It also has a mountainous interior traversed by hiking trails, if that’s what you like, and thousands of strange Bronze Age stone ruins shaped like beehives all over its landscape. One of the largest and oldest nuraghe, as they are called, Su Nuraxi in Barumini, dates back to 1500 B.C.
I know I don’t have to spend much time singing Sardinia’s praises. Like most of Italy, it is beautiful and it is unique. But is it affordable? Honestly, it’s not going to be cheap-cheap, but you can spend a week or two on the island without breaking the bank – if you do some sensible things:
- Go off-season. Duh. The weather is good the whole year, so any time except, say, mid-June to mid-September will be less expensive and far less crowded. And if you’re coming for the beaches, the water will be warm enough to swim in from May to mid-October.
- There aren’t many hostels on the island, but there are plenty of B&Bs and farms that rent rooms (agriturismo), many of them quite inexpensive. The key is to book as early as possible because the cheap places go quickly. You’d be surprised for how little you can rent a basic apartment near the beach – if you book it early.
- Having cooking facilities will also decrease your food costs (of course!). I love going to Italy just to be able to cook Italian food with real Italian ingredients. My favorite pasta, which is hard to find outside the country, sells for about €0.50 in the country that produces it.
If you see signs for local farms that sell their products to the public, buy as much as you can there. It will be cheaper. Oh yeah, and bring or buy a cookbook, to try some of the dishes you wanted to cook but couldn’t because you couldn’t find the ingredients.
- When you go out to eat, look for places with fixed-price lunch or dinner menus, aka menù del giorno (daily menu). It will be cheaper and, usually, freshly made. And if you want local wine to accompany your meal, ask for the house wine (vino della casa). If you’re lucky, it will be good —perhaps even a reason to return.
5. Rent a bike and cycle when you can. The cycling infrastructure in Sardinia has finally attained European level, so it will be safe and smooth wherever you go. And it you plan on renting a car, book it well ahead of your arrival – just to make sure.
You can also save money on how you travel to Sardinia. Which brings us to:
How to Get There
You don’t have to fly to the capital Cagliari, though that might be what your heart and mind tell you to do. You could fly instead to one of the two minor international airports on the island, Alghero or Olbia. It really depends on where you are flying from. From some cities, flying to Olbia is both the fastest and cheapest (by half) option. From other European cities, Cagliari has the best deals.
As always, do your research – and combine the results with where you want to spend much of your time. You could also take a ferry, if you’re not in a rush to get there, as I always am.
Where to Stay
That really depends on what you want to do and how much you want to pay. Sardinia is a big island, the second-largest in the Mediterranean behind only Sicily. And there is way too much to see. So let’s divide the island into two halves, north and south.
In general, if you’re looking for a luxury holiday in Sardinia, the Costa Smeralda is the right place for you. If you wish to find peace and quiet, head for the north of the island, where you can always find a cove or bay to swim in if you’ve got a car.
And if you’re into hiking, snorkeling and bike tours and want to have an active holiday and explore a different bay every day and/or hike in the mountains, then the Ogliastra region – in the central-eastern part of the island – is where you’ll want to stay. Its unique topography sets it apart from the rest of Sardinia, earning it the nickname ‘an island within the island.
What to See
The South
The southern inland part of the island is dominated by a large, green plain called Campidano. The shoreline here is more regular than in the north and has a lot of long sandy beaches that can be less crowded than those in the north (because there are more of them), even during the high season.
The capital Cagliari is situated right in the middle of the southern coast and has some wonderful beaches to the east and to the west, such as Chia, Santa Margherita di Pula, Villasimius and Costa Rei.
Cagliari is a lovely city with lots of churches and neighborhoods rich in history and architectural beauty. It also has one of Italy’s largest covered food market, the Market of San Benedetto in the district of that name. You can buy just about anything to eat in the market, including mullet botargo, or fish roe, which you will need to make the great Sardinian pasta specialty Spaghetti con la bottarga:
Toss the cooked pasta in a pan with garlic-infused olive oil. Then add a mixture of red pepper flakes, finely chopped parsley, grated bottarga and a few spoonfuls of pasta water, to bind the sauce. Finish off with some lemon juice and grated lemon zest. Yummo!
Also check out the Tuvixeddu Necropolis on top of the Tuvixeddu hill, one of seven hills in the city. It is the largest such site in the Mediterranean area and dates back to the 6th century BC. A truly breathtaking archeological site.
If you want to swim with the locals, head for the 8-kilometer-long sandy Spiaggia del Poetto, aka Cagliari Poetto Beach, There are palm trees for shade and small bars and restaurants for refreshments.
