Superyachts in the bay at Porto Cervo, pink granite and bougainvillea on the shore
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Luxury in Italy

Costa Smeralda

Italy’s superyacht summer: Porto Cervo and its marina, Cala di Volpe on its bay, emerald water and granite coves, and the islands of La Maddalena by boat.

Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda, SardiniaPhotograph: Petra Nesti

Benvenuti

The coast the Aga Khan built

In the early 1960s Prince Karim Aga Khan and a group of friends bought a stretch of wild coast in north-east Sardinia, granite headlands, coves and water the colour of emeralds, and set out to build a resort that would respect it. They called it the Costa Smeralda.

Its architects designed Porto Cervo and the hotels of Cala di Volpe, Romazzino and Pitrizza in a style of their own, low and soft-edged, in the colours of the rocks. The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, founded in 1967, made the coast the summer meeting place of the world’s great yachts.

Offshore lie the islands of the Maddalena archipelago, a national park of pink granite and clear water. In August the Costa Smeralda is the most glamorous corner of the Mediterranean; in June and September it is quiet and at its most beautiful.

A few words of Italian
EnglishItalianSay it
HelloBuongiornobwohn-JOR-noh
PleasePer favorepehr fah-VOH-reh
Thank youGrazieGRAHT-see-eh
Good eveningBuonaserabwoh-nah-SEH-rah
The bill, pleaseIl conto, per favoreeel KOHN-toh, pehr fah-VOH-reh

Where to go

Costa Smeralda at a glance

When to go, the one best beach club, and how to arrive privately.

Costa Smeralda, Sardinia

Best time to visitJune and September are ideal: the sea is warm (23–24°C, 73–75°F), the hotels and beach clubs are open, and the coast is far calmer than in July and August. September also brings the great maxi-yacht racing at Porto Cervo.

  • Stay
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Dine
    None that meets our standard yet.
  • Beach
    Phi Beach

    A clifftop beach club and restaurant inside the 19th-century Forte Cappellini at Baja Sardinia, with a summer programme of leading international DJs.

Arrive privately
By private jet
Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB / LIEO), about 35 minutes by car to Porto Cervo, up to 40 minutes in July and August.
By helicopter
Not needed from Olbia; Monacair flies direct from Monaco and Nice (about 100 minutes), landing at Olbia airport.
By sea
Marina di Porto Cervo, about 700 berths, 100 of them for megayachts, taking yachts up to 160 metres; in Porto Cervo itself.

Dine

Dining in Costa Smeralda

The beach clubs.

Beach clubs

  • Phi BeachBaja Sardinia (Sardinia)

    A clifftop beach club and restaurant at Forte Cappellini on the Costa Smeralda, known for its sunset and its summer programme of leading international DJs. Visit website ↗

Sail

Yachting in Costa Smeralda

Yachting at our standard in and around Costa Smeralda.

Superyacht marinas

Yacht clubs

  • Yacht Club Costa SmeraldaPorto Cervo (members' club)

    Founded in 1967 by the Aga Khan with André Ardoin, Giuseppe Kerry Mentasti and Luigi Vietti, now presided over by Princess Zahra Aga Khan. Visit website ↗

Cruises

Costa Smeralda by sea

How the ships arrive in Costa Smeralda, and the luxury lines that call.

The small ships anchor off Porto Cervo and bring guests ashore by tender; larger ships berth at Olbia, about 30 km to the south.

Of the luxury lines, Sea Cloud begins and ends voyages here.

The luxury lines that call here

From the lines' own 2026 and 2027 voyages. Ports change from season to season, so check the voyage before you reserve.

Luxury Cruise LinesSuites at Sea

Travel

First-class travel in Costa Smeralda

The chauffeurs at our standard. Private jet arrivals are covered in the questions below.

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • Elite Rent-a-CarMilan and Rome

    The Geneva-based firm's Italian agencies, in Milan and Rome, with delivery and collection across Italy, including Porto Cervo and Lake Como. The fleet includes Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Porsche. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Costa Smeralda

The shopping streets and galleries of Costa Smeralda.

