What to do · Stintino and Asinara Island
Asinara on your own: the ferry from Porto Torres to Cala Reale and a bike along the park tracks
Information
- From
- €15 per person, return ferry
- Duration
- 8 h
- Season
- All year; best from April to June and in September
- Who it's for
- Teenagers and adults who cycle; in summer, short stretches
If you prefer Asinara without a group or an excursion timetable, take the public ferry from Porto Torres to Cala Reale and get around the island by bike. It is the cheapest and freest way, but it takes some organising: there are few services, the distances are long and in summer the sun beats down.
The ferry
It is operated by Ensamar, of the Delcomar group, with the boat Sara D, from the Segni quay in the port of Porto Torres, half an hour by car from Stintino. The times change with the season:
- From 1 October to 30 April: Monday, Wednesday and Friday only. It leaves Porto Torres at 8:30 and at 15:00, and returns from Asinara at 10:00 and at 16:30.
- From 1 May to 21 July and in September: every day. It leaves at 8:30 and at 16:30, and returns at 10:00 and at 18:00.
- From 22 July to 31 August: every day, with three departures, at 8:15, 11:30 and 16:30, and returns at 9:45, 13:00 and 18:00.
The return ticket costs €15 from October to May and €18 from June to September. Children aged 4 to 12 pay half and up to 3 years old do not pay. A bike costs €6 or €7. You buy it online or at the ticket office of the ferry terminal. The municipal landing tax is paid separately, €2.50 or €5 depending on the season.
On the island
Cars and motorbikes cannot be landed without park authorisation; bikes and electric vehicles can. If you do not bring your own, the park mentions a bike hire in Fornelli, in the south. From Cala Reale, the tracks lead north towards Cala d'Oliva, with the village of the old penal colony, and south towards Fornelli and its prison. The distances are long and there are climbs: work out the time of the last boat carefully.
There is a bar at Cala Reale, a kiosk at Fornelli and the Locanda del Parco at Cala d'Oliva. Bring water and food anyway. In July and August, the park advises covering only short stretches, near the sea, with water and sun protection. The medical service operates only in summer.
The rules
No smoking outside the paved areas of the villages, do not disturb or feed the animals and do not take away plants, shells or stones. Pets cannot disembark from this ferry. The park recommends going with authorised operators; if you go independently, have a map downloaded.
As a family
