Corsica and Sardinia in One Charter: How Many Days Do You Really Need?

To do Corsica and Sardinia properly in one charter, plan 10 to 14 days. With 7 nights, the honest answer is to pick one island — or run the tight combination across the Bonifacio strait, which is the best one-week version of the dream and the route we book most in this region.

We get this inquiry constantly: Bonifacio, the La Maddalena islands, Porto Cervo, the west coast of Corsica — all in one week. That is completely normal. You have seen the photos, and of course you want the full version. Our job is to make as much of that work as possible without draining the week or giving you false hope.

The honest answer: 10 to 14 days for both islands

The distances are the problem — not on the map, but in your afternoons. The highlights of a combined route sit at the four corners of two islands: Bonifacio and Porto-Vecchio in south Corsica, Ajaccio and the Scandola coastline in the west, La Maddalena and Porto Cervo on the Sardinian side. Connect them all in 7 days and your week becomes a delivery schedule. You will see everything and enjoy very little of it.

A charter earns its money at anchor: the long lunch in a bay you have to yourselves, the second swim because nobody is in a hurry. In our experience, a route that protects those hours needs 10 days as a minimum for both islands, and 14 if you want the west coast of Corsica included without ever checking your watch.

What one week actually buys you

A 7-night charter here is not a consolation prize — it is enough for one of three genuinely good routes.

South Corsica. Porto-Vecchio, Palombaggia and Rondinara, the Lavezzi islands, and the arrival every client remembers: entering Bonifacio under the limestone cliffs. Compact, calm, and very hard to beat for families.

North Sardinia. An Olbia-to-Olbia loop through the La Maddalena archipelago and the Costa Smeralda. Pearl-white beaches, some of the best swimming and diving in the Mediterranean, and Porto Cervo when you want the scene.

The strait combination. Our most-booked compromise: one week, both islands, no backtracking — Porto-Vecchio down through Bonifacio and the Lavezzi, across to La Maddalena, finishing on the Costa Smeralda and flying home from Olbia. We published the exact route in our 8-day Porto-Vecchio to Olbia itinerary. One guest group on a catamaran summed this area up better than we could: the boat was comfortable, the chef cooked better than a nice restaurant, and they were still able to stretch out to Bonifacio.

Three fixes when your list is bigger than your week

This is where we spend most of our planning conversations, and there is almost always a workable version.

Cut a coast, not the trip. The first thing we usually remove is the west coast of Corsica. Not because it is not spectacular — it is — but because it adds the most miles for the fewest anchor hours on a short charter. It becomes the reason to come back.

Go one-way. Ending in a different port than you started saves a full day of sailing back over water you have already seen. One-ways depend on the yacht’s schedule and can carry a repositioning fee, but on a 7-day two-island route the day you win is usually worth it.

Take a faster yacht. A motor yacht cruising at 15 knots covers in 2 hours what a sailing catamaran does in 5. That difference is an entire afternoon at anchor, every travel day. It is the single biggest lever on an ambitious route — with one honest caveat: you will feel the speed in your fuel bill when the APA is reconciled. We compare the trade-offs properly in our motor yacht vs catamaran guide.

The 10-day version: the classic Olbia loop

Ten days is where the combined charter starts to breathe, and the route we plan most often runs from Olbia — a genuinely good airport with connections from both the US and Europe, minutes from the marinas.

From Olbia: Porto Cervo for the Costa Smeralda evening, then two unhurried days in the La Maddalena islands — we call them the Caribbean of the Mediterranean, and the diving there backs it up. Cross the strait to Corsica, take the coast up toward Ajaccio, and save Bonifacio for the finale: the entrance below the limestone cliffs is the single strongest arrival anywhere on either island. Then an easy run back to Olbia.

Bonifacio is the finale we plan routes around: the entrance below the limestone cliffs is the strongest arrival on either island.

It is also the route with the best small pleasures — a croissant and espresso in Corsica in the morning, an authentic pizza in north Sardinia by the afternoon. Two countries, one charter. And what the 10-day budget buys you is the thing one week cannot: mornings with no plan. See what a route like this costs all-in before you settle on dates.

The 14-day version: when the trip becomes the summer

Fourteen days adds the west coast of Corsica properly: the Scandola reserve’s volcanic cliffs from the water, Girolata — a village with no road to it — and Calvi in the north if you want a polished harbor evening. Nothing on this version is a passage day in disguise. If you are choosing between a bigger yacht for 10 days and a slightly simpler yacht for 14, on this route we would usually take the days.

One mistake to avoid: starting somewhere else entirely

Every season we see itineraries that begin in Naples or on the Italian mainland and end in Sardinia. On paper it looks efficient. On the water, there is not much to see in between, and you will burn a surprising amount of money on fuel getting through it. Fly to Corsica or Sardinia and start your charter where the cruising is — Bonifacio and its neighbors deserve those hours far more than open water does.

Frequently asked questions

Is 7 days enough for Corsica and Sardinia?

Not for both islands done properly — that takes 10 to 14 days. What 7 days does well is one island, or the south-Corsica + La Maddalena combination across the strait, ideally as a one-way so no day is spent backtracking.

Where should a combined Corsica–Sardinia charter start?

Olbia for loop routes — it has the best flight connections and sits right by the marinas. Porto-Vecchio (fly into Figari) is the natural start for a one-way toward Sardinia.

Do we need a permit for the La Maddalena islands?

Yes — the archipelago is a national park with an entry permit based on boat length, bought online before arrival. Your crew arranges it; it is not something you handle yourself.

Is the crossing between Corsica and Sardinia rough?

The Bonifacio strait can be windy — kitesurfers rate it for a reason. It is also short: about 11 km at the narrowest point. Your captain picks the calm window, usually early in the day, and the crossing is over before lunch.

Tell us your dates and your must-see list

We will tell you honestly what fits in your week — and the cleanest way to get the rest. Sometimes that means cutting one stop. Sometimes it means a one-way. Sometimes it means a faster yacht. There is almost always a version that works.

Send us your dates and wish list and we will come back with real routes and a yacht shortlist, not theory.