Guide · Best time

Tavolara meteo and the best month to go by boat

The sea around Tavolara is at its friendliest in early summer and early autumn, but heat, wind and the bathing season all shift the answer. Here are the long-term figures for Olbia and what they mean for your boat day.

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Editorial team, tavolaraboattour.comUpdated October 20, 20266-minute read12 sources

The tour for this guide Tavolara boat tour with snorkeling 4.9 (1,145 reviews) 4 hoursFrom the MOYS marina, OlbiaSnorkel gear included from$87per person Check availabilityFree to cancel until 24 hrs before your boat

Quick answer

01Sweet spot: June and September: highs of 28.7 °C and 27.9 °C with few rainy days.¹
02Hottest: July and August, with highs of 31.9 °C and about 24 to 25 days of 30 °C or more.¹ ²
03Bathing season: From the third week of May to the third week of September.³
04Wind: About 13 to 18 days a month with wind of 10 m/s or more, all year.⁴
05Wettest: November, with 87 mm of rain over 9 rainy days.¹

Where the figures come from

Tavolara has no weather station of its own, so this guide uses the long-term averages of the nearest one: the World Meteorological Organization's climate normals for Olbia, station 16531, at 11 m above sea level, averaged over 1991 to 2020.⁵ ¹ The station stands on the mainland near Olbia, on the same stretch of coast as the island.

These are averages, not a forecast. A single summer can be hotter or windier than any number here, and a single day can be very different from its month. Use the table to choose a month, then check a local forecast a few days before your trip and keep a spare day in case the sea is rough. Averages also hide the spread between years, so treat every figure as a guide to the season rather than a promise for your dates.

One figure you will not find here is the temperature of the sea. No official station publishes it for the waters around Tavolara, so rather than repeat a number from an unofficial source, this guide sticks to the air temperature, the rain, the wind and the official bathing season, which together tell you most of what matters.

The coastal year

When Sardinia's coast opens and closes

1 April

Summer season opens

Beach and boating concessions may operate again.⁶
Third week of May

Bathing season starts

The official start of the beach summer.³
June

Longest days

About 15.1 hours of daylight at mid-month.¹
July and August

Peak heat

About 24 to 25 days of 30 °C or more.²
Third week of September

Bathing season ends

Warm days still follow.³
31 October

Summer season closes

Coastal concessions end for the year.⁶

Spring: April and May

Sardinia's summer season for beach and boating concessions opens on 1 April, so services along the coast come back to life in spring.⁶ In April the average high at Olbia is 19.6 °C and the low 8 °C, with about 6 days of at least 1 mm of rain.¹

May is noticeably warmer, with an average high of 23.8 °C and only about 4 rainy days.¹ The official bathing season begins in the third week of May, which marks the start of the classic beach summer.³ Days are long already: the sun is above the horizon for about 14.4 hours in mid-May.¹

Spring suits travelers who prefer fresh air to heat and do not mind cooler water. Bring a warm layer for the ride back, because a boat at speed feels much colder than the beach, and check that your chosen tour runs so early in the year before you plan around it. In spring the hills behind the beaches are at their greenest, and a boat day can be paired with a walk on the coast while the air is still mild.

Month by month

Daylight and rainy days at Olbia

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Bars show the dark hours of a mid-month day and the line the days with at least 1 mm of rain, from WMO normals for Olbia, 1991 to 2020.¹

The boating months

April to October at Olbia

Month	High / low	Rainy days	Windy days	Days 30 °C+
April	19.6 / 8 °C	6	15.89	0
May	23.8 / 11.4 °C	4	14.89	0.87
June	28.7 / 15.7 °C	2	14.25	9.84
July	31.9 / 18.9 °C	1	15.36	23.64
August	31.9 / 18.9 °C	2	13.04	24.58
September	27.9 / 15.9 °C	4	13.25	6.60
October	23.6 / 12.2 °C	6	13.09	0.54

WMO normals for Olbia, 1991 to 2020: rainy days have at least 1 mm, windy days wind of 10 m/s or more, hot days a high of 30 °C or more; mean days per month.¹ ⁴ ²

Three seasons

Early summer, high summer or early autumn

Longest days

June

Early summer

High: 28.7 °C
Rainy days: 2
Daylight: 15.1 hrs

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Hottest and driest

July and August

High summer

High: 31.9 °C
Days 30 °C+: About 24 to 25
Rainy days: 1 to 2

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Warm, calmer

September

Early autumn

High: 27.9 °C
Rainy days: 4
Bathing: To week 3

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Decision helper

Which month suits you?