Some 34 kilometers south of Cagliari, just down the coast from the town of Pula, you’ll find the impressive ruins of the ancient Phoenician settlement of Nora. The city was founded in 3,000 BC and became an important Phoenician commercial center. It was later conquered by the Romans. The ruins, including some stunning mosaics, can be viewed on land as well as under water. So bring a camera, walking shoes and snorkeling stuff.
The North
The island’s northern coastline is much more irregular than that of the south, with lots of small rocky bays and coves and only a few long, sandy beaches. You’ll need to rent a car to get to most of those coves because there is no public transport to take you there. If your budget can swing it, do it. They are lovely places to swim in and, depending on when you are there, often with few people to share them with.
Porto Torres, on the northwestern coast, was Sardinia’s first Roman settlement and was founded in the 1st century BC. So there are marvelous ruins there. But that’s not all, not by a long shot. For a small city (population about 20,000), it offers more attractions per capita than Disneyland. Where to start?
First, it is just a hop, step and a jump from one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, Pelosa. It has very fine sand and, according to some, the clearest and cleanest waters on the island. Get into you rental car and drive down the coast to Stintino. Or go by bike. A few hundred meters away is another great beach, Pelosetta. If you’re there in the high season (which I hope you’re not), go early in the morning and brace yourself for the crowds.
Just 7 km from Porto Torres in the other direction, is the very long Platamona beach, which stretches all the way to Castelsardo (a medieval fortress on a hill that is one of the most beautiful and colorful towns in Italy). The sand on this beach is heavy and dense because it contains pebbles and shells. There is also a pine forest for cool shelter from the heat.
The Museum of the Antiquarium Turritano has lots of archaeological exhibits from the Roman city of Turris Libisonis, which was founded by Julius Caesar around 45 B.C. and eventually became Porto Torres. Unsurprisingly, there is much more to see of that ancient town in the city, such as the Central Thermal Baths, the gorgeous mosaics of the House of Orpheus, the Maetzke Thermal Baths and the House of Mosaics.
There’s also a 135-meter-long Roman bridge built over the river Rio Mannu from the 1st century A.D., which is supported by seven arches of differing height, depending on the height of the ground it sits on.
And there’s a ziggurat. “What?” I hear you say. “In Italy?” Yes, indeed. The prehistoric altar in Monte d’Accoddi is actually the oldest extant construction in the country. It seems to date back to around 3,700 BC and could be an architectural ziggurat. Or some kind of viewing platform or even a pyramid.
The Basilica of San Gavino is the biggest and oldest Romanesque church in Sardinia and houses the remains of three saints. It’s a remarkable building with an impressive façade and an austere interior with columns and marble capitals brought in from old Roman and Byzantine buildings.
What to Eat
In short, everything – but especially pasta. Sardinian cuisine is special and different, and it would be silly to opt for the pizza or pasta dishes you’re used to eating at home instead of trying typical Sardinian dishes. Such as – if you’re a meat eater – suckling pig, a Sardinian specialty. Done right, the meat is melt-in-your-mouth tender and very tasty, with a crunchy skin.
Culurgiones are Sardinian pasta at its finest. These lovely ravioli are filled with a delicious mix of potatoes, sheep or goat cheese and mint and are usually served with a fresh tomato and onion sauce.
Malloredus are small pasta shells and known as Sardinian gnocchi. In the best-known dish in which they are used, Malloredus alla Campidanese, they are served with an extraordinary fennel sausage ragu.
For a light lunch or to take with you to the beach, look for quiche-like dishes encased in bread that differ according to region you’re in. They’re filled with different ingredients, such as tomatoes; or potatoes, mint and cheese; or only cheese; or mushrooms – to name just a few. You find them in bakeries or at the bakery counter of supermarkets, and they can be called prazzidas, casadinas or empanadas, depending on where you buy them.
Finally, just to make sure you don’t go home hungry, try some seadas for dessert. They are made by deep-frying ravioli, filling them with melted Pecorino cheese, topping them with honey and serving them in crispy pastry. I’m drooling on my keyboard just writing those words.
Final Words
In the What to Eat and What to See sections I barely scratched the surface of the riches Sardinia offers to the visitor. It has too much of everything. I just made some suggestions based on personal preferences. There is so much to see that you can just go anywhere on a whim and come across something that will either blow your mind or make you smile.
So I suggest that you read as much as possible on what there is for you to enjoy and then decide what interests you the most before you reserve your accommodation. As for the food, go out of your way to taste the local specialties. If there is a food festival going on when you’re there, head for it and go wild (as much as your budget allows). If you’re staying at a farm hotel and they serve the food they grow and raise, by all means eat there when you can. I’m green with envy of those of you who will discover Sardinia for the first time.