Yacht Charter

The Best Beach Clubs on the Costa Smeralda, Northern Sardinia

Costa Smeralda is Sardinia’s white-hot jet set destination. An unspoiled stretch of the rugged Mediterranean island’s northern shoreline, with incredible aquamarine waters. Barefoot luxury was invented here. The beach clubs are legendary and a few you can reach only by boat. Here are the ones we recommend dropping anchor for.

By Y.CO Charter Expert Ben Wakeley

06 July 2026

A boat with people on board cruises across the blue water in the foreground, with a tree-covered coastline and hills in the background.

Flags wave in the foreground as a sunset illuminates a bay filled with boats and a lively gathering on the shore.

Forte Cappellini, Baja Sardinia

1. Phi Beach

The undisputed king of the Costa Smeralda sunset. Phi Beach is built into the weathered granite of a 19th-century military fortress — Forte Cappellini — and what happens here each evening, as the sun drops behind the Maddalena archipelago, is one of the great spectacles of the Mediterranean summer. The DJ lineup is serious. The restaurant is Luciano's, relaunched in 2025 with a new concept celebrating coastal and inland Sardinian culinary traditions; daily catch, seasonal vegetables, refined wine list. Nammos returns to Phi Beach this summer bringing together vibrant dining with world class music and that unmistakable Nammos vibe. Season runs late May to early September.

Access

By car; a short drive from Porto Cervo, or boat. Phi Beach offers a free tender service.

Delve into some of the worlds best beaches

Cala Petra Ruja, Arzachena

2. Nikki Beach Costa Smeralda

Nikki Beach sits in the protected bay of Cala Petra Ruja, accessible only by sea, and the arrival by yacht or tender (straight to the club’s private dock) leads directly to a secluded paradise. Totally renovated for 2025, new beachfront layout, expanded lounge, extra cabanas. Chef Andrea Cirrone runs the kitchen where local Italian produce meets the global Nikki Beach repertoire of fresh seafood, sushi and lobster alla Catalana. The music is always right. For an evening drink in town, Nikki Beach also runs a seasonal pop-up bar at the Porto Cervo Waterfront. Season: June to September.

Access 

Private yacht only, or dedicated shuttle service.

Your Guide to Porto Cervo

White umbrellas and lounge chairs dot a sandy beach in the foreground, leading to a calm turquoise bay with a wooden pier and a boat, all set against a backdrop of lush green hills under a clear blue sky.

A white speedboat leaves a swirling white wake in the crystal-clear turquoise water of a bay, with a tree-covered coastline and distant mountains under a bright sky in the background.

In the foreground, clear turquoise water laps against a rocky shore dotted with white cabanas, while the background features a vibrant orange building nestled amongst lush green foliage and rolling hills under a cloudy sky.

Località Li Mucchi Bianchi, Baja Sardinia

3. Cone Club at 7Pines Resort

Part of 7Pines Resort Sardinia (Destination by Hyatt), overlooking the protected waters of the Maddalena Archipelago. What sets Cone Club apart is its reach: open 11am to 1am, an array of watersports on hand and ambitions that extend well beyond a beach bar. Michelin starred chef Pasquale D'Ambrosio runs the kitchen. The starting point is always Sardinia, but the cuisine travels. The menu is lighter and sea-facing: the day's catch, Mediterranean plates, Sardinian produce handled simply. Daybeds, cabanas, full watersports programme and DJ sets at sunset. The private pier makes this an easy yacht call for guests anchored off Baja Sardinia.

Access

Via 7Pines Resort by land, or private yacht/tender to the club's own pier.

Poltu Quatu, Arzachena

4. Verde Beach Club

Verde Beach is the Sardinian outpost of an international brand with clubs in Paris, Saint-Tropez, and Dubai (New York in the pipeline). It sits in a secluded cove at Poltu Quatu, accessible only by water — which is, frankly, the right way to arrive. The interiors are stylishly crafted: marble, macramé, nautical rope, and teak, layered together to evoke the ultimate in barefoot, relaxed luxe. Executive Chef Yannick Plassart (the culinary force behind Verde's Saint-Tropez and Paris operations) brings a menu rooted in Mediterranean sharing plates with a distinctly French Riviera sensibility. Worth booking ahead.

Access

Boat only — nautical shuttle from Poltu Quatu Marina, or private yacht.

