Private transfer from Alghero-Fertilia Airport to Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda runs along Sardinia's northeast coast, developed from the 1960s under the Aga Khan's consortium. Porto Cervo is the centre, with its marina, the Piazzetta shopping arcades and hotels like Cala di Volpe, Romazzino and Pitrizza. Beaches draw the biggest crowds: Spiaggia del Principe, Capriccioli, Liscia Ruja and Romazzino sit within the granite coves, while Baja Sardinia and Cannigione are more relaxed. Golfers head to Pevero Golf Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones. July and August bring yacht crowds and clubs like Billionaire and Phi Beach; June and September are quieter and warmer for swimming than most expect. Porto Rotondo, just south, is a separate small resort worth knowing if your villa address says so.

This is a long transfer across the island, coast to coast. From Alghero-Fertilia the route runs inland via the SS291 to Sassari, then joins the Sassari–Olbia corridor (the modernised SS729/SS199 dual carriageway) that carries you most of the way east. This central stretch is fast and mostly straightforward, passing rolling inland country rather than coast. Near Olbia you turn north toward Golfo Aranci and the coast road to Porto Cervo, where the final approach becomes more winding as it climbs through granite hills and the resort's scattered entrances. Expect around three hours in total. It's noticeably longer than arriving via Olbia's own airport, so build the time into your plans, especially for evening arrivals.

Because the drive is close to three hours, confirm your exact villa or hotel entrance in advance — Porto Cervo, Cala di Volpe, Romazzino and Baja Sardinia each have separate access roads, and GPS pins in the resort are often imprecise. Bring water and consider a stop; there are service areas along the Sassari–Olbia route. Most travellers to Costa Smeralda actually fly into Olbia (OLB), so choosing Alghero usually means a low-cost flight or a west-coast itinerary; a private car makes the crossing painless with luggage. If you have a late arrival, pre-book, since local taxis rarely wait for this distance. Villa renters should share gate codes and the caretaker's number with the driver, as many properties sit behind private lanes off the SP94 coast road.