Sardinia

Sardinia rewards travellers who look beyond the beach. The island’s interior holds Bronze Age stone towers, deep limestone canyons and highland villages where traditions have survived largely intact, while the coast offers some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean. This guide covers the island’s main regions, the practicalities of getting around, and the best months to visit.

A Mediterranean island with its own identity

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, lying west of the Italian mainland. It is an Italian region, but its geography has kept it distinct. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Pisans, Genoese, Aragonese and Piedmontese all left their mark, and traces of each remain in the island’s language, architecture and cooking.

The island divides broadly into two halves. The north, anchored by the Costa Smeralda and the port of Olbia, is the busier and more developed, with a dense concentration of resorts and marinas. The south, centred on the capital Cagliari, is larger, quieter and generally better value, with long sandy beaches and a strong local food culture.

The interior: nuraghi, canyons and highlands

The island’s most distinctive monuments are the nuraghi, conical stone towers built between roughly 1800 and 500 BC. Several thousand survive, in varying states of repair. Su Nuraxi at Barumini, in the south-central interior, is the best known and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Others, such as Nuraghe Losa near Abbasanta, are equally rewarding and far less crowded.

Inland Sardinia is mountainous and sparsely populated. The Gennargentu massif in the centre-east rises to Punta La Marmora, the island’s highest peak at 1,834 metres. To the north-east of it lies the Su Gorropu gorge, a limestone canyon with walls up to 400 metres high, reached on foot or by a combination of off-road vehicle and walking trail.

The Barbagia region, in the mountainous centre, is the heartland of traditional Sardinian culture. Villages such as Orgosolo are known for their murals, and the area’s festivals, including the costumed parades of the Mamuthones and Issohadores at Mamoiada, draw visitors from across the island.

The coast: Costa Smeralda and beyond

The Costa Smeralda, on the north-east coast, was developed from the 1960s onwards and is now synonymous with upmarket tourism. Porto Cervo is its main centre, with a marina, designer shops and some of the island’s most expensive hotels. The beaches here, including Liscia Ruja and Capriccioli, are undeniably beautiful, though busy in high season.

Elsewhere the coast is more varied. The Maddalena archipelago, off the north-east tip, comprises seven main islands and is reached by ferry from Palau. Caprera, connected to La Maddalena by a causeway, is largely protected parkland and the site of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s final home, now a museum.

On the west coast, the Sinis peninsula near Oristano offers wetlands, Phoenician and Roman ruins at Tharros, and long, uncrowded beaches. The south coast, from Chia to Villasimius, has a string of sandy bays backed by dunes and lagoons.

Getting there and around

Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero all have airports with direct flights from several European cities. Ferries run from the Italian mainland to Olbia, Porto Torres, Arbatax and Cagliari, with crossings from Livorno, Genoa and Civitavecchia.

A car is close to essential for exploring beyond the main resorts. Public transport exists but is thin outside the cities, and many of the island’s best beaches and archaeological sites are reached only by road. Distances are longer than they look on a map: the drive from Cagliari to Olbia takes around three hours, and mountain roads are slow.

When to go

The island’s climate is typically Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters. July and August are the busiest and most expensive months, particularly on the coast. May, June, September and October offer warm weather with far fewer visitors, and the interior is at its best in spring, when the wildflowers are out.

Winter is quiet, but not closed. Cagliari and the larger towns remain lively, and the interior’s festivals continue through the year. Walkers should note that the highlands can be cold and wet outside summer, and some mountain trails are best avoided in the heat of August.

Practical notes

Italian is the official language, though Sardinian is widely spoken in the interior and is recognised as a regional language. English is common in tourist areas but less so in rural villages.

The island’s cuisine is worth seeking out: suckling pig roasted on a spit, flatbreads such as pane carasau, pecorino cheeses, and the dry white wines of Vermentino and the red Cannonau. Agriturismi, working farms that offer meals and often accommodation, are a good way to eat well in the countryside, though booking ahead is advisable.