Marina di Portisco: Berthing, services and cruising destinations in Sardinia

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Marina di Portisco lies on the western shore of the Gulf of Cugnana in northeast Sardinia, north of Olbia and just before the Costa Smeralda. Here you can read how the marina is equipped, how you berth and get there, which marine weather forecast applies and which sailing destinations are close by from the gulf.

Marina di Portisco: Location and harbour at a glance

Marina di Portisco lies in the western part of the Gulf of Cugnana, in the Portisco district of the municipality of Olbia. Opposite, on the other shore of the gulf, lies Porto Rotondo.

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The harbour basin is protected by a long main breakwater with three arms and a second, angled breakwater. The buildings on the quays are built of Sardinian granite in the style of the Gallura, the landscape in the northeast of the island. Since 2021 the concession has belonged to the marina group IGY Marinas and a Sardinian operator of boat fuel stations. Since then the marina has appeared as IGY Portisco Marina; it is the same facility.

Feature	Details
Position	approx. 41° 02.0′ N, 009° 31.4′ E
Operator	IGY Marinas (IGY Portisco Marina)
Berths	589, of which 41 for superyachts
Maximum yacht length	90 m
Water depth at the quays	up to 10 m
Fuel station	Petrol and diesel
Safety	24-hour security service, video surveillance
Contact	Strada Panoramica Costa Smeralda, 07026 Olbia, telephone +39 0789 33520

You enquire about berths via the marina's website is suitable.

How do you berth at the Marina di Portisco?

You call the marina by telephone before entering and moor at the berth assigned to you by the staff. Marineros assist with berthing.

Channel 16 is the distress and calling channel monitored by the coastguard. The marina will tell you the marina channel when you make your reservation. The berths are alongside floating pontoons. The marinero will tell you over the radio or at the pontoon exactly how to moor at your berth. Before entering, prepare bow and stern lines, fenders on both sides and a boathook. After mooring, report to the marina office with boat papers and identity documents.

What are the formalities on arrival?

The Gulf of Cugnana is a long, narrow bay; the marina lies on its western shore. Winds in the gulf are funnelled along the coast, so it can turn gusty in the entrance even on a calm day.

Expect plenty of small boat traffic in summer. Boats and pedalos are hired out on the beach next to the marina; dinghies, inflatable boats and jet skis are hired from the marina itself. Therefore drive slowly near the beach and the entrance and keep a lookout for swimmers and snorkellers.

What facilities does the Marina di Portisco offer?

The Marina di Portisco has free Wi-Fi, a laundry, a fuel dock and a boatyard. Ask about electricity and water connections at your berth when you check in. Restaurants, shops and a hotel are right by the harbour.

You can get petrol and diesel at the fuel dock. For work on the boat there is a travel lift, a self-propelled boat trolley, a slipway and workshops for technical work and refits. You can have the waste water from the holding tank pumped out at the marina. You hand in rubbish, waste oil and old batteries at the marina's collection points.

The marina also holds the Blue Flag in 2026, the environmental award for harbours and beaches. At the harbour you will find bars and restaurants, including a pizzeria, plus an ice cream parlour, boutiques, a newsagent and tobacconist, and a cash machine. Some restaurants also deliver food on board.

The marina office is staffed from October to April, Mondays to Fridays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and at weekends and on public holidays from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. In May and September the hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; from June to August 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (as at October 2026).

Good to know for your first day at the Marina di Portisco

For your first shopping you don't need to leave the marina; a supermarket is right by the pontoon. For the big weekly shop and for a doctor or hospital you go to Olbia.

Shopping and provisions

The supermarket in the marina is only a few steps on foot from your berth. Next door there is a delicatessen and a shop for wine and spirits. All three deliver on board if you wish. This is handy if you don't want to carry drinks and heavy stores across the pontoon.

