Places
Santa Teresa Gallura and the Ferry to Bonifacio: A Visitor's Guide
Santa Teresa Gallura is the northernmost town on mainland Sardinia, a small resort on the Strait of Bonifacio with a white town beach, a Spanish watchtower and the granite headland of Capo Testa. It is a separate town from La Maddalena, on the coast west of the archipelago. It matters to visitors for two reasons: boat trips to the islands leave from here, and it is the Sardinian port for the ferry to Bonifacio in Corsica, a crossing of about 50 minutes.
This article covers what to see in Santa Teresa itself, how the Bonifacio ferry works (including the documents British travellers need), what to do with a day in Bonifacio, and how all of this fits with a trip to the La Maddalena archipelago.
The short answer
- Where it is: Santa Teresa Gallura is the northernmost municipality on mainland Sardinia. Olbia airport is 64 km from its port, and ARST buses run all year from Santa Teresa via Palau and Arzachena to Olbia.
- What to see: Rena Bianca beach, the Longonsardo tower above it, and the Capo Testa headland with its twin beaches and the Valle della Luna.
- The ferry to Bonifacio: Moby lists the crossing at 50 minutes, and Ichnusa Lines says about 50 minutes, depending on the weather. British travellers need their passport.
- The link with La Maddalena: Santa Teresa is one of the ports for boat trips to the archipelago’s main islands, and its waters are part of the same international marine park.
How Santa Teresa relates to La Maddalena
Santa Teresa is not in the archipelago and not in La Maddalena National Park. The islands lie to the east, and La Maddalena town is reached by the ferry from Palau, further along the coast. The ARST bus route from Santa Teresa calls at Palau, so you can reach the ferry without a car. Our guide to getting to La Maddalena covers the Palau ferry and the causeway to Caprera.
What ties the two together is the sea. The largest islands of the archipelago, La Maddalena, Caprera, Budelli, Santo Stefano and Spargi, are popular destinations for boat trips from Baja Sardinia, Palau and Santa Teresa Gallura. And the waters on both sides of the strait are protected together. An Italian-French treaty signed at La Maddalena on 15 June 2010 set up an international park of the Strait of Bonifacio, covering the Bouches de Bonifacio nature reserve in Corsica and La Maddalena National Park in Sardinia. On the Italian side it takes in the sea areas of four municipalities: La Maddalena, Santa Teresa Gallura, Palau and Arzachena.
At its narrowest the strait separates Sardinia and Corsica by about 11 km. It is also well known to sailors for dangerous waters, scattered with reefs and crossed by strong currents, which is worth remembering if you are thinking of hiring a boat here; our article on boat hire around La Maddalena covers the rules and the weather.
Getting to Santa Teresa
- By air: Alghero and Olbia airports are 130 km and 64 km from Santa Teresa Gallura port, so Olbia is the natural choice, as it is for La Maddalena.
- By bus: ARST buses run all year. One route links Santa Teresa, Palau, Arzachena, San Pantaleo, Olbia port and Olbia airport, which also makes it the bus for the Palau ferry to La Maddalena.
- By car: there is no parking in the Santa Teresa port area; an interchange car park is nearby. Leave extra time in summer.
A town founded by a king
Santa Teresa has about five thousand inhabitants, joined in summer by tens of thousands of visitors. Its history goes back much further than the town. The old name was Longosardo, or Longone, and it was already an important port in Roman times because of the granite quarried nearby; the Capo Testa quarries supplied granite for the cathedral and baptistery of Pisa.
The present town is much younger. Victor Emmanuel I of Savoy founded it in 1808, renaming Longosardo after his wife, Maria Teresa. The streets follow two inlets: Porto Longone to the east, with the marina, and the bay of Rena Bianca to the west, a few steps from the main square.
The Longonsardo tower
The round granite tower on the headland above Rena Bianca is the symbol of the town. Sources mention it from 1577; it was built to protect the port from Barbary pirates as part of the defence plan of King Philip II of Spain. Sardegna Turismo calls it perhaps the largest tower in Gallura: 19 metres across at the base, about 16 metres across its upper cylinder, and eleven metres high. The entrance is six metres above the ground.
It has had one dramatic moment. In 1802 a group of Sardinian and Corsican rebels led by the priest Sanna Corda captured the tower; royal troops soon took it back.
The tower is open to visitors today and sometimes hosts events. From the top, 40 metres above sea level, you look over the Strait of Bonifacio to Corsica, and down on the white curve of Rena Bianca. If you want an older past, the Nuragic complex of Lu Brandali, with a nuraghe, a village and a giants’ tomb, is three kilometres south-west.
