Sardinia & Corsica - Luxury Sail, E-Bike & Hike

Day 1: Sardinia | Arrival in Olbia
Day 2: Corsica, 8.7 mi (14 km) | Hike, 1.9 mi (3 km)
Day 3: Mediterranean Sea | Sailing Day
Day 4: Elba, 1.9 mi (3 km) | Hike around Cape Enfola
Day 5: Corsica, 21.7 mi (35 km) | Bike tour through Balagne
Day 6: Sardinia | Arrival in Alghero
Day 7: Sardinia, 3.1 mi (5 km) | Hike along the coast west of Alghero
Day 8: Sardinia, 25.5 mi (41 km) | Bike tour along Costa Smeralda
Day 9: Sardinia | Disembarkation in Olbia

The planned route may change at any time due to nautical, weather, or organizational factors. For your safety, the captain may alter the course.

Day 1: Sardinia | Arrival in Olbia
Board the Sea Cloud Spirit in Olbia, the gateway to Sardinia’s northeast. Before embarkation, visit the granite ruins of Castello di Pedres, perched on a hilltop with views over the Gallura landscape, where vineyards stretch toward the coast and olive groves blanket the hills. Olbia's history dates back to Phoenician times and its Romanesque basilicas and archeological museums reflect its layered past. This port is also your entry point to the Costa Smeralda, one of Europe’s most exclusive coastal stretches, known for its turquoise bays and sun-bleached beaches. Enjoy a welcome aboard on one of the world’s most elegant windjammers, with polished teak decks, attentive crew, and full sails overhead.

Day 2: Corsica, 8.7 mi (14 km) | Hike, 1.9 mi (3 km)
Sail into Corsica through the Bocche di Bonifacio, a strait often called the "Mediterranean’s Fjord". As the Sea Cloud Spirit glides past sheer chalk cliffs rising more than 200 feet, you’ll understand why ancient sailors once believed this area was sacred.

Arrive in Bonifacio, a fortress town built directly into the limestone cliffs. Climb the famed "Stairs of the King of Aragon," a hand-cut 14th-century staircase carved into the rock face, and reach the medieval citadel. From here, cycle along a clifftop road with open views toward Sardinia, passing wild herbs and windswept scrub clinging to the rocky headlands. At Cap de Pertusatu, continue on foot to reach Corsica’s southern tip, where the silence, broken only by surf and wind, creates a setting untouched by modern tourism. In the evening, explore Bonifacio’s upper town, where stone archways and Genoese fortifications line narrow lanes still inhabited by the descendants of seafarers and soldiers.

Day 3: Mediterranean Sea | Sailing Day
Spend the day under full sail on the elegant Sea Cloud Spirit. With no engines running, the experience is remarkably quiet—just the sound of canvas, wind, and water. Lounge in deck chairs as the ship's professional crew climbs the rigging and maneuvers more than 4,000 square feet of sail by hand. This is true seafaring, rarely offered in modern cruising, and a throwback to a golden age of exploration.

Day 4: Elba, 1.9 mi (3 km) | Hike around Cape Enfola
Elba is best known as Napoleon’s place of exile, but it holds far more than a historical footnote. Hike around Cape Enfola in the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano, where WWII bunkers hide among cliffs and Mediterranean scrub. The trail winds past cypress trees and groves of wild olive, opening to dramatic sea cliffs and secluded pebble coves. This protected headland offers expansive views across the Tuscan Archipelago and, on clear days, all the way to Corsica. The hiking route passes through areas where tuna were once processed and exported by hand, part of a local tradition that dates back to Roman times.

In Portoferraio, explore Medici-era fortresses, a museum dedicated to Napoleon’s short rule, and a harbor that still welcomes traditional fishing boats. Few islands combine geological beauty, wartime history, and imperial legacy as densely as Elba.

Day 5: Corsica, 21.7 mi (35 km) | Bike tour through Balagne
Sail back to northern Corsica and disembark in Calvi, once a stronghold of the Genoese navy. From here, ride into the interior of the Balagne region—a landscape Corsicans call their "Garden of Eden". Olive trees here are over 1,000 years old and still harvested in family-run groves, and the hillsides are laced with vineyards and fragrant orange orchards.

Pass through stone villages like Sant’Antonino, often cited as one of France’s most beautiful, perched nearly 1,600 feet above sea level. The ride offers uninterrupted views where the turquoise sea meets steep, rocky cliffs. End the ride at Plage de l’Arinella, a sheltered cove known mostly to locals, and swim in water so clear it reflects the surrounding cliffs and sky.

Day 6: Sardinia | Arrival in Alghero
Sail south to Sardinia, arriving in the fortified city of Alghero. Known as “Barceloneta” (Little Barcelona), Alghero was part of the Crown of Aragon, and a Catalan dialect is still spoken today. A guided walking tour reveals Catalan Gothic churches, 16th-century sea walls, and quiet courtyards shaded by ancient olive trees and climbing bougainvillea.

This is one of the few places in Italy where Spanish, Roman, and Sardinian cultures visibly overlap in architecture and cuisine. You may notice coral jewelry in shop windows—Alghero is still a center for red coral harvesting, a tradition dating to the Phoenicians.

Day 7: Sardinia, 3.1 mi (5 km) | Hike along the coast west of Alghero
Hike through the Mediterranean maquis west of Alghero, where trails lead to hidden coves once used by fishermen and smugglers. The maquis is Sardinia’s signature landscape—thick with wild rosemary, thyme, and myrtle. The scent of herbs fills the air as you walk past sea cliffs and wind-sculpted stone.

Along the way, keep an eye out for peregrine falcons and wild orchids. Stop at a secluded bay for a swim in turquoise water framed by steep cliffs. You may also pass the remains of nuraghe, mysterious Bronze Age towers that still dot the Sardinian hillsides. Return to the Sea Cloud Spirit as it departs under sail toward the northeast.

Day 8: Sardinia, 25.5 mi (41 km) | Bike tour along Costa Smeralda
Cycle along the Costa Smeralda, developed in the 1960s by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV into a retreat for royals, film stars, and billionaires. Ride past quiet coves and white-sand beaches, then turn inland toward San Pantaleo, a village tucked among granite peaks and twisted rock formations known as tafoni.

The road winds through olive groves, vineyards, and stands of cypress and oleander. In San Pantaleo, visit open-air studios where artists create ceramics and paintings inspired by the surrounding hills. The village is built around a stone piazza shaded by trees and filled with local life. Ride back toward Porto Cervo, ending the day with a swim in one of the region’s clear, aquamarine bays.

That evening, enjoy a farewell dinner aboard the Sea Cloud Spirit, anchored in one of the most serene and beautiful harbors on the island.

Day 9: Sardinia | Disembarkation in Olbia
Transfer to Olbia airport for return flights, or choose to extend your stay in Sardinia with inland explorations, vineyard tours, or a few more days on the island’s quieter southern coast.

• Sea Cloud Spirit

  Deluxe

  ?

  View Boat

  Deluxe Class Sailing Ship

  Electric Bike

  Kreidler, Velo de Ville, or similar … • Aluminum step-through frame … • Upright riding position … • Shimano Nexus 5-speed freewheel … • Comfort Selle Royal gel saddle … • Shimano disc brakes … •… Read More

  This luxury sailing vessel deserves a category of its own! The 5-star three-mast fully rigged ship meets the highest standards, including the special details and extras that are included on board this exclusive yacht. Read More