Sardinia, Italy - An Island of Wonder

For years we had heard of the beauty that is Sardinia. This island of the coast of Italy was said to be magical, alluring tourists to its pristine beaches and capturing the hearts of all who experience, even for a brief period of time, this relaxed island life. When I talk about our travels and how I like beaches nearly every Italian asks me if I have been to Sardinia, then they start describing what many consider to be one of the most beautiful islands they have ever seen. And now I can say yes, and I can indeed confirm that it does have some of the most beautiful beaches many will ever see.

Driving around all of Sardinia in eight days probably seems like a daunting task to many, but this is what we chose to do! Some of my European friends told me it wasn’t possible, but as Americans we are used to driving longer distances, so we were up for the task! I will say, as always, it is harder to fully appreciate a place when you can’t spend too much time there, but with limited time (as always), we prefer to at least get a taste of as much as we can, so this is how we travel. If we go back (and i hope we do!), we will pick a region and explore it more thoroughly.

Flights are normally very cheap from Naples to Sardinia (various airports), but flights were not running in July. (I am also uncertain we/I would have been ready to fly!) We took a ferry from Civitavecchia to Olbia then did a loop around the island. Ferries also leave from Naples to Cagliari but not daily and take 14.5 hours as opposed to 6.5 hours. We took Grimaldi lines (you can compare and also book on third party sites such as Direct Ferries) and drove to Civitavecchia (near Rome). 

Itinerary

Below is the itinerary we made for our drive around the island. We added in a few stops along the way but because of Covid-19 we needed to book lodging in advance so our route was less flexible. We also wanted to get a taste of everything (beaches/cities/vies/ruins) so we drove around the entire island. However, there are ferries and flights to different ports/airports, and you can explore parts of the island more in depth if that is more your style.

Day 1: Napoli --> Civitavecchia, Ferry to Olbia (overnight)
Day 2: Arrive Olbia --> Capo Testa / Cala Spinosa --> Elephant Rock --> Castelsardo --> Sassari
Day 3: Sassari --> Alghero
Day 4: --> Bosa --> Winery --> Hotel
Day 5: --> Su Nuraxi Barumini --> Sant'Antioca / Beach
Day 6: Panoramic Drive SP 171 Port Terulada to Chia / Beaches --> Cagliari
Day 7: Bike tour Cagliari --> Costa Rei / Beaches --> San Vito
Day 8: Orosei Drive Arbatax to Dorgali --> Orgosolo --> B&B near Palau (by far longest driving day)
Day 9: Boat tour La Maddalena
Day 10: --> Olbia --> Ferry to Civitavecchia --> Drive to Napoli

YouTube video: https://youtu.be/cBz71I46cPk

Cities

• Alghero - this was one of our favorite cities. It is a coastal city in Northwestern Sardinia, has a cobblestone town center, and is surrounded by ancient walls. I would highly suggest walking along the walls and in the historical center, as it is beautiful. We also ate lunch outside on the wall and had a wonderful view of the water.

• Sassari - we spent two nights here, and it is a good base to travel to other areas. There's also a great street full of restaurants and bars that comes alive at night. 

• Castelsardo - a castle town on a hill. I thought it would be prettier looking at the city from afar rather than in the city looking out, but both views were really pretty! Stop along the road to get a view of the entire city then head up to the center to explore. We went inside the castle where there is a museum. From the top you there is also a really nice view. 

• Bosa - another castle on a hill town that we absolutely adored. This town was also a favorite. We parked at the bottom of the hill (before the bridge to the old town) and walked all the way up to the castle (a bit of a task in the heat!), and it was very much worth it! We also walked around town and (purposely) got lost in the alleyways. From the castle the view stunning. We also broke out the drone and flew it around from the castle walls! 

• Sant'antioca - this is an island off of the southern part of Sardinia. There's also another island, San Pietro, that we heard was (maybe even more) beautiful but we didn't have time to explore both. There's a ferry that goes to San Pietro, so you can explore the island then take another ferry to Sant'Antioca and the bridge back to the main island, but we were a bit tired by the time we arrived so we opted for time on the beach and then dinner in Sant'Antioca, which did not disappoint! 

• Cagliari - by far the largest city stop! In the evening we were able to catch the sunset at the top of Bastione Saint Remy, which gives you a good view of the city. We also ate in at a restaurant that served traditional Sardinian food, and it was absolutely amazing (definitely one of our top two favorites, listed the restaurant section below!). In the morning we did a bike tour around the city (there are multiple tours available, and we highly suggest booking a tour that provides an electric bike, especially if you are biking in the city, as it is quite hilly). Cagliari had many intriguing alleys and it was a city you could easily explore and get lost in. It would be a great city to use as a base if you are looking to stay in one place and make day trips. We also stayed in a wonderful hotel/B&B, Bluemoon Sardinia. The owners were nice, communicative, and gave  good recommendations. It is also in a good location and has private parking for €10/day. 

