We arrived back to Sardinia from Corsica to meet our friend Miguel in Porto Torres. We decided to make a quick detour and cross back to Corsica to visit Bonifacio and it was well worth it! The combination of the beautiful natural harbor’s vertical sides of white limestone and the medieval wall around the town and citadel makes this a very unique and splendid place to visit. The evening lights of the town reflect off the white rocks surrounding the harbor. Magical!
Bonifacio entrance
Bonifacio
Bonifacio by Night
Returning back to Sardinia, our first anchorage was the French Island of Lavezzi as this was highly recommended to us as a day anchorage. This proved to be very special indeed. It was crowded when we arrived but were able to find space and later when a tour boat arrived full of anxious people wanting to spend time on the beach, the private boats refused to move so the tour boat could not come in and retreated.
Lavezzi
We learned that the Rolex Mega yacht race was starting in Porto Cervo in two days which explained seeing so many racing yachts. As we sailed along the east side of Caprera Island, many were out practicing. We stopped for a coffee break in a anchorage called Cala Coticcio which the locals call (Tahiti Bay). Beautiful water, great snorkeling and quite crowded. Here we were approached by the marine park reserve authorities. Roland had ordered our permit online which is a cost savings. Those who were anchored there without a permit paid 40% higher. They had a credit card machine with them.
Cala Coticcio
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup
There are so many wonderful places to anchor in this area and we enjoyed them all. One anchorage turned out to be a perfect location to watch boats pass by. We all commented it was like a ring side seat at a boat show. Who could guess the length, who could guess the brand, what country does that flag represent?
Mega Yacht passing our anchorage
We arrived in Olbia at a small marina and were happy they had space for us.
Here we rented a car to get Miguel to the airport on the west side of the island. We took a long day and drove into the mountains. Roland and Miguel were mountain goats, climbing rocks to get the best view for photos.
Miguel rock climbing
The next day Roland and i took the car to Porto Cervo to view the Rolex Mega Yachts. Walking the dock was almost the feeling of being in a art gallery for boats. The pristine conditions, the size of the rigs, the multiple sail bags that must be hoisted on board, the number of crew and the expenses…… I only hope while walking around in awe, I did remember to close my mouth.
Porto Cervo
J-Boat, Velsheda
To heavy to carry!
It was time to move on but we needed to get some fuel at the marina. As you will see in the photo below, this is Italian class even at a fuel pump. This lady owns the station and arrives each morning in her skirt and pearls. She insists on pumping the fuel and will not accept assistance. The day prior Roland had questions for her about bio diesel, which Miguel translated. She could not answer direct but did her research and called Miguel back later in the afternoon. Class and good service!
Top class fuel service in Olbia
As we left Olbia with the next anchorage in mind for the evening, our intention was to leave the next morning for Naples. Part of cruising is the ability to change your mind at the last minute. We decided it was best to continue south along the Sardinian coast then cross to Sicily.
