Olbia is the main ferry port and commercial gateway to northeastern Sardinia. Ferries from Civitavecchia, Genoa, and Livorno arrive here, and the Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport handles most flights into this part of the island. The town itself is workmanlike rather than beautiful, but it has a genuine character and a pleasant old centre with some worthwhile sights.
The Basilica di San Simplicio, an 11th-century Romanesque church in pale granite, is the oldest and most impressive monument in town. The Museo Archeologico, housed in a modern building on a small island in the harbour, covers the city's deep history from Phoenician and Roman times — the city was a significant Roman port and remains turn up regularly.
Most visitors treat Olbia as a launching point for the coast. The Costa Smeralda — the celebrity-magnet stretch of emerald water and granite rocks north of town — is the most famous part of Sardinia internationally. The nearest good beach to town is Pittulongu, 5km north.