Start from what you want least

I do not like strong heat I want the driest weeks I want the longest days I want the beach season in full I want mild air and quiet

June or September

Highs of 28.7 °C and 27.9 °C.¹

July

About 1 rainy day and 8 mm of rain.¹

June

About 15.1 hours of daylight in mid-June.¹

Late May to September

The official bathing season.³

Late May or early October

Highs of 23.8 °C in May and 23.6 °C in October.¹

The bathing season, included in the summer season as defined above, is set from the third week of May to the third week of September every year.

Regione Autonoma della SardegnaSource 3

Early summer: June

June is a strong choice for a Tavolara boat day. The average high reaches 28.7 °C, the low 15.7 °C, and only about 2 days in the month bring at least 1 mm of rain.¹ Mid-June has the longest days of the year, with the sun above the horizon for about 15.1 hours.¹

Heat is building but not yet at its peak. Olbia averages about 10 days of 30 °C or more in June, against about 24 in July and 25 in August.² That leaves plenty of comfortable mornings for swimming and snorkeling.

Wind is present all year, and June is no exception, with about 14 days of wind of 10 m/s or more on average.⁴ Strong wind of 20 m/s or more is rare in summer, under one day a month from May to October.⁷ Skippers simply pick sheltered coves when the breeze is up. A windy day is not always a lost day: one operator from Olbia says it favours stops in sheltered coves to reduce the chance of cancelling.

Checklist

Packing by season

Spring and autumn

A warm layer for the ride back
A towel that dries fast
Check the tour runs that early or late

High summer

A hat, sunglasses and strong sunscreen
Extra water for the boat
A morning departure to beat the heat

Video

Sardinia in Spring | The Best time to Visit Sardinia Italy | Sardinia Travel Vlog

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High summer: July and August

July and August are the hottest months at Olbia, with average highs of 31.9 °C in both and lows of 18.9 °C.¹ They are also the driest: about 1 rainy day in July and 2 in August, with 8 mm and 9 mm of rain in the month.¹

Expect real heat. On average about 24 days in July and 25 in August reach 30 °C or more.² On a boat the sea breeze helps, but the sun on deck is strong. A morning trip that is back by early afternoon is easier on the body than a full day in the open. This site's tour leaves at 9:30 AM and is back at 1:30 PM. In July there is also the island's film festival, Una notte in Italia, whose 36th edition ran from 14 to 19 July 2026 with evening boats from Porto San Paolo.⁸ ⁹

High summer is also when some beaches near San Teodoro need a booking: Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu from 1 June to 30 September.¹⁰ Book your boat as soon as your dates are firm, and use free cancellation as your safety net.

Early autumn: September and October

September keeps most of summer's warmth with an average high of 27.9 °C and a low of 15.9 °C, and about 4 rainy days.¹ The bathing season runs until the third week of the month.³ About 7 days in September still reach 30 °C or more.²

October turns gentler, with an average high of 23.6 °C, but rain becomes more frequent: about 6 days with at least 1 mm and 62 mm in the month.¹ The regional summer season for coastal concessions ends on 31 October.⁶ Autumn has a bonus for wildlife lovers: a five-year study at a fish farm on the north-east coast of Sardinia found that bottlenose dolphins were present there most often in autumn.¹¹ ¹²

Early autumn suits travelers who like warm air but not the peak heat of August. The light is softer, the days are still long enough for a full morning on the water, and the sun is kinder on an open deck. Pack a light jacket for the return crossing.

Winter, and how to choose your month

From November to March the coast is quiet. November is the wettest month, with 87 mm of rain over about 9 days, and January's average high is 14.3 °C.¹ Days are short too: about 9.5 hours of daylight in mid-January.¹ Check whether your chosen boat runs at all in the cooler months before you plan a winter visit around it.

To choose, start from what you dislike most. If heat bothers you, pick June or September. If you want the hottest, driest weeks and long lazy beach days, July and August are your months, with an early start. If you want quiet and do not mind cooler days, late May or early October can be lovely. If you can, arrive with a few days in hand and choose the calmest one for the boat.

Whatever the month, the wind decides the day more than the calendar. Keep your boat day flexible, watch the forecast and remember that each boat on this site repays a cancellation lodged 24 or more hours before departure.

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