Sardinia

Sardinia is famous for some of the most beautiful beaches in the Mediterranean, from the Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena archipelago in the north to Chia and Villasimius in the south, and the coves of the Gulf of Orosei in the east.

But the island is also a world of its own inland: thousands of nuraghi, the Bronze Age stone towers, villages with their own language and festivals, mountains like the Gennargentu and the Supramonte, and a cuisine of roast suckling pig, pecorino and Cannonau wine.

A small continent in the Mediterranean

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean and is often called a small continent, because within a few kilometres you go from Caribbean-like beaches to granite mountains, from holm oak forests to deep canyons, from lagoons full of flamingos to empty plateaus. It has a very ancient and distinctive history: thousands of nuraghi, Bronze Age stone towers, dot the landscape, and its language, traditions, songs and costumes differ from those of the rest of Italy. For many people it is above all about the sea, and the Sardinian sea really is among the most beautiful in Europe, but the interior deserves at least as much attention.

Cagliari and the south

Cagliari, the capital, is a bright city overlooking the Gulf of Angels. The Castello district, enclosed by Pisan walls and towers, offers views over the city and the salt pans from the Bastion of Saint Remy; the Archaeological Museum holds the Nuragic bronze figurines and the giants of Mont'e Prama. The Poetto is the long city beach, and the Molentargius lagoon is home to pink flamingos a short distance from the centre. Along the south-west coast are Pula, with the Phoenician, Punic and Roman city of Nora, Chia with its dunes, and the Sulcis coast with Carloforte on the island of San Pietro, a town of Ligurian origin famous for its tuna. East of Cagliari, Villasimius and the Costa Rei have turquoise water and dazzling white beaches.

The Costa Smeralda and Gallura

The north-east is the most famous part of Sardinia. The Costa Smeralda, created in the 1960s, has exclusive resorts, marinas such as Porto Cervo and coves of crystal-clear water. But Gallura is much more than that: San Teodoro with the beach of La Cinta, Palau and Santa Teresa Gallura, from where boats leave for the La Maddalena archipelago, a national park with islands such as Spargi, Budelli and Caprera, where Garibaldi lived. Inland, Tempio Pausania and Calangianus are towns of cork and granite, and Capo Testa has rocks sculpted by the wind. Olbia, with its airport and port, is the gateway to the area.

Alghero and the north-west

Alghero is a city with a Catalan character: a dialect of Catalan is still spoken here, and the old town enclosed by bastions on the sea recalls the towns of Spain. Nearby, Neptune's Grotto, reached by boat or by a stairway of more than six hundred steps down the cliffs of Capo Caccia, and the Palmavera nuraghe are the main sights. Further north, Stintino is famous for the beach of La Pelosa, facing the island of Asinara, a national park home to white donkeys. Sassari, the island's second city, hosts the Cavalcata Sarda in May and the Descent of the Candelieri in August. Castelsardo, a village perched above the sea, is known for its woven baskets.

Oristano and the west coast

West-central Sardinia is less touristy and full of surprises. Oristano is famous for the Sartiglia, a Carnival joust on horseback. On the Sinis peninsula, the archaeological site of Tharros overlooks the sea, the beaches of Is Arutas are made of grains of quartz and the lagoons are home to flamingos. Further south, the Costa Verde has towering dunes, such as those of Piscinas, among the highest in Europe, and old abandoned mines. In Bosa, at the mouth of the Temo river, colourful houses climb up towards the Malaspina castle.

The heart of the island: Barbagia and Ogliastra

The interior is where you find the most authentic Sardinia. In Barumini the Nuragic complex of Su Nuraxi, a UNESCO site, shows an entire village around a stone fortress. The Barbagia, around the Gennargentu massif, is the land of shepherds: in Orgosolo murals tell political and social stories, and in Mamoiada the Mamuthones, with their wooden masks and cowbells, bring Carnival to life. Nuoro is the town of Grazia Deledda, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature. To the east, the Gulf of Orosei and Ogliastra offer some of the island's most spectacular beaches, such as Cala Goloritzé and Cala Luna, reached by boat or on foot, and the Gorropu canyon, one of the deepest in Europe. The little Green Train runs slowly along some of the historic lines of the interior.

Food and wine

Sardinian cooking is above all the cooking of the land and of shepherds. Porceddu, suckling pig roasted on a spit, is the dish of celebrations; culurgiones, potato and mint ravioli sealed in the shape of an ear of wheat, malloreddus pasta, fregola with clams and carasau, the thin, crunchy flatbread, are symbols of the island. Sardinian pecorino, fiore sardo cheese and mullet bottarga from Cabras are excellent products, and seadas, cheese fritters with honey, end the meal together with a glass of myrtle liqueur. Wines include Cannonau, Vermentino di Gallura, the island's only DOCG, Carignano del Sulcis and Vernaccia di Oristano.

Traditions and festivals

In Sardinia religious and popular festivals are celebrated with great involvement. In Cagliari on 1 May the procession of Saint Ephisius crosses the city with thousands of people in traditional costume, ox-drawn carts and decorated wagons, before setting off on foot towards Nora. In Nuoro, at the end of August, the Feast of the Redeemer brings together costumed groups from all over the island. In many villages you can hear canto a tenore, a form of polyphonic singing listed by UNESCO as intangible heritage, and the launeddas, an ancient wind instrument. Crafts such as rugs, ceramics, knives from Pattada and filigree jewellery are still very much alive.

Nature and outdoor sports

Sardinia is a paradise for anyone who loves the outdoors. The waters of Porto Pollo, between Palau and Santa Teresa, are one of the best spots in Europe for windsurfing and kitesurfing, while the marine reserves of Capo Carbonara, Tavolara and Capo Caccia offer dives among seagrass meadows, caves and wrecks. The Selvaggio Blu, in the Supramonte of Baunei, is considered one of the toughest and most spectacular treks in Italy and should be tackled with a guide. There are also horse-riding itineraries, cycling routes along almost deserted coastal roads and climbing on the cliffs of Cala Gonone and Ogliastra.

When to go and how to get around

June and September are the best months for the sea: warm water, less crowded beaches and lower prices than in July and August, when ferries and hotels must be booked well in advance. Spring and autumn are ideal for hiking in the Supramonte and for visiting archaeological sites, while in winter the interior offers village festivals, carnivals and Autunno in Barbagia, when villages open their homes and courtyards to visitors. A car is essential for exploring the island. The airports are Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero; ferries connect Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Porto Torres and Cagliari with Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples and Corsica.