• Baunei - this is a city along the Orsei drive that we did, and it's a great region for hikes and tours.  We contemplated doing a boat tour from here to see all of the beautiful beaches/caves that can only be reached by boat (or hiking) but we decided to do a boat tour in the Maddalena archipelago instead. If we go back this is one area I definitely want to explore more. 
• Orgosolo - this town is full of murals, many of them political. Take a few hours to wander around the city and look at all the art! We parked on the side of the road and walked around in the afternoon. 

• Palau / La Maddalena - we did a boat tour of the Maddalena archipelago from the port of Palau (where there are also many lodging options and restaurants, as well as a viewpoint on strada panoramica). At the port you will find multiple agencies or independent sailors willing to take you out on a boat to the various islands. There is also a ferry you can take to La Maddalena. For the sake of convenience and wanting to spend a bit of time on each island we did an organized boat tour that stopped at multiple islands and also let us spend some time on the beach. We enjoyed it and thought it was worth it! There is paid parking right in front of the part but Google free parking and you'll find a free lot on either side of the port ;) 

Drives

We did two drives labeled as "panoramic" drives - one with coastal views of the water and the other with mountain views. Both were beautiful and depending on how long you have, there are plenty of stops to make along both.

• Panoramic Drive from Port Teulada to Chia - this route is on the southern part of the island and it was hard not stopping at all of the beaches along the way! In fact, I had marked multiple beaches along the route but the first beach was so beautiful we ended up staying there the entire day! 

• Orosei Drive from Arbatax to Dorgali - this route takes you through the mountains, which were also beautiful. If we had more time/if it weren't so hot we would have liked to do a few hikes in this region. We stopped in Baunei, which is a good base for many adventures. 

Ruins

There are many ruins to explore on the island. While we only made one cultural stop there is plenty to see.

• I Nuraghi -
• Su Nuraxi di Barumini - is the one we visited, and was declared a UN World Heritage site in 1997.  It was a bit out of the way since most of our destinations were near the coast, but we found the stop to be both interesting and worth it. 

If you are interested in visiting more cultural sites and ruins, do some research. Maybe start with looking up Nuraghi, Nora, and Tharros. 

Beaches

I promise you, if you are on the coast of Sardinia you WILL find a beach, and it will be beautiful. We drove around the entire island, and as someone who loves the water it was hard not to want to stop everywhere. Sardinia allures you with its crystal clear waters and breathtaking views. Even if we had stayed on the island all summer we wouldn't have been able to fully enjoy every beach - there are so many! So here are a few were on our list:

• Capo Testa - this area actually has a bunch of rock formations, little hiking trails, beaches, and a lighthouse! 

• Cala Spinosa - a little beach that you have to hike down to, but no worries - it is not too steep and only takes a few minute to get down there. This hidden paradise was a perfect first stop after a night on a ferry!

• Sant'Antioca - this island is full of beaches, do a little Google search and find the closest (or most appealing) one to you! We went to Portixeddu mainly because it was closest to us at the time, but there are plenty of others. This was a small beach with paid parking at the top (you have to walk down a path to the water to find the beach). Parking was discounted for residents and free after 6pm.

• Panoramic Drive from Port Teulada to Chia - this drive is also full of beaches. The first one on our list was Spiaggia di Piscinnì and it was so beautiful we stayed there all day. But we saw many options both before and after this (and we did not regret making this one a very long stop). This beach was also right along the road, which made it easier to stop. Other beaches seemed to be a bit farther away. Another beach, Tuerredda, was on our list...while beautiful it seemed more touristy. We did stop a little after this beach to get some drone pictures. 

• Costa Rei - along this coast you will find 12 kilometers of beach. It will not be hard to find white sand and crystal clear water! We stopped at Spiaggia di Santa Giusta, but there are many beaches to choose from! 

• La Maddalena - We did a boat tour through this archipelago and stopped at multiple islands. If you have more time to spend in this area it is absolutely beautiful, and you can also get to the main island (La Maddalena) via ferry or to other islands/beaches renting a boat. Since we had one day we chose the organized tour and were pleased with it. Due to COVID-19 the hot meal that otherwise would have been included was not provided, but there was a bar with