Porto Rotondo, Sardinia: a travel guide for visitors

Visit Porto Rotondo

Porto Rotondo is a small town in a nice setting on the north-east coast of Sardinia, about 15 kilometres north of Olbia.

Discover Porto Rotondo

Italy This Way review: it will only take you an hour or two to explore Porto Rotondo, but it is a pleasant town to explore, with a picturesque harbour and a small town centre

Small footbridge on the harbour in Porto Rotondo

The centre of Porto Rotondo is dominated by the large port area and harbour, that occupy much of the town centre. It is here that you will start your visit, with a walk around the edge of the harbour, admiring the boats (all quite small) and the scenery.

The harbour is surrounded on most sides by small hills, with many small villas, and larger hills beyond. About halfway around the harbour there is a small footbridge, a popular spot with photographers, from where you can reach the small square called Piazza San Marco, and then follow a small lane to reach Piazza Casbah, a small but picturesque square overlooked by tall houses.

From Piazza Marco you can also follow a path from the rear of the square that leads through a small garden to reach the Church of San Lorenzo. Unlike most churches in Italy, this is quite a recent building, in a contemporary style with an interesting facade and belltower.

Inside the church you can see some lovely woodcarvings such as the vaulted ceiling and various other artworks.

Beaches of Porto Rotondo

Although there are no beaches easily accessible on foot from the centre of Porto Rotondo, there are several that are only a few kilometres from the town, including the small pretty beach called the Spiaggia di Shirley Bassey* (north of the town); and larger beaches such as the Spiaggia di Villa Certosa (to the east of the town) and the Spiaggia di Ira (to the west of the town).

* The Spiaggia di Shirley Bassey is named for the famous 20th century singer of the same name, who used to spend her summer holidays at Porto Rotondo in the 1970s.

Main square in the centre of Porto Rotondo

Attractions nearby

The most popular destinations in this area are on the Maddelena Archipelago, to the north-west of Porto Rotondo and where you can see very beautiful coastal scenery and some of the loveliest beaches on Sardinia, as well as the beautiful village of La Maddalena.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Sardinia guide.