Olbia

The ferries to Olbia reach the seaports in the gulf of the city in the north-east of Sardinia: the port of Olbia, one of the most important passenger ports in the entire Mediterranean (the ro-pax ships for the transport of passengers also with cars in tow dock precisely in the Isola Bianca port area) and the port of Golfo Aranci.

The two harbours are just half an hour's sailing distance from each other and they are both gateways to the Costa Smeralda. Both the municipality of Olbia and the municipality of Golfo Aranci (Figari in Sardinian), whose gulf is included in that of the former, belong to the Olbia-Tempio Homogeneous Zone of the Province of Sassari, in Gallura.

The annual maritime lines to the port of Olbia Isola Bianca originate from Civitavecchia and Livorno, while the seasonal ones from Genoa and Piombino.

The Civitavecchia - Olbia line is active daily all year round and is served annually by Tirrenia, seasonally by Grimaldi Lines and Grandi Navi Veloci.

The Livorno - Olbia line is available daily throughout the year thanks to the shipping companies Grimaldi Lines and Moby.

The Genoa - Olbia line operates exclusively in high season with Moby and GNV.

The Piombino - Olbia line can only be used in very high season (Moby).

The maritime lines to the port of Golfo Aranci originate from Genoa and Livorno and they are seasonal.

The Genoa - Golfo Aranci line is operated on weekends in July and August by the Moby company.

The Livorno - Golfo Aranci line (usable from May to September) is operated by Corsica Ferries Sardinia Ferries.

And here are the historical-cultural characteristics and salient points of interest of the area.

A prominent commercial and military outpost during the Roman period, Olbia (from the Greek ólbios = lucky, happy, prosperous) experienced a real tourist boom starting from the 1960s, when Northern Sardinia began to become a destination for a huge holiday flow. Over the decades, this trend continued to grow considerably, determining the fortunes not only of Gallura, but also of the entire island.

Due to its strategic position and the presence of a well-articulated port area, Olbia has become the main access route to other renowned locations located in the northern part of Sardinia (Porto Rotondo, Golfo Aranci, Porto Cervo, Santa Teresa di Gallura etc.), easily reachable also thanks to the buses that cross the length and breadth of the Gallura hinterland every day. 

The international vocation of the city is strongly encouraged by the presence, just 4 kilometers from the city center, of the Olbia-Costa Smeralda airport, which allows tourists from all over the world to reach their holiday destination without having to make an excessive number of intermediate stopovers. From the airport then the buses that take vacationers to the chosen destination leave.

The Olbia territory, as well as the rest of Gallura, is full of places that take your breath away: among these, the beaches of Cugnana, Rena Bianca, Razza de Juncu, Marinella. And then the beach of the Sassi, that of the Algae and that of Ira. In Pittulongu, a fraction of the Municipality of Olbia, you can admire, among others, the Playa beach. Moving south, finally, we find the Lido del Sole, Porto Istana, Le Saline and much more.