Weathered wooden structures frame a serene beach scene with lounge chairs and umbrellas in the foreground, leading to a calm ocean with yachts in the background.

"Costa Smeralda was made for yacht charter. The best lunches, sunsets and beach clubs all begin with a tender ride ashore."

- Ben Wakeley , Yacht Charter

A person floats in clear turquoise water with a rocky, green hillside in the background, while another person rests on a colorful towel in the foreground.

Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel

5. Hotel Romazzino Beach

Romazzino Bay has been synonymous with Sardinian elegance since the 1960s, and the Belmond hotel's beach still delivers on that original promise. The bay faces slightly east, which makes it naturally sheltered, unusually calm waters for the Costa Smeralda. Restaurant Entu e Mari serves a seasonal seafood buffet overlooking the sea; the Beach Bar handles coffees, ice creams, and informal bites. From the private dock: SUP, kayaking, water skiing, dinghy rides, and a tender service for coast exploration. One of the few clubs where the sport is taken as seriously as the sunbathing.

Access

Hotel's private beach and dock — tender from yacht.

Explore Corsica to the Costa Smeralda

Spiaggia Liscia Ruja, Arzachena

6. White Beach Club

The original. White Beach Club has been on Liscia Ruja since the early 1980s, which makes it something of a Costa Smeralda institution. No international brands, no residencies, no DJ-mag rankings. What it has is a long beach of pale sand, clear waters, and a kitchen that knows how to wrangle a fresh catch: oysters, lobster alla Catalana, proper Sardinian seafood. For an afternoon of uncomplicated, authentic beach-club Sardinia this is the place.

Access

Direct from Liscia Ruja beach.

White lounge chairs and umbrellas line a sandy beach with calm blue water and distant green hills under a clear sky.

A vibrant fruit platter with pastries sits on a white surface in front of plush pillows and towels embroidered with "Verde Beach."

A beautifully set outdoor dining table with woven chairs and floral arrangements in the foreground is set against a backdrop of white beach umbrellas and the ocean under a thatched roof.

A sandy beach with a wooden path leads to a beachfront cafe with orange umbrellas, set against a clear blue sky.

Hotel Cala di Volpe, Arzachena

7. African Queen

The French Riviera lands in Sardinia. African Queen has held its spot on the seafront at Beaulieu-sur-Mer for decades, with a more recent address in Dubai, and now on the Costa Smeralda. It sits on the sand below Hotel Cala di Volpe, and it brings its Côte d'Azur kitchen with it. The menu runs to the 1969 Truffle Pizza, Grandma's Niçoise Salad, an old-fashioned artichoke and truffle salad, daily catch from the bay, giant camarones and serious grilled meats. One thing worth knowing before you go: the hotel's beach is not actually at the hotel. It's a short boat shuttle or a coastal walk away, which makes arriving by tender the obvious move. Anchor in Cala di Volpe bay, jump in the tender and step onto the sand.

Access

Tender straight to the beach, or the hotel's boat shuttle.

Your Guide to Cala Di Volpe

Hotel Cala Di Volpe, A luxury Collection Hotel, Costa Smeralda

8. Cala di Volpe Barbecue

This final suggestion is not actually a beach club but it’s an unmissable Costa Smeralda culinary experience. Here’s why Cala di Volpe Barbecue needs to be on your Sardinian itinerary. Set within Hotel Cala di Volpe, which stretches across the emerald bay, this luxe location feels more like a timeless village than a hotel. Lavish lunch buffets presented on Sardinian marble feature local delicacies; from fresh seafood to homemade pasta. Trust us. You’ll love it.

Access

Tender to the hotel's private dock, or by car via Porto Cervo.

A bright blue swimming pool is in the foreground, with a restaurant featuring white-clothed tables and yellow umbrellas in the midground, and a building with arched windows and hills in the background.

Discover Sardinia's most beautiful anchorages and shores.

More of Sardinia Awaits

Explore Yacht Charter in Sardinia

Explore Further

A vibrant cityscape of colorful buildings overlooks a harbor filled with boats at dusk.

Destination

Sardinia

On Sardinia, life’s a beach. 600 sprinkles of golden sand curl alongside topaz seas. Trendy? Outside the superyacht hub of Porto Cervo it’s the 19th century.

Find out more