Larger supermarkets are in Olbia. The Olbia Mare shopping centre with a large supermarket is in the Sa Marinedda district on state road 125, not far from the airport. Further supermarkets are in the town centre, for example on Corso Vittorio Veneto and on Via Barcellona. Anyone arriving by hire car from the airport is best off doing the big shop there and then driving on to the marina.

Parking and getting around locally

There is a pay car park at the marina. You can hire cars, scooters and bicycles directly at the marina. The marina also provides vehicles for skippers and crews to run errands. Whether you can use one you will find out at the marina office.

Doctor, hospital and pharmacy

The nearest hospital with an accident and emergency department (Pronto Soccorso) is the Giovanni Paolo II hospital in Olbia. In summer the Gallura health service usually opens out-of-hours clinics for holidaymakers in several coastal resorts. The marina office can tell you which is currently nearest and when it is open. You can also ask there for the nearest pharmacy; there are several in Olbia.

Emergency numbers in Italy

• 112: general emergency number, free from all networks
• 1530: Coastguard (Guardia Costiera) for emergencies at sea, free of charge
• At sea: VHF channel 16

How do you get to the Marina di Portisco?

The quickest way is via Olbia Costa Smeralda airport; from there you are at the marina in about 20 minutes by taxi or hire car. With your own car you take the ferry from the Italian mainland to Olbia or Golfo Aranci.

By air

Olbia Costa Smeralda airport lies south of Olbia, about ten minutes from the town centre. Taxis wait outside the terminal; the car hire desks are right next door. Another airport in northern Sardinia is Alghero, but the journey from there is considerably longer. Best give the taxi driver the full name "Marina di Portisco", as there are several landing stages in the Gulf of Cugnana.

By ferry, train and car

Ferries from the mainland dock in Olbia at the terminal on Isola Bianca or at the smaller harbour of Golfo Aranci, about 20 minutes from Olbia. From Olbia harbour you can reach Portisco by car in about 20 minutes.

By car, follow the coastal road between Golfo Aranci and Porto Cervo and follow the signs to Portisco. If you're already on Sardinia, you can take the train to Olbia: Italian Railways offers combined train and bus tickets from all parts of the island to Olbia Airport. From there, continue by taxi.

What's the weather like for sailing in Portisco?

The prevailing wind in northeast Sardinia is the Maestrale from the northwest, internationally also known as the Mistral. On strong days it blows at more than 30 knots and quickly builds up rough seas off the coast.

Throughout the year, the northeast coast also experiences the Scirocco from the southeast. In the marina you're sheltered behind the breakwaters. Anyone heading to La Maddalena in the northwest in a Maestrale will be beating into wind and waves, and that can be hard work in strong winds. Plan such legs with an eye on the forecast. An overview of the Maestrale, Scirocco and other winds is provided in our article on most important winds in the Mediterranean.

Which marine weather forecast applies in Portisco?

For Italian waters, the weather service of the Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) issues the official marine weather forecast. It is updated every six hours and includes gale warnings; the coastguard broadcasts it by radio.

Sea state charts and gale warnings can also be found on the marine weather page of the weather service. Anyone with a NAVTEX receiver on board can pick up the nearby La Maddalena station. It transmits weather reports in English (call sign R, 518 kHz) at 06:50 and 18:50 UTC and in Italian (call sign I, 490 kHz) at 09:20 and 21:20 UTC, which in summer is two hours later local time. It's worth checking the warnings before a longer passage north, even if conditions look calm in the gulf.

Which destinations are near Portisco?

From Portisco you can reach the offshore islands, the bays of the Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena archipelago in short passages. The distances are rounded over-water routes on the usual course; for exact planning use the chart.

Mortorio and Soffi

The small islands of Mortorio and Soffi lie off the coast northeast of the gulf, about 4 nautical miles away. They have bays and natural rock pools and make an obvious destination for the first day. At Mortorio, unknown persons occasionally demand money for an alleged parking ticket. This is fraud; report it to the Coastguard on 1530. Anchor on sand where possible, not on seagrass meadows (Posidonia).

Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo

To the north follow the bays of the Costa Smeralda with beaches such as Liscia Ruja and Cala di Volpe. Porto Cervo lies about 9 nautical miles away. Porto Rotondo lies opposite on the eastern shore of the gulf and is quickly reached by boat.

La Maddalena

You can reach the first islands of the La Maddalena archipelago after about 12 nautical miles, and the main town of La Maddalena after about 16. The archipelago is a national park. Anyone not resident on La Maddalena needs to obtain a paid permit in advance from the park authority to sail, anchor or moor in the park (as of October 2026). If it's issued during an inspection at sea, it costs 40 per cent more. Some particularly protected bays may only be visited with an environmental guide. If you're sailing a chartered yacht, check before your trip whether a permit is in place for it. The park rules may change. The park authority provides definitive information; an overview is offered by the park portal for La Maddalena National Park.

Southbound: Golfo Aranci, Tavolara and Olbia

The southbound course takes you round Capo Figari. Golfo Aranci lies about 11 nautical miles away, the island of Tavolara about 15 and Marina di Olbia about 17. Tavolara belongs to the Tavolara–Punta Coda Cavallo marine reserve, in whose core zones you may neither sail nor anchor. What applies in Olbia itself and where the berths are located can be found in our Olbia harbour profile.

What is there ashore in Portisco?

Portisco itself is small, with beach and restaurants right by the marina. For a day off, the beach, the village of San Pantaleo in the granite mountains and Porto Rotondo opposite are all on offer.

The distances are as the crow flies from the marina.

Beach and islet of Portisco

Between the harbour and Portisco's small granite islet lies a strip of fine white sand with shallow water and a few rocks. The islet sits at the end of a half-submerged rocky tongue and is covered with maquis. You can snorkel well among the rocks.

Rena Bianca beach

Rena Bianca beach lies a good kilometre from Portisco. It's long, with fine white sand, and is framed by rocks and maquis. There's a sunbed hire service and restaurants.

San Pantaleo

San Pantaleo lies about 5 kilometres west in the granite mountains above the gulf; by car or taxi you're there quickly. The village grew up at the end of the 19th century around a small country church and is known for its artists. In spring and summer a well-known market is held on Thursdays. Scenes for the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" were shot in the church square. Walking trails lead through rocks and cork oak forests.

Porto Rotondo open-air theatre

Porto Rotondo lies less than two kilometres away on the other shore of the gulf, but by road you drive round the gulf. The open-air theatre there opened in 1995; the idea came from the sculptor Mario Ceroli. The semicircular tiers of seats in rough-hewn granite offer 700 places, and arches and obelisks of granite frame the stage.

Sailing trips from Portisco on Törnfinder

From Portisco you can quickly reach the Costa Smeralda, La Maddalena or head for Corsica. Trips around the island can be found on Törnfinder under cabin charter in Sardinia, offers throughout the country under Sailing in Italy. All current dates and harbours are shown on the trip overview.

Frequently asked questions

What is Marina di Portisco called today?

Since 2021 the marina has been known as IGY Portisco Marina. This refers to the same facility on the western shore of the Gulf of Cugnana, operated by the marina group IGY Marinas.

Which VHF channel does Marina di Portisco use?

The marina will tell you the marina channel when you make your reservation. Channel 16 is the general distress and calling channel monitored by the coastguard.

How far is Olbia airport from Marina di Portisco?

By taxi or hire car you're about 20 minutes from Olbia Costa Smeralda airport to the marina.

Is there a supermarket at Marina di Portisco?

Yes, right on the pontoon. It also delivers to your boat. You'll find larger supermarkets in Olbia.

How far is it from Portisco to La Maddalena?

The first islands of the archipelago lie around 12 nautical miles away across the water, the main town of La Maddalena around 16. If you don't live on La Maddalena, you need a paid permit from the park authority before entering the national park.