Superlative beaches, surprising history and seadas, discover it all in our insider’s guide to Sardinia
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Sardinia is undoubtedly best known for limpid turquoise sea and exquisite beaches on the Costa Smeralda, but there are plenty of those elsewhere on the island too, and for a fraction of the price. Food and wine is just as important here as well – the island is a designated ‘Blue Zone’, a region where the people live longer and healthier lives than anywhere else on the planet.
But unless you’re a fan of the History Channel, you might not know that Sardinia is one of the most mysterious places on earth. The oldest landmass in Europe, it has archaeological sites, discovered in the 1970s, that date from between 1900 and 730 BC (Sardinia’s Stonehenge). Little is known about the Nuraghic civilisation, but there are over 7,000 stone fortresses (the oldest in Europe) around the island, and some of the giant statues created are over eight-feet tall, giving rise to the notion that Sardinia might really have been a ‘Land of the Giants’.
Scroll down for our suggested day-by-day summary of the best things to see and do. For further Sardinia inspiration, see our guides to the island's best hotels, restaurants, nightlife, beaches and things to do.
How to spend your weekend
When should I visit Sardinia?
Where to stay in Sardinia
Essential information: what to know before you go
Base yourself in the pretty port of Cagliari, the island’s capital, where there are regular street markets and plenty of lovely bars and restaurants, and begin day one by heading west to the charming town of Pula. From here it’s a short drive to visit the Roman and Carthaginian ruins of Nora that lie in front of the sea and which include mosaics, temples and thermal baths. The tours are fascinating, thanks to the enthusiastic guides who provide plenty of information about the site.
After a morning of exploring, head back into Pula where you’ll find a host of places to eat and drink. S’Incontru on Piazza del Popolo is one of the liveliest. Take a terrace table, and watch the world go by while waiting for your wood-fired pizza, topped with the likes of prosciutto cotto e rucola (ham and rocket) or frutti di mare (seafood). There's also a sushi bar and vegetarian options.
After lunch it's back to Cagliari, with its handsome 19th-century biscuit-coloured buildings and the impressive Museo Archeologico which has exhibits dating from 6,000 BC. Unmissable is the Sardinian 'stone army': the large sculptures are 500 years older than China’s Terracotta Army. Foodies shouldn’t miss the San Benedetto market (open 7am-2pm Monday-Friday, and 7am-3pm on Saturday) which may be one of the biggest markets in Italy. The entire ground floor is a riotous sea of impossibly colourful fish (though not on a Monday), and head upstairs for the equally brilliant greengrocers, cheese stalls, butchers and bakers.
Rafè Coffee & Shop is a great pitstop for a drink or lunch, as well as a bit of shopping (they sell local honey and pretty ceramics). Then it’s well worth a trip to popular Poetto beach, a short bus-ride away, or head for Molentargius, the regional park where, in the spring and summer, over 10,000 of its inhabitants are flamingos.
It’s a short trek up to the historic centre to admire the Torre dell’Elefante which has been recently restored and now offers spectacular views over the town and beyond. Insider tip: the tower can only be visited with a guide and reservation (closed Monday).
If you made the hike up, reward yourself at the nearby Caffè Libarium Nostrum, which overlooks the tower, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it’s a prime spot for a sundowner. The appetisers (think cheese croquettes, crudo ham, crisps and nuts) come free, and the spacious terrace offers views over the city, port and sea beyond. There's also a full dinner menu, for which booking ahead is advisable. For more dinner recommendations, see our guide to the best restaurants in Sardinia.
On the northwest coast, Alghero overlooks the sea and is a delight to wander around. Once conquered by the Catalans, some of the townsfolk still speak ‘Algherese’, a variant of the Catalan language, and the historic centre is still known as ‘Barcelonetta’. There are plenty of shops, as well as a marina where boats sail for the caves of Capo Caccia and Neptune’s Grotto. Alternatively you could take a trip to Anghelu Ruju, where there’s large collection of Domus de Janus (pre-Nuraghic tombs that were thought to be ‘fairy houses’, though they are actually tombs).
