Guide · Compare boats

Which boat experience in Tavolara suits your day?

Five well-reviewed boats head out to Tavolara and Molara, from Olbia's marina or from Porto San Paolo. They differ in boat, hours on the water and group size, and those differences decide your day.

Check availabilityfrom $87 · free cancellation

Editorial team, tavolaraboattour.comUpdated October 20, 20266-minute read3 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

01Half day from Olbia: This site's tour: 4 hours from the MOYS marina, up to 10 guests, from $87.
02Zodiac with crew: 4 hours from the same marina with a captain and a host on board, from $81.
03Vintage boats: A 4-hour half day from Porto San Paolo with a prosecco toast, from $93.
04Full day on wood: The restored Maria 1899 for 7 hours, up to 12 guests, from $162.
05Longest day: An 8-hour small-group trip from Olbia rated 4.99, from $179.

What separates one Tavolara boat from another

Every Tavolara and Molara boat tour on this page goes to the same sea: the protected water around Tavolara, the tall limestone island off Olbia, and Molara, its lower granite neighbour. The listings differ in the vessel, the harbor you leave from and how long you stay out. A zodiac skims between swim stops, a wooden boat moves slowly and gives you shade and cushions, and a full-day trip leaves time for lunch at anchor. None of these is better in itself; each suits a different kind of traveler.

The harbor matters more than it looks on a map. Olbia's marina sits inside the gulf, so boats from there pass Capo Ceraso before they reach the islands, while Porto San Paolo lies directly opposite Tavolara.¹ A start from the village means a short crossing and more time in the water; a start from Olbia saves you the drive south if you are staying in town.

Some things are the same on all of them. Passenger and guided-tour boats need a permit from the protected area's managing body to work in zones B and C, and they may not enter zone A at all.² Each licensed boat can carry no more than 100 passengers.³

A morning on this site's tour

From the Olbia marina to Tavolara and back

9:00 AM

Check in at Dock A

Berth A44 at Marina Moys Olbia; arrive 25 to 30 minutes early.
9:30 AM

Cast off

Out of the gulf past Capo Ceraso towards the protected area.
First stop

Spiaggia del Dottore

About an hour to swim and snorkel.
Mid-morning

The secret stop

The aperitif, local snacks and more snorkeling, about an hour.
Late morning

Tavolara's shore

A last swim off the island after Punta Spalmatore.
1:30 PM

Back in port

The boat returns to the same marina.

This site's tour: four hours from Olbia

The tour this site books is run by Oltremare Charter from Marina Moys Olbia. You check in at 9:00 AM at Dock A, Berth A44, the boat leaves at 9:30 AM and it is back in port at 1:30 PM. The listing caps the group at 10, rates it 4.89 from 1,145 reviews and starts from $87.

Its listed stops give you a clear idea of the morning: a swim and snorkel at Spiaggia del Dottore, a cruise through the protected area, a secret stop with the aperitif and local snacks, a look at the Orecchio di Ulisse cave from the boat, Punta Spalmatore and a final swim off Tavolara. The highlights also promise the natural pools of Molara, and the operator keeps three stops flexible so the weather can decide.

Snorkeling gear, masks and snorkels are included for everyone, along with drinks, snacks and a local guide who also captains the boat. Hotel pickup is not, so plan your own way to the marina, where there is free parking nearby. Because it ends at lunchtime, the afternoon stays free for a beach or a nap.

Side by side

Five Tavolara boats compared

Tour	Start	Hours	Group	Rating
This site's tour	Olbia marina	4	Up to 10	4.89
Zodiac with 2 crew	Olbia marina	4	Not stated	4.72
Vintage boats	Porto San Paolo	4	Not stated	4.88
Maria 1899	Porto San Paolo	7	Up to 12	4.85
Small-group long day	Olbia marina	8	Max 12 (title)	4.99

From each GetYourGuide listing as scraped; ratings as listed, group limits only where the listing states one.

Three different days

Half day, zodiac or a full day on wood

Sardegna: Tavolara Boat Tour with Snorkeling

Back by lunch

Olbia half day

This site's tour

Hours: 4
Group: Up to 10
Price: from $87

See this boat

Olbia: Tavolara and Molara Snorkeling Boat Tour

Lowest price

Zodiac to Molara

Captain and host

Hours: 4
Wreck swim: Chrisso
Price: from $81

See this boat

From Porto San Paolo: Tavolara & Molara Vintage Boat Tour

Full day

Maria 1899

Restored wooden boat

Hours: 7
Group: Up to 12
Price: from $162

See this boat

Decision helper

Which Tavolara boat fits you?

Find the row that matches your day

I want to be back for lunch I want the lowest price I want shade and a slow boat I want a whole day at sea I want the best rated trip

This site's tour

It returns to the Olbia marina at 1:30 PM.

The Olbia zodiac

It starts from $81 for 4 hours.

Vintage boats

Wooden boats from Porto San Paolo with a prosecco toast.