Rena Bianca, the town beach
Rena Bianca is a cove about 700 metres long with shallow water and soft white sand that turns pink at the water’s edge from tiny coral fragments. You reach it from the main square by a 300-metre descent and a flight of steps, so it is walkable from anywhere in the centre.
It is sheltered on both sides: the Municca peninsula and the islet of Municchedda keep off the west wind, and the tower’s headland the east. The beach is accessible to disabled visitors and has plenty of services, parking and places to eat. Beach clubs rent pedalos and small boats. In high summer, arrive early.
Capo Testa and the Valle della Luna
West of the town, Capo Testa is the northern tip of Sardinia: a granite headland joined to the mainland by a narrow isthmus. It is the part of Santa Teresa most worth a half day.
Rena di Ponente and Rena di Levante
Four kilometres from the town, along the isthmus, are two beaches back to back: Rena di Ponente, also called La Taltana, to the west, and Rena di Levante to the east. Their position lets you find calm water at one or the other, depending on the wind direction. If the mistral is blowing from the north-west, try the eastern side.
Roman granite
This was a working landscape long before it was a beach. Sardegna Turismo places the Roman colony of Tibula at Capicciolu beach, next to Rena di Levante, where traces of its roads are still visible; ships laden with granite for Rome left from here. Near Rena di Ponente the wind and water have shaped granite into cylinders that look like Roman columns.
Valle della Luna
On the western side of Capo Testa, about four kilometres from the town, Cala Grande or the Valle della Luna is a valley about 500 metres long of wind-shaped granite, with small coves hidden between the rocks. Since the late 1960s the promontory has been home to a group of hippies and naturists, and the valley is named after the white colour of its rocks in moonlight. It is also the setting of the Musiche sulle Bocche festival.
The paths here cross bare, uneven rock. Wear proper shoes, carry water, and do not try to scramble down to the coves in the heat of the day.
Other beaches and sights
- Towards Palau: the granite pools of Valle dell’Erica, the long Porto Liscia-Sciumara beach, a surfing spot, and Conca Verde.
- Batteria Ferrero: the ruin of Second World War fortifications with gun positions, bunkers and barracks.
- Lu Brandali: the Nuragic site near the tower, described above.
The ferry from Santa Teresa to Bonifacio
How long and who runs it
Moby and Ichnusa Lines both sail between Santa Teresa and Bonifacio. Moby lists the crossing at 50 minutes. Ichnusa Lines says its crossing takes about 50 minutes but may vary with the weather. Timetables and fares change through the year, so check the current schedule on the operator’s website before you plan a day around it.
Documents: what British travellers need
This is an international crossing, from Italy to France, and the ferry companies check documents at boarding.
- Every passenger, children included, must show an original, valid identity document at boarding, and Moby reminds passengers going between Italy and Corsica that they need a document valid for travel abroad.
- Passengers from outside the Schengen area, which includes British travellers, need a valid passport, according to Ichnusa Lines. It refuses boarding without valid documents.
- For British passport holders, France follows Schengen area rules, according to the UK government’s travel advice. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the date you arrive, and must expire at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area.
- The 90-day rule: British visitors can stay in the Schengen area without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counting all Schengen countries together. Days in Italy and France count towards the same total.
Rules for British travellers can change, so check the UK government’s advice for France shortly before you travel.
When to arrive
The two companies set different check-in times, so go by the one you have booked:
- Moby asks foot passengers to be at boarding at least 1 hour before departure from 1 June to 30 September, and at least 30 minutes before from 1 October to 31 May. With a vehicle, it asks you to be there within 90 minutes of departure.
- Ichnusa Lines asks foot passengers to arrive at least 30 minutes before departure, and passengers with vehicles at least 1 hour before.
There is no parking in the Santa Teresa port area; an interchange car park is nearby. For a day trip, going as a foot passenger is simpler: Bonifacio’s old town is walkable from the harbour, and you avoid vehicle fares and queues.
A day in Bonifacio
Bonifacio sits on a narrow limestone promontory at the southern tip of Corsica, facing Sardinia across the strait. Its medieval city is perched more than 60 metres above sea level, and the white cliffs below it are the first thing you see from the ferry.
The upper town
Bonifacio was the first presidio built by the Genoese in Corsica, at the end of the twelfth century: a fortified town whose population was charged with defending it. From the port, the Montée Rastello was the only path up to the citadel in the Middle Ages, and it is still the walk to take if you are fit. If not, a little train runs from the port up to the citadel.
