:** June, July, August (our suggestion: the calmest best-weather months by mean wind). - **Windiest, for keen sailors:** January, March, December (our ranking). Full month-by-month comparison with prices: [best time to charter in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/italy/). ## What this week costs 12 Knots' average weekly catamaran price is €7,084 in September and €9,633 in August (asking prices, updated October 2026) ([12 Knots](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/countries/italy/catamaran-charter/), checked 27 Oct 2026). All-in per person for 4, 6 or 8 people: [true cost of a week in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/true-cost/italy/). ## Do I need a licence or a skipper? Yes for a charter yacht or catamaran: Italian law requires a nautical licence for craft up to 24 m that go more than 6 nautical miles from the coast, or that stay within 6 nm but have an engine above set cylinder capacities and more than 30 kW (40.8 hp), and a typical charter boat will exceed that (our reading). More: [licence rules for Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/italy/). No licence? A skipper costs extra: [bareboat vs skippered](https://catamaranindex.com/compare/bareboat-vs-skippered/). ## See boats in Italy **[See catamarans for rent in Italy on SamBoat](https://catamaranindex.com/go/samboat?dest=italy&pos=itinerary)** Ask the base about the route, the boat's draught and its fees before you book; listings and prices on SamBoat are SamBoat's own. We may earn a commission if you book through our links, at no extra cost to you ([disclosure](https://catamaranindex.com/affiliate-disclosure/)). ## What we could not verify - La Maddalena park authorisation fee for charter boats. - Bonifacio harbour fees and the Bouches de Bonifacio nature reserve rules. - Landing rules on Budelli (the "pink beach" ban is widely reported but we read no official text). ## How we calculate Distances: great-circle distance between the OpenStreetMap coordinates of each stop on a sphere of radius 6,371 km, converted at 1.852 km per nautical mile (our calculation). A real passage is longer: headlands, channels, tacking. Best months: the best-time rules ([methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#itineraries)). Catamaran berth examples: the marina's printed rate × its printed multihull surcharge (our arithmetic). ## How to read the labels - **[Secondary source]**: From a newspaper, NGO, guide, charter company or community map; not official. - **[Not verified]**: We could not confirm it. We leave it open rather than guess, and never add it to a total. - No label: Read in an official text: government, park or port authority, or an operator's own published price list. Distances, catamaran berth examples, best months and weather means are our calculation and say so. Fees change and depend on the boat's length, the day and where you stop: check with your charter base. ## Sources - [L'Unione Sarda (newspaper): La Maddalena, stretta su navigazione e ancoraggi per tutelare l'ambiente marino](https://www.unionesarda.it/news-sardegna/gallura/la-maddalena-stretta-su-navigazione-e-ancoraggi-per-tutelare-lambiente-marino-aks58wdj) (secondary, not official), checked 28 Oct 2026. - [OpenStreetMap (Nominatim geocoder): Nominatim search API: coordinates of each itinerary stop](https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/) (secondary, not official), checked 29 Oct 2026. - [NASA POWER: Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources: Monthly API (T2M, WS10M)](https://power.larc.nasa.gov/docs/services/api/temporal/monthly/) (official), air temperature and wind at Portisco, Sardinia, 2016–2025 means, our calculation. - [12 Knots: Catamaran charter in Italy](https://12knots.com/en/yacht-charter/countries/italy/catamaran-charter/) (secondary, prices), checked 27 Oct 2026. Method: [methodology](https://catamaranindex.com/methodology/#itineraries). Data: [JSON](https://catamaranindex.com/api/itineraries/italy.json). ## More on Italy - [7-day sailing itineraries: every route compared](https://catamaranindex.com/itineraries/) - [Italy yacht and catamaran charter: prices, season and licence](https://catamaranindex.com/italy/) - [Best time to charter in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/best-time/italy/) - [True cost of a week in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/true-cost/italy/) - [Snorkelling and diving in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/snorkel-dive/italy/) - [Fishing rules in Italy](https://catamaranindex.com/fishing/italy/) - [Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Italy?](https://catamaranindex.com/licence-by-country/italy/) - [Catamaran Index home](https://catamaranindex.com/) ## FAQ ### What is a good 7-day sailing itinerary in Italy? A classic 7-day sailing itinerary in Italy in north Sardinia starts and ends in Portisco and goes Portisco → Costa Smeralda (Porto Cervo) → La Maddalena → Caprera → Bonifacio (Corsica) → Budelli / Santa Maria → Portisco: 6 legs and about 61 nautical miles in straight lines between the stops (our calculation; you will sail further). By our rules the best month for it is September, when the mean wind at Portisco, Sardinia is 8 knots (our calculation from NASA POWER data); from 1 June to 30 September La Maddalena allows anchoring only on sand or mud, according to a news report on the harbour office's ordinance. ### How far is it from Caprera to Bonifacio (Corsica) by boat? About 17.2 nautical miles in a straight line (our calculation from OpenStreetMap coordinates); the distance you sail is longer. ### When is the best time to sail this route in Italy? By our rules the best month for this route is September. ### Do you pay to moor or anchor on this route in Italy? We could not verify any official mooring, anchoring or park fee on this route. Secondary source: La Maddalena (1 June–30 September): anchoring only on sand or mud, banned outright in some areas; 7 knots within 500 m of the coast (L'Unione Sarda, April 2026). Secondary source: Bonifacio is in Corsica, France, so the leg to it crosses from Italian to French waters. Ask your charter base what to budget. ### Do I need a licence to sail in Italy on my own? Yes for a charter yacht or catamaran: Italian law requires a nautical licence for craft up to 24 m that go more than 6 nautical miles from the coast, or that stay within 6 nm but have an engine above set cylinder capacities and more than 30 kW (40.8 hp), and a typical charter boat will exceed that (our reading). --- Affiliate disclosure: some links are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See /affiliate-disclosure/.