Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

“This is my world and I am world leader pretend” – Mike Stipe.

In 2017, I backpacked through the Kingdom Of Romkerhall, becoming the first backpacking travel blogger to write about it. The Kingdom Of Romkerhall is the world’s smallest kingdom.

Backpacking in the Kingdom of Romkerhall – a real country not on the Nomad Mania list

It borders Germany and I already wrote about how to get there, and the top sights of Romkerhall, the world’s smallest kingdom. I then learnt that Tavolara is the world’s smallest island kingdom, so it of course had to be backpacked.

Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

Here, in 2026, it was time to backpack through the Kingdom Of Tavolara. Again I would become the first backpacking travel blogger to write about it. I was more astounded by the fact I did it 9 years after Romkerhall. Time had flown and I had aged.

Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

What is the Kingdom Of Tavolara?

The Kingdom Of Tavolara is a self declared kingdom on an island called Tavolara. Tavolara itself is off the coast of Sardinia in the Meditteranean Sea. You can see its location on the map below, in the smaller Tyrrhenian Sea south east of Olbia Bay.

Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

It has its own flag, land, history and government and was founded in 1836.

The Flag Of The Kingdom Of Tavolara

It’s a massive island with a rocky peak not dissimilar to Gibraltar, and a lower level zone where many buildings and paths exist, including numerous sandy beaches and gorgeous clear blue waters.

Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

I have written about how to get here on my World Borders: Sardinia To Tavolara article. Here were my top sights from backpacking in Tavolara.

1.Arrival Pier

Your first port of call in Tavolara is the arrival pier, you will arrive by boat. I have already written a blog post on how to get here to Tavolara from Porto San Paolo in Sardinia. I bought my tickets on the day I travelled, there is no website or pre-booking melarkey.

Ready to leave Sardinia for Tavolara

On the way to Tavolara

There are multiple piers you can arrive into. I arrived into the main pier, which runs up to the sign welcoming you to The Kingdom Of Tavolara.

Arrival in Tavolara at the main pier

2.Welcome To Tavolara Sign

A must for me in most countries is the border crossing entrance sign. The Tavolara sign has the country’s flag on the left – a red shield with a yellow star in it plus a yellow crown at the top. Apparently the writing actually reads “RE di TAVOLARA” as in “RESTAURANT of Tavolara!” but to all intents and purposes, this is the entry sign and your gateway to the Kingdom Of Tavolara!

Welcome To Tavolara Sign

Especially given that there is no passport check, no passport stamp, no border control and no change of currency. The main sign at the end of the entrance pier serves as proof that you are NOT backpacking in Italy and also NOT backpacking in Sardinia. Welcome To Tavolara!! Also, the flag is similar to the Northern Ireland flag – both have yellow, white and red and both have a 6 point star and a cross!! Uncanny!!

My Northern Ireland flag – similar to the Tavolara flag

3.Quiet Beach

My boat across had 8 people on it. 6 tourists, the captain and the mate/bosun. 2 of them went to swim on the nearest beach, so I decided to swim in the third beach to the right. I called it the Quiet Beach, but later I’d discover a quieter one. I had it all to myself – I was the only one here.

The quiet beach

4.Cinema Tavolara

Yes there is a cinema here! Nuts or what. Now I was here in the off-season, early April/Easter so it was closed.

Cinema Tavolara

Everything else was closed too – bar, shop, restaurant, hotel, diving centre. So whilst I didn’t get to watch James Bond or Breakfast At Tiffany’s here, I did backpack the cinema building. It looks like it could host about 12 people.

Cinema Tavolara

5.Bar Tavolara

Again, Bar Tavolara was closed but my foresight knew this so I brought a beer with me so I could pretend to have a beer here. It didn’t stop me drinking at Bar Tavolara! I had a Cherry Paolina!

Bar Tavolara

I fakedrinkpacked the bar but enjoyed my Cherry Beer right by the bar shutter window.

Bar Tavolara

There was a bar menu up which showed a coffee from 2 Euros, a Coca Cola for 1.5 Euros and beers from 3.5 Euros. I expect the bar is only open in the busy summer months.

