A Caribbean Dream

Time for a Vodka Martini? Go shaken-not-stirred with a tender ride to Hotel Cala di Volpe. This curvy dreamscape hotel was styled in 1962 by architect Jacques Couëlle, a friend of Salvador Dali. 007 movie The Spy Who Loved Me was filmed right here. Before Sir Roger Moore raced along the Cala di Volpe beach road in a Lotus Esprit. 

Divers among your Cala di Volpe yacht charter party? Thank your lucky stars. A mile off Cala di Volpe lie the desert islands of Mortorio and Soffi. Both are part of the Maddalena Islands marine park. Mortorio in particular is a heaven-sent image of sandy bliss. Under the waves are caves, canyons, octopus and schools of fish.

Clear Waters. Deserted Islands.

Want a memory to last a lifetime? Command your yacht charter captain to Tavolara Island. This 5km-long massif crumbles from 565m in altitude (that’s one panoramic hike!) into a breathtaking swirl of beach. There’s more. Because instead of joining the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, the ancient island governor Joseph Bertoleoni crowned himself regent instead. Tavolara’s ‘throne’ passed down to one of the 20 Beroleoni family members resident on the island today. The ‘royal family’ operate a fabulous summertime seafood restaurant.

Want to become king for a day? Take your charter yacht to the isolated, uninhabited speck of Isola Piana. Ask your captain for a flag to plant. Crew will craft you a crown from Prosecco corks.