Stopover

From Sardinia to Tabarka: the Tabarchini route

Carloforte and Calasetta were founded by families from Tabarka. Today the same route, the other way round, takes Sardinian boats to the first Tunisian port.

The YK Marine team31 Oct 20265 min read

The port of Tabarka and the Genoese fort on the hill — The Genoese fort above the port of Tabarka.

In brief

From the 16th century the island of Tabarka was a Genoese coral-fishing base; in 1738 most of its people founded Carloforte.
From Carloforte or Calasetta to Tabarka is about 130 miles in a straight line.
Tabarka is a port of entry: customs, police and the port authority are on the same quay.

Sailing from Carloforte or Calasetta to Tabarka retraces, in reverse, the journey of the founders of these two Sardinian towns. Here is their story in short, and what you need for the crossing.

This article is published by YK Marine, the boatyard in the port of Tabarka.

The Tabarchini, from Tabarka to Sardinia

Around the middle of the 16th century, the Genoese Lomellini family obtained the island of Tabarka, off the Tunisian coast. They settled it with people from Pegli, in Liguria, who lived from coral fishing for about two centuries.

In 1738, with the coral running out, most of the Tabarchini moved to the then uninhabited island of San Pietro, with the agreement of King Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy, and founded Carloforte. In 1770 more families from Tabarka founded Calasetta, on Sant’Antioco. Tabarchino, a Ligurian dialect, is still spoken in both towns.

In Tabarka, the Genoese fort still stands above the port.

The crossing

Distance: about 130 miles in a straight line from Carloforte or Calasetta, about 135 from Cagliari, about 115 from Capo Teulada.
Clearing in: Tabarka is a port of entry. Customs, border police, the National Maritime Guard and the port authority (APIP) are on the same quay. We do the formalities with you: a 250 TND package, not including the APIP fees. See clearing in at Tabarka.
Papers: a passport valid for at least three months; no visa for up to three months for French and Italian citizens. More in marina berths in Tunisia.
The port: small and sheltered. Space is limited: let us know before you leave.

In Tabarka

The port has fuel, water and electricity (15 TND a day for both). At the YK Marine yard, the 160 t travel hoist lifts boats from 6 to 35 m, and you can stay aboard ashore during the work. What the port charges for a haul-out, compared with France and Italy: haul-out fees compared.

During the stopover: diving on the coral, the fort, the Kroumirie forest. See a stopover in Tabarka.