Getting Here from Olbia Airport

Most guests arrive through Olbia Costa Smeralda airport (OLB), about thirty minutes' drive away. The journey is straightforward, but there are two things worth knowing before you set off: you will want a car, and the final approach can confuse satellite navigation.

From the airport

Olbia airport sits just south of the city. Leaving the airport, follow signs for the SS125 north towards Arzachena. The road runs inland through low hills and granite country, past Cannigione and Baja Sardinia turnoffs, before you branch towards Porto Cervo and Santa Teresina.

Total driving time is roughly 30 minutes outside peak season, a little longer in August when traffic around Porto Cervo builds in the late afternoon.

Why you need a car

This is the single most important piece of practical advice. Santa Teresina is a hillside residential area, not a town with services within walking distance. Beaches are ten to fifteen minutes away, restaurants and shops slightly less. Taxis exist but are expensive and not reliably available on demand, particularly late in the evening.

Book your hire car in advance for July and August — availability at Olbia gets very tight and prices rise sharply for last-minute bookings.

Any standard car is fine. You don't need a 4x4, but the final stretch involves a winding uphill road, so something you're comfortable manoeuvring is worth having.

A note on satellite navigation

Several guests have mentioned that mapping apps — Apple Maps in particular — can be imprecise on the final approach into Santa Teresina. The area has unnamed private lanes and the postal address doesn't always resolve to the exact gate.

The reliable method is to use the GPS coordinates rather than the address, and we send precise arrival instructions with photos of the turnoff before every stay. If anything looks wrong on the last few hundred metres, call us — we'll talk you in. It happens often enough that we're used to it.

Ferries

If you'd rather bring your own car, ferries run to Olbia from Civitavecchia, Livorno and Genoa, and to Golfo Aranci from Livorno. Crossings are longer than flying but let you arrive with your own vehicle, which some families find easier for a longer stay. Book well ahead for August.

Arriving late

Late arrivals are not a problem — we'll be there to meet you and show you around whatever the hour. Just let us know the flight and we'll adjust.