Maria 1899

7 hours on a restored boat with lunch at Molara.

The 8-hour small group

Rated 4.99 from 291 reviews.

In zone A, navigation is not allowed for vessels used for passenger transport and guided visits. In zones B and C it is allowed with the specific authorisation of the managing body.

Ministero dell'Ambiente (MASE) - D.M. 3 dicembre 2014, GU Serie Generale n.6 del 9-1-2015 (PDF)Source 2

Zodiacs with a captain and a host

If you like speed and a low seat close to the water, the zodiac trips suit you. The most reviewed one leaves the same Olbia marina from berth A18, in front of the car park, and lasts 4 hours. It is rated 4.72 from 770 reviews and starts from $81, slightly below this site's tour.

Its route is named in the listing: a swim over the wreck of the ship Chrisso near Porto San Paolo, the natural pools of Molara, a run past the cliffs of Tavolara and a break at Punta Spalmatore with water or iced tea. Two crew sail with you, a captain and a host, so someone is always free to help a nervous swimmer back on board.

The same route is offered from Golfo Aranci, north of Olbia, by a dinghy that leaves the DST Sardegna Diving & Snorkeling Team offices; it is rated 4.75 from 254 reviews. Both zodiac listings run only in good weather and need a minimum number of guests, so keep a spare day in your plans.

Checklist

Before you pick a boat

Check in the listing

How many hours you are on the water
Whether a group limit is stated
Whether snorkeling gear is included
Where the boat leaves from

Pack for the day

Sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses
Swimwear, a towel and extra water
A passport or ID card

Price check

What your group pays on four Tavolara boats

Choose a boat and the number of people

This site's tour4 hours, Olbiafrom $87 Zodiac4 hours, Olbiafrom $81 Vintage boats4 hours, Porto San Paolofrom $93 Small group8 hours, Olbiafrom $179

People 2

Total from$173

pp from $87

Check availabilityfree cancellation

Totals multiply each trip's lowest per-seat GetYourGuide price by your party size, converted at the day's ECB rate; the booking page shows the exact sum.

Video

Boat tour visiting Tavolara and Molara islands - Sardinia

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Vintage and classic wooden boats from Porto San Paolo

Porto San Paolo is where the slower boats are. One operator sails vintage boats on a 4-hour half day with three swim stops: a hidden cove, Tavolara itself, where guests can go ashore and walk on the beach, and the natural pools of Molara. Snacks, fresh fruit, soft drinks and a prosecco toast come on board, and the listing is rated 4.88 from 621 reviews.

A family-run classic boat leaves the middle arm of the village's small floating harbor for another 4-hour trip: Spiaggia del Dottore, the bay and cliffs of Tavolara, a coffee break with Sardinian pastries at Molara and a last dip at Isola Cavalli. It takes no more than 10 guests and starts from $93.

For a whole day on wood, the Maria 1899 is the boat to know. The operator says she worked in Tavolara's waters over 100 years ago and has been restored; she carries cushions under a shaded awning, a freshwater shower and an icebox with prosecco, wine and soft drinks. The trip lasts 7 hours with up to 12 guests.

Long days and small groups

The longest option leaves Olbia's marina for 8 hours with Controvento Charter. Its listing names Spiaggia del Dottore, Tavolara and the pools of Molara as stops of 45 minutes each, adds a 2-hour stop with brunch and regional food on board, and includes snorkeling gear. With a rating of 4.99 from 291 reviews it is the best rated boat on this page.

Two catamarans also work these waters for most of a day. One from the port of Olbia lasts 7.5 hours with lunch on board, and from April to June it runs for 6 hours instead. Another boards at the MOYS marina at 9:30 AM, stops at the pools of Molara with kayaks and paddleboards, serves a seafood first course at Capo Coda Cavallo and is shared by up to 12 guests.

A long day is worth it if you want lunch at anchor and time to swim at several places without watching the clock. If you burn easily, get bored on boats or travel with small children, the half days are kinder: you see the same water and are back before the strongest sun.

How to choose and what to bring

Start with your base. Staying in Olbia, pick a boat from the marina and skip the drive; staying near San Teodoro or Porto San Paolo, a village departure saves you the drive to Olbia. Then decide between a half day and a full day, and only then compare boats. Price differences between the half days are small, so the boat type and the group size are the better guide. Read the reviews for the details that listings leave out, such as how much shade there is on deck, how crowded the boat feels and whether the skipper explains what you see. A good guide turns a pretty morning into one you remember, so a crew praised by name in recent reviews is a better sign than a glossy photo.

Every boat compared here lets you reserve now, pay later and get a full refund for cancelling 24 hours or more before, which matters on a coast where wind can change plans. Most routes are written as flexible: skippers move swim stops into sheltered water when the sea is up.

Pack as for a beach day at sea: swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and an ID card, which this site's operator asks every guest to carry. Bring more water than you think you need and a layer for the ride home. If you get seasick easily, ask the operator which boat you will be on and how open it is to the waves.

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