Once inside the walls, the pleasure is simply wandering the lanes, which open onto small squares with views out to sea.
The King of Aragon’s Staircase
The best-known sight is a staircase of 189 steps cut into the cliff, dropping steeply towards the sea. Legend says King Alfonso V of Aragon had it cut in a single night during his invasion of Corsica in 1420. In fact, it was built by Franciscan monks to reach drinking water from a well at the bottom. The tourist office adds a further clue: a letter of 1481 by Antonio di Montaldo describes a plan for a staircase dug into the cliff near the Torrione, though whether that plan created the staircase is unknown. The Saint-Barthélemy well at the foot, like the grotto, is closed to the public.
The staircase is open all year round, but it is a physical outing:
- Shoes: only visitors in flat, closed-toe shoes may go down; no flip-flops or heels. Helmets are available.
- Children: a baby carrier is compulsory for children under 3, and every child over 3 who climbs the steps is given a diploma.
- Tickets: the tourist office sells a pass for the staircase and the Bastion de l’Etendard for €6.50 instead of €8.50. Prices can change, so check at the office or online.
The cliffs
Bonifacio’s cliffs are over 100 metres high, so walkers should stay on the marked path. The Campu Rumanilu route along the cliff top starts near the chapel of Saint-Roch; the tourist office says it takes thirty minutes, and in an hour and a half you reach the Pertusatu lighthouse. On a clear day you can see the Sardinian coast from it.
From the sea
Small boats run trips along the cliffs from Bonifacio harbour. The sea caves, once reached by boat, can no longer be entered because of the high risk of landslides and falling rocks. The waters are part of the Bouches de Bonifacio nature reserve, where it is forbidden to drop anchor on Posidonia.
A sample day
- Morning: foot passengers check in at Santa Teresa and take an early ferry.
- Late morning: walk up the Montée Rastello into the upper town.
- Midday: the King of Aragon’s Staircase, then lunch inside the walls.
- Afternoon: the Campu Rumanilu cliff path, as far as you have time for.
- Evening: back down to the harbour for the return ferry. Check the last departure before you set off, and leave margin: the crossing can be delayed in bad weather.
Seeing La Maddalena from this side of the coast
If you are based in Santa Teresa, the archipelago is the obvious second day trip.
- Boat trips: Santa Teresa is one of the ports for trips to the main islands. Compare what runs on your dates on the tours page, which shows the full listing with live prices.
- Sailing: the island-hopping sailing tour with lunch leaves from La Maddalena or Palau and sails to Spargi, Budelli and the natural pools of Budelli, with swims, snorkelling, lunch and drinks. It takes about 6.5 hours.
- By ferry: take the bus or drive to Palau and cross to La Maddalena town, then go on to Caprera.
Our guide to boat trips and beaches explains what each island offers and why the Pink Beach on Budelli can be seen only from the sea. If you are staying further east, our article on Porto Cervo and the Costa Smeralda covers the ports on that side.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the ferry from Santa Teresa Gallura to Bonifacio?
About 50 minutes. Moby lists the crossing at 50 minutes, and Ichnusa Lines says about 50 minutes but warns that it can vary with the weather. Check the current timetable before you travel.
Do I need a passport for the Bonifacio ferry?
British travellers do. Ichnusa Lines requires passengers from outside the Schengen area to carry a valid passport and refuses boarding without valid documents. The UK government says your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before you arrive and expire at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area.
Can you visit Bonifacio as a day trip from Sardinia?
Yes. With a crossing of about 50 minutes each way you have most of a day in Bonifacio: enough for the upper town, the King of Aragon’s Staircase and part of the cliff path. Go as a foot passenger and check the last return sailing.
What is Santa Teresa Gallura known for?
Its white town beach, Rena Bianca, the Longonsardo tower above it, and the granite headland of Capo Testa with the Valle della Luna. It is also the Sardinian port for ferries to Corsica and one of the departure points for boat trips to the La Maddalena archipelago.
Is Santa Teresa Gallura part of La Maddalena National Park?
No. The national park covers the archipelago. But Santa Teresa’s sea area is part of the international park of the Strait of Bonifacio, which joins La Maddalena National Park with the Bouches de Bonifacio nature reserve in Corsica.
How far is Santa Teresa Gallura from Olbia airport?
Olbia airport is 64 km from Santa Teresa port, according to Ichnusa Lines. ARST buses run all year between Santa Teresa and Olbia, calling at Palau and Arzachena.