Isola Rossa

The anchorage of Isola Rossa is one of the very few in the area to be protected from the mistral and is located in the northwest part of the Sardinian coast in the locality of Trinità d’Agultu e Vignola in the Province of Olbia-Tempio. Isola Rossa is between Castelsardo and Costa Paradiso above a small promontory where a 16th-century Spanish tower stands. The town is surrounded by a cliff with many coves, and to the north are the two promontories of Isola Rossa and Punta Li Canneddi.

There are some lovely beaches along the coast, including the Marinedda beach set among red porphyry rocks. Facing the coast is the Red Island, after which the town is named, as well as the typical red rocks that abound along the coast. The bay’s natural inlet has always been a safe harbor, and in 1595 the Spanish built a watchtower there to protect it from Saracen pirates.

Since the 1960s, the whole area has become a tourist destination and has developed to the present day with hotels, clubs, and accommodations of all kinds. The port is located south of the tower and has two piers: a southwest-facing, two-armed sub-billow pier and a south, southeast-facing, cranked over-billow pier. In addition, there are a number of floating docks that allow the mooring of nearly 500 berths.

The seabed in the anchorages ranges from 10 to 50 meters, while in the quay it reaches up to 7 meters, and it is forbidden to enter the port at a speed greater than 3 knots. The pier intended for recreational and transit boats is Pier H, and the port is managed by the Union of Municipalities Alta Gallura, which should be contacted via VHF 9 or by phone 393-9230804 before approaching. In the northern part of the harbor’s east coast, the seabed is very shallow and generally throughout the anchorage is mixed rock and sand.

The port is equipped with all possible services and is used as a starting point for excursions in Gallura. The town is rich in tourist attractions because it thrives on tourism thanks to the splendid area in terms of landscape, architecture and history. To the west of Isola Rossa is the Gulf of Asinara with Porto Torres and to the east is Santa Teresa di Gallura. In between are a whole series of coves with wild, unspoiled beaches reachable only by sea. If a very strong mistral wind blows you may encounter some difficulty in maneuvering when entering the port of Isola Rossa.