The great shopping streets

  • The Promenade du Port and the PiazzettaPorto Cervo

    The harbour promenade and piazzetta at the heart of the Costa Smeralda, where Hermès keeps its boutique on the Piazza and Dior on La Passeggiata, alongside Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Valentino. Visit website ↗

Design galleries

  • Rossana OrlandiVia Matteo Bandello, Milan

    A contemporary design gallery showing furniture, lighting and unique pieces by more than 60 international designers, with a summer space in Porto Cervo. Visit website ↗

Experience

Events and things to do in Costa Smeralda

The Costa Smeralda year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

Golf

Live

Luxury real estate in Costa Smeralda

A home in Costa Smeralda: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Lionard Luxury Real EstateFlorence

    Italian luxury specialist with offices in Florence, Milan, Rome, Naples, Venice, Porto Cervo and Forte dei Marmi, handling villas, castles and estates in Tuscany, Liguria, Sardinia and Capri. Visit website ↗

  • Romolini ImmobiliareTuscany

    Exclusive Christie's International Real Estate affiliate since 2008, specialising in historic properties, wine estates and villas in Tuscany, Umbria, the Amalfi Coast, Monte Argentario and Sardinia. Visit website ↗

  • Italy Sotheby's International RealtyMilan

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Italy, with 15 offices including Porto Cervo, Genoa, Palermo and Noto, covering Portofino, the Amalfi Coast and Sardinia. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Italy ›

Looking for a home in Costa Smeralda? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Costa Smeralda and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Costa Smeralda

Where is the Costa Smeralda?

On the north-east coast of Sardinia, Italy. Olbia Costa Smeralda airport takes private jets and is about 35 minutes from Porto Cervo; Rome is under an hour by air.

What is the Costa Smeralda famous for?

Porto Cervo and its superyacht marina, the hotels of Cala di Volpe and Romazzino, emerald water and granite coves, the Maddalena islands, and the regattas of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda.

When is the best time to visit Costa Smeralda?

June and September are ideal: the sea is warm (23–24°C, 73–75°F), the hotels and beach clubs are open, and the coast is far calmer than in July and August.

How do you arrive in Costa Smeralda by private jet?

Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB / LIEO), about 35 minutes by car to Porto Cervo, up to 40 minutes in July and August.

Do you tip in Costa Smeralda?

Not obligatory; a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated. Taxis: rounding up is enough. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a helpful concierge.

What should you wear in Costa Smeralda?

Shoulders and knees covered in churches; carry a light scarf or layer. Some resort towns fine people for wearing swimwear or going bare-chested in town centres; check locally. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Elegant, well-cut dress for fine dining.

Beyond Costa Smeralda

More in Italy

The rest of Italy, and the Mediterranean beyond.

ItalyLuxury Italy Holidays: Amalfi Coast & CapriExplore ItalyThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Costa Smeralda, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Costa Smeralda

How Italy does things.

Language
Italian. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants in Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan and the main coastal resorts; less so in the countryside.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting; cheek kisses among friends and family. Titles matter: dottore / dottoressa for anyone with a university degree, signore / signora otherwise.
Dress
Shoulders and knees covered in churches; carry a light scarf or layer. Some resort towns fine people for wearing swimwear or going bare-chested in town centres; check locally. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Elegant, well-cut dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch about 1–3 pm; dinner from about 8 pm, often 9.30 pm or later in the big cities and in summer. Book ahead for good restaurants. A per-person cover charge (coperto) for bread and table setting is normal and is not a tip. Ask for the bill; it will not arrive until you do.
Tipping
Not obligatory; a service charge (servizio) may already be on the bill. Leaving a few euros, or up to about 10% for excellent service, is appreciated. Taxis: rounding up is enough. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a helpful concierge.
Good to know
Smaller shops often close for a midday break and on Sunday. Many towns fine people for sitting on monument steps or eating and drinking beside major churches and monuments; entering or bathing in public fountains is an offence in many cities, including Rome and Florence, and swimming in Venice's canals is banned. Taking sand, shells or pebbles from the coast is illegal.
Tourist tax
Venice charges day visitors an access fee on set days from April to July, from €5 booked in advance; guests staying overnight in the city are exempt but must register online.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.