Bar Tavolara

6.Street Art and Sculptures

Like in Uzupis and Romkerhall, there is quirky art here. I took a few photos of the art and sculptures. There are leafy gardens with wacaday madness in them!

Street Art and Sculptures

7.History Of Tavolara Walls

Straight past the entrance are the history walls. These show photos and information down the years of the Kingdom Of Tavolara.

History Of Tavolara Walls

I was looking for a famous person I knew, like a footballer, but I didn’t recognise the people here! I wonder was Toto Schillaci ever here…

History Of Tavolara Walls

8.Tavolara Cemetery

When I first saw the cemetery from afar on my walk, I thought it was a church!

Tavolara Cemetery

The first King Of Tavolara is buried here, along with many other Tavolarians down the years.

Tavolara Cemetery

9.Lower Trail

There is a lower trail and path for hikers past the dunes.

Lower Trail

Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

I backpacked the entire lower trail. I started wearing shorts but later put my jeans back on because there are nettles here and you can get stung. Luckily I spied it early and didn’t get stung.

Backpacking In Tavolara👑🟥🌟: Top 16 Sights In The World’s Smallest Island⛴️🏖🤴Kingdom

Lower Trail

10.Nudist Beach

There officially isn’t a nudist beach, but I was there when there were not many tourists. I found a secluded beach on the north of Tavolara and went nude here. Nobody else saw it, or was here so I self-timered the photos. I covered the willy in the snap in case Starogard🌟🏰Girl👱‍♀️♀️reads this!🤣

Nudist Beach on Tavolara

I also brought my own book here, Backpacking Centurion Volume 3 – Taints And Honours because I was writing some of my new book here.

Backpacking Centurion Volume 3 at Tavolara Away

11.Holy Shrine

I was hoping there would be a Catholic Church here – Seborga had one. But there is a holy shrine with crosses on it, behind the “main garden square”, near Tavolara Cinema.

12.Torn Tavolara Flag On Flagpole

I was disappointed there was no flag, or even flags on arrival.

Torn Tavolara Flag On Flagpole

I also hoped there would be a souvenir shop. There wasn’t. Such a pity as passport stamps, postcards, fridge magnets, passports, postage stamps, flags etc. would have been perfect gifts. Instead all I have related to the Kingdom Of Tavolara flag is a photo by a dilapidated, torn flag on a flagpole by the bar. A pity. I flew my Northern Ireland flag though…

Northern Ireland flag on the quiet beach

As a consolation though, I do have a Tavolara bottle opener, which was given to me by my friend Marek who was there two years before me when the shop was open. I also picked up a Tavolara fridge magnet in Olbia in Sardinia.

Tavolara fridge magnet / bottle opener that Marek brought me

13.Main Garden Square

When I backpack cities rather than islands, I usually like to visit a square or an old town square. Tavolara has one, a grassy garden square.

Main Square in the Kingdom Of Tavolara

In this main square is the cinema, phone charger point, a garden, the holy shrine and the path to the toilets and bar.

14.Tavolara Tourist Info Centre/Punta Coda Cavallo

This quirky blue building was closed. I was able to take a photo through the window. Ot seemed like a place to book tours including diving and snorkelling.

Tavolara Tourist Info Centre/Punta Coda Cavallo

15.WWW.CORONA.Bar

Again this was a shut restaurant so I had no chance of a pizza here in the Kingdom. Munching a packet of Sardinian crisps was as close as a Friday’s Featured Food came to here.

Corona Bar was shut

16.Royal Family Photo, 1920s

This original photo of the Royal Family of Tavolara sits in the upper wooden floor of the entrance hall.

Royal Family Photo, 1920s

Those were a quick fire 16 from my day trip. I didn’t stay overnight or hike to the top. I guess you could. There is no hotel or bed, but bring a tent and sleeping bag and I am sure nobody would stop you!!! Here are a few more photos from my day trip to The Kingdom Of Tavolara.