Sardinia:

Sardinia rewards travellers who look beyond the beach. The island’s interior holds Bronze Age stone towers, mountain gorges and some of the oldest rural cooking in the Mediterranean, while the coast delivers everything from quiet coves to the polished marinas of the north-east.

The island in brief

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, lying west of the Italian mainland. It is an autonomous region of Italy with its own language, its own flag and a strong sense of separateness. Distances can be deceptive: the island is around 270 kilometres from north to south, and mountain roads make the journey longer than the map suggests.

The main gateways are Cagliari in the south, Olbia and Alghero in the north, and Porto Torres for ferry arrivals from the Italian mainland and from France.

What to see

Cagliari — the regional capital, built on a hill above a long urban beach. The old quarter of Castello, the Roman amphitheatre and the archaeology museum are the main draws.

Su Nuraxi di Barumini — a Bronze Age nuraghe complex in the centre of the island and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nuraghe towers, built from stacked stone without mortar, are Sardinia’s defining ancient monument; thousands of them are scattered across the island.

Su Gorropu — a limestone gorge in the Supramonte mountains of the east, often described as one of the deepest in Europe. It is reached on foot, usually with a guided hike or a combination of off-road transport and walking.

Tiscali — a nuraghe settlement hidden inside a collapsed cave on Monte Tiscali, also in the Supramonte. The approach is a serious walk.

Cala Luna — a beach on the Gulf of Orosei reachable by boat or on foot along the coast.

La Maddalena archipelago — a group of islands off the north-east coast, best seen by boat. Caprera, connected to La Maddalena by a causeway, is known for its walking trails and its association with Giuseppe Garibaldi, who lived and died there.

Costa Smeralda — the stretch of coast around Porto Cervo, developed from the 1960s onwards and now associated with high-end resorts and yachting.

Food and drink

Sardinian cooking is built on what the island produces: suckling pig roasted on a spit, flatbreads such as pane carasau, pecorino cheeses, and pasta shapes found nowhere else. Seafood is excellent along the coast, particularly around Oristano and in the south.

The island has a long winemaking history. Cannonau, a red grape grown widely on the island, is the best-known variety; Vermentino is the leading white. The vineyards around Alghero and in the Gallura region in the north are worth visiting.

Getting around

A car gives the most freedom, particularly for the interior and the mountain areas. Roads are generally good but slow and winding. Ferries connect the main ports with the Italian mainland and with Corsica, which lies just to the north.

When to go

Spring and early autumn offer mild weather and thinner crowds. July and August are hot and busy, particularly along the coast, and accommodation prices peak. The interior can be visited year-round, though some mountain routes are best avoided in the height of summer.