South Sardinia

The southern coast of Sardinia is much less busy than the north, making it a great location for a quiet cruise. The coastline here is more rugged and green than its northern counterpart and offers a large number of of beautiful sandy beaches that are often compared to those of the Caribbean. However, the southern coast of Sardinia is also very windy .

If you wait for more stable weather conditions, you will find many beautiful towns, interesting islands and countless safe anchorages. To the southeast, from the islet of Serpentara to Cape Boi, lies the marine reserve of Capo Carbonara with its beautiful sandybeaches and an incredible variety of underwater life, which you can enjoy especially with snorkelling or diving equipment. Great diving and fishing also await you at the islands of Sant' Antioco and San Pietro.

1. Old Town in Cagliari
2. Beach and coast in the Chia area
3. Carloforte town and port
4. The ancient town of Nora
5. Diving and fishing on the island of Sant' Antioco
6. The harbour town of Buggerru
7. Molentargius Lagoon
8. Capo Carbonara Marine Reserve
9. Costa Rei coast
10. The village of Sarroch and the nurag Domue S'Orcu

Baia Carbonara

Depending on the wind, anchor on the east or west side, but the large bay is the most attractive, especially as a lunch and swimming stop. The bottom is sandy and rocky, with varying holding power.

Porto Malfatano

Porto Malfatano is a collection of several bays and niches in the southwest, which together form a very attractive anchorage. It is dominated by a beautiful tower towering over Capo Malfatano. Yachts from Cagliari often come here for the weekend.

Porto Malfatano

A large bay to the east of Capo Malfatano. It offers good shelter, even if you anchor in the outer part of the bay because of the depth. The bottom is muddy-gravelly, the anchor holds decently.

Teredda

You can anchor on either side of the islet, depending on the wind. The anchor is holding solid.

East Bay

Anchor in 4-6 feet on sand and grass. It offers good cover from the east, but watch for gusts coming from the nearby valley.

All three bays are exposed to katabatic winds from the mountains at night.

As in the north of Sardinia, NW winds prevail, but SW winds are also common and can reach 5-6 Bf in the Gulf of Cagliari and off the island of Sant' Antioco. There are also frequent storms here, but these usually do not last more than 2 to 3 hours. For the rest of the year, the wind is mainly from the north-east and north-west, but southerly gales also occur. With strong winds from either direction, the sea is rough at Cape Sperone and Cape Carbonara.

Pula

Near the ancient town of Nora is the famous resort of Pula. The colourful houses will surely attract you. If you have any golfers on board, they will appreciate a walk to the famous Is Molas golf course, where international tournaments are also held. Near Pula, Cape Capo di Pula looms out from the mainland, particularly significant mineralogically for its abundant zeolite, quartz and calcite.

Sant' Antioco

The town was probably founded by the Carthaginians on the ruins of the original Phoenician settlement of Sulcis from the 8th century BC. As soon as you enter the town's harbour you will notice the landmark of the town, the old Roman bridge Ponte Romano. There are also very nice beaches in the area.

Calasetta

Rod and Lucinda Heikell, in their pilot to the Italy area, state that Calasetta is a pleasant little town. It was founded in the 12th century, but probably did not play a significant role in the affairs of the island. It is situated in the north-west of the island and 300 ships find shelter in its harbour. The surrounding area is famous for its wine-making activities, especially the red and rosé Carignano variety, which can be tasted in the cellars on Via Roma.

Islands around southern Sardinia

San Pietro

This wild island forms the marine part of the San Pietro Channel. Its attractiveness lies in the many small bays and niches that can serve as very pleasant daytime anchorages, depending on the wind direction. As in the case of La Maddalena, the many cliffs and rocks that line the island must be taken into account. The Piana islet off the north-west corner of the island, where there is a beautiful old fishing village, is definitely worth a look.

A similar village can be found on the north-eastern side of San Pietro itself. The strait between these two islands is really shallow, so avoid it. The island is named after Saint Peter, who is said to have been shipwrecked here and then taught the locals how to catch tuna.

Sant' Antioco

It is a rocky, cliff-encircled island, which is only disturbed to the northeast by low salt pans that extend to the opposite mainland. It is connected to the mainland by a causeway. It is anchored in three ports - Calasetta at the north-western tip, Sant' Antoniocu to the east and Porto Ponte Romano on the artificially constructed mainland neck. When sailing in bad weather, keep an eye on the north-east of the island and Cape Sperone, where there is usually a strong sea swell.

The diet of the southern Sardis does not differ much from that of the north: it is a pastoral and fishing diet . The pastoral component of Sardinian gastronomy is best experienced by anchoring your boat safely in one of the picturesque harbours and exploring inland. There, you'll taste the real rarities. Venison and mutton, however well prepared, may not surprise you. But horse or even donkey meat might.

South Sardinian food is simply more exotic and colourful than that of the north, and Africa is only 120 nautical miles away. You can feel it in San Pietro, where couscous is a common ingredient on the daily menus. The traditional Sardinian dish, crispy carascu bread cakes, also has an African feel. The long summers and short winters favour fruit crops; the local fruit is much more abundant.juicier and tastier than in more northern parts of Europe. Even bananas grow here!

Ice cream in a gelaticone while strolling along the waterfront in the evening may be standard fare for you, but try your favourite ice cream-filled brioche for breakfast!

ThePhoenicians were already making a big splash with wine, and today's residents are not far behind their ancient counterparts. Even the ordinary, bottled wines in southern Sardinia taste impeccable and can be enjoyed at a truly folksy price. money, especially if you can get a litre from the locals.

Wreck of the warship Romagna, Gulf of Cagliari, Capitana

It was too late when the captain of the Romagna, carrying a valuable cargo of weapons and fuel, received an inaccurate report of a minefield in the course of the voyage. Romagna struck a mine and was immediately cut in half. In August 1943, both parts of the ship grounded on a shallow sandy bottom, about 30-40 meters deep, 800 meters apart. Today, with the proper equipment and experience, we can admire a very well-preserved wreck, literally wrapped and surrounded by marine flora. Giant gannets, toadfish or stingrays will be your guides. Absolutely breathtaking is the sight of the huge and perfectly preserved rudder and propeller, which is a huge treat especially for the current captains.

Wreck of the cargo ship Entella, Cagliari Bay, Solanas

The convoy of three ships Entella, Loredan and Isonzo was sailing with a cargo of coal to the La Maddalena archipelago on the morning of 10 April 1943 when they were attacked by the British submarine Safari. The first two torpedoes sank Loredan and Isonzo, but Captain Entella made a ghostly maneuver towards the coast, avoiding the third torpedo and saving the entire crew. The next day, however, the submarine returned and sank Entella. Now, on the bottom, you'll find a pile of twisted iron, the outline of a hull and black coal scattered all around . It's a very shallow dive of up to 15 metres, so the site is beautifully sunlit. The underwater life here is very diverse, with moray eels, octopuses, barracudas and even lobsters here and there.

Sant' Antioco

On this island you will find the beautiful sandy bay of Cala Lunga. It is hidden on the coast a short distance from Nido dei Passeri and offers spectacular underwater scenery and a stunningly varied fish world right off the coast in shallow water. In addition to schools of bluefin tuna, you can say hello to dolphins or giant manta rays off the shores of the island. The bottom is usually covered with Posidonia seagrass, so you'll feel like you're in a charming underwater garden.

Sardinia has always been famous for fishing for bluefin tuna, also known as bluefin tuna. Traditionally, it was caught in permanent nets called mattanzas, which very often posed serious navigational hazards. However, these nets are no longer installed to the extent they used to be due to the decline of the tuna. The tuna have changed their migration route and now avoid the coast. In some areas, their ranks have also thinned through overfishing.

Strict quotas are now in place for catching this prized fish. One of the latest mattanza festivals is called the Giro Tonno and is held annually in Carloforte. There is very good underwater fishing off the Sardinian coast, but spearfishing with diving gear is prohibited.

The islands of Sant' Antioco and San Pietro

These two islands in the south-west of Sardinia are perfect for fishing. The sea here provides a home for morays, boilies, bream, sea urchins and, above all, an abundance of tuna. You can also spot defins. If you don't have your own fishing gear, it's easy to rent it, for example in Carloforte or Sant' Antionico. It is also possible to take a paid trip with an experienced local fisherman.

Cagliari

The Gulf of Cagliari also offers numerous opportunities for fishing excursions, including night fishing or fishing at dawn or dusk. In addition to the traditional tuna, you can catch barracuda, sea bream or sea bass. However, the latter two can only be found from December to August, sometimes only until March. If you fancy a hand-caught cuttlefish or octopus, plan a trip here during the colder months.