Isola dei Gabbiani
Cala Trana
Punta Sardegna
Porto Faro
Golfo di Arzachena
Take a windsurfing or kitesurfing lesson
Walk out to Isola dei Gabbiani at low tide
Climb to Roccia dell’Orso at Capo d’Orso
Take the ferry to La Maddalena from Palau
Snorkel the granite reefs off Cala Trana
Palau
Roccia dell’Orso
Punta Sardegna Lighthouse
Isola dei Gabbiani
Porto Faro
Wind is the whole point here, and it blows on most afternoons from May through October, generally strongest and steadiest in the shoulder months of May, June and September rather than the height of summer. The Mistral and Tramontana funnel down through the Strait of Bonifacio and hit the bay from the northwest, so conditions are usually most consistent in the early afternoon once the local sea breeze layers on top of the prevailing wind.
Olbia Costa Smeralda is the closest airport, roughly 45 kilometres and about 45 minutes by road via Palau, though most charter guests simply arrive by sea instead. Coming by yacht from Olbia or the wider Costa Smeralda avoids the drive entirely and gives a first look at Punta Sardegna and Capo d’Orso along the way.
Cala Trana and the water off Punta Sardegna offer calmer, less crowded alternatives to the main windsurfing beach, both a short hop by tender. Golfo di Arzachena opens up just to the south for a wider, more sheltered cruising ground, while a trip out to Isola dei Gabbiani itself, walkable at low tide, is worth doing even for guests with no interest in watersports, simply for the view back across the strait toward La Maddalena.
A day is enough to enjoy the beach and a lesson or two, and most charter itineraries treat it as a single stop en route between the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena rather than a multi-day base. Watersports enthusiasts booking a course of lessons sometimes stay two or three days to see real progress, since consistent wind on consecutive days is common here in a way it isn’t everywhere on this coast.
Both, in fact: the sheltered lagoon side of the isthmus is flat and shallow enough for a genuine first lesson, which is exactly why several established schools are based here rather than at more exposed spots along this coast. The more open, wind-exposed side of the beach is where stronger sailors head for bigger conditions, so the two halves of the same bay effectively separate beginners from experts without anyone needing to go far to find the right water.
Tell us what you would like to know, and our team will respond with clear details on availability, specification, pricing and next steps.