Food here has a distinctly Spanish twist, and paella can be found on many menus. After a bracing walk along the sea ramparts, follow your nose to Les Arenes pizzeria for a metre of pizza, or book online for Catalan aragosta (lobster, a local specialty) or the famous porceddu (suckling pig).
By car, you can arrive in Nuoro in less than two hours. It’s the capital of the province of the same name, and birthplace of Grazia Deledda, the only Italian woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. As well as visiting Deledda’s house, the town has a superb Museo del Costume, where visitors can explore the island’s distinctive culture. Close by, in the delightful Piazza Sebastiano Satta, named after the famous Italian poet, you’ll find sculptures by Sardinian-born Costantino Nivola. Perhaps take a coffee, Spritz, or a light lunch at concept store Monti Blu in the same square.
From here you could head up towards the Costa Smeralda, stopping off at Olbia to visit the Museo Archeologico, which is shaped like a moored ship, in front of the old port. Displaying important relics of ancient Roman ships, this is a fascinating place to start delving into the history of this seafaring city before heading on to Porto Cervo to visit the beautiful Stella Maris church, built by the late Aga Khan in thanks for allowing his development of the area.
When dusk starts to fall, Porto Cervo has a small Piazzetta where the rich and glam sip cocktails with nary a thought for the bill (a coffee could cost €15/£12, and something with alcohol might set you back €30/£28), or you could splash out on an fabulous dinner at award-winning Blù Restaurant), where Chef Daniele Sechi plays with Sardinian flavours, especially his black fregola (handmade Sardinian 'couscous' blackened with charcoaled vegetables) served with prawns and asparagus.
For a more authentic Sardinian experience, try Agriturismo La Colti, where you'll want to save room for desserts, which include the famous seadas (a large 'raviolo' filled with ricotta and drizzled with honey). Night owls wishing to continue the evening, see our guide to nightlife in Sardinia.
There’s one golden rule: avoid August. That’s when the whole of Italy with mothers and kitchen sinks in tow storms the island, flooding the beaches and booking up all available accommodation. Prices go up too, and it can be excruciatingly hot. Just about any other time is fine, with May/June seeing the island at its best, with the clearest skies, while a balmy, post-blitz serenity descends on the island in September, when the crowds have departed and the sea is at its warmest. The depths of winter can see resorts looking a little drab and forlorn, though, and some businesses, including restaurants, are closed until Easter.
Modern family-owned Gabbiano Azzurro Hotels & Suites has rooms overlooking the sea decorated with Moorish-style arches, lights sculpted into white walls, and Sardinian crafts made from wood or ceramics. It has its own private beach, and a first-class chef, plus a hotel boat which is used for trips to the nearby islands and dolphin-watching.
Su Gologone, Sardinia’s top country lodge, basks in a stunning mountain setting. But it’s more than a hotel: dedicated to bringing the best of Sardinia to guests, it’s a colour-drenched oasis of authenticity, art and beauty, a world away from the bling-obsessed Costa Smeralda. A five-minute walk will take you to the bucolic spring that gave Su Gologone its name.
Characterful and well designed, The Place Cagliari – a converted, traditional, 19th-century building – has six rooms, each one with its own charm. Plump for the Suite Regina Elena, a huge space with a beamed ceiling, animal skin rug, and its own sauna and freestanding claw-foot bath in the bedroom. There’s a small café area on the ground floor and little library with interesting reference books about Sardinia. For more recommendations of the best places to stay in Sardinia, see our guide.
Jan Fuscoe is Telegraph Travel’s Sardinia expert, and spends much of the summer there. She’s met a woman who weaves gold thread from giant mussel ‘bisso’, and hung out with a Sardinian beekeeper, but can mostly be found swimming in the sea.
