Discover and explore fascinating Sardinia
Ever popular with Italian Tourists, it’s not at all mass market, in the way some of the other Mediterranean holiday islands are. But there’s plenty to enjoy, relish and discover. Whether you are in one of Costa Smeralda’s scalloped bays, where celebrities and supermodels frolic in emerald waters or lounge on their super yachts; or playing 'castaway' on the Golfo di Orosei’s coves, where sheer cliffs ensure seclusion; Sardinia feels different from the rest of Italy. And whether you're walking barefoot across the dunes on the wave-lashed Costa Verde or lounging on the Costa del Sud’s silky smooth bays; just unroll your beach towel, lay down, and you’ll never want to leave. Where else can you go from near-alpine forests to snow-white beaches; find wildlife oddities such as the blue-eyed albino donkeys on the Isola dell’Asinara and the wild horses that shyly roam Giara di Gesturi, or scramble amongst Bronze Age towers and settlements, tombe dei giganti ('giant's grave' tombs) and domus de janas ('fairy house' tombs) one day, and marvel at fabulously eccentric festivals the next: From Barbagia’s carnival parade of ghoulish mamuthones, said to banish winter demons, to the death-defying S’Ardia horse race in Sedilo.
The origins of the name are obscure. We know that the name was given to the island before the Romans arrived..
The island has been populated since Neolithic times seeing many cultures and civilizations – Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans are just a few.
It has become a conundrum of interesting archaeological sites, fascinating cultures, and a language that to date remains the closest to Latin among the neo-Latin ones. In fact, the local dialect, is so different from modern Italian, that mainlanders are often as confused when the locals revert to their local dialect.
It is also a culinary one-off, with distinct takes on pasta, bread and dolci (desserts).
Its wines (Vermentino whites, Cannonau reds) and cheeses – including maggoty casu marzu pecorino, stashed away in barns in the mountainous interior are rarely found anywhere but on the island. Fregola, is a typical Sardinian pasta made of semolina and rolled into small balls. There are plenty of recipes for cooking fregola but the most delicious is definitely a seafood fregola: with clams, and prawns and served with some saffron broth and a loaf of crunchy bread. Sardinia is in fact, a major saffron producer in Italy. This wonderful and very precious spice of intense red colour is used in many Sardinian dishes and is often called the “red gold“ of Sardinia. How to get there: There are 3 airports in Sardinia. 1. Cagliari, is the biggest airport on the island, having recently expanded. 2. Alghero Airport, also known as Fertilia Airport, is nearly five miles northwest of the city of Alghero. 3. Olbia Airport. This is the closest to Costa Smeralda, and is located about four kilometres from the town centre of Olbia.
Getting around: Whilst there is public transport, if you really want to explore and discover the island, you will need a car.
Some things to see and do
Cala Goloritzè: The last small beach of the ‘Golfo di Orosei’ - about halfway down the east coast, Cala Goloritzè rivals the best. At the southern end, bizarre limestone formations soar away from the cliffside. Among them is the jaw-dropping Monte Caroddi, also known as the Aguglia, a 148m-high needle of rock beloved by climbers. Many boat trips will take you here, or you can hike in from the Altopiano del Golgo on the beautiful, Cala Goloritzè trail.
Spiaggia della Pelosa: Found in the northwest of the island, about 2.5km north of Stintino, the Spiaggia della Pelosa is a dreamy image of beach perfection: a salt-white strip of sand lapped by shallow, turquoise seas and fronted by strange, almost lunar, licks of rocky land. Completing the picture is an Aragonese watchtower and the craggy Isola Piana.
Santuario & Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria: At the top of the Bonaria hill, about a kilometre southeast of Via Roma, in Cagliari, this religious complex is a popular pilgrimage site. Pilgrims from all over the world come to pray at the statue of ‘Our Lady of Bonaria’, and Christ in this understated 14th-century Gothic Church. It was the historic seat of the Mercedari Monks and once part of a fortified compound. The Spaniards arrived in 1323, aiming to take the city from the Pisans. They set up camp on the mountain slopes of Montixeddu. Over time, it became known as Bonaria (Italian for good air is ‘buon’aria). A 3-year siege ensued and the camp grew to be a fortress with its own church.
Sea Walls of Alghero: Built around the ‘historic centre’ by the Spanish in the 16th century they are a highlight of the town’s historic cityscape - running from Piazza Sulis, north, to Porta a Mare and the marina. With a pedestrianised path they offer superb views over to Capo Caccia on the horizon. Restaurants and bars line the walkway, providing the perfect excuse to sit back and lap up the atmosphere of the town.
Il Castello (The Castle): This is Cagliari’s most iconic building. Its domes, towers and ‘palazzi, were once home to the city’s aristocracy. Built by the Spanish and the Pisans, inside the battlements, the old medieval city reveals itself like a ‘Pandora’s Box’. The cathedral, university, museums and palaces are wedged into a jigsaw of narrow high-walled alleys. It may seem sleepy, but the area has a number of boutiques, bars and cafes, popular with visitors.
Whether you go for the incredible food, the fascinating history, the amazing beaches, the vibrant towns, steeped in local traditions, or to explore the wild mountainous interior - Sardinia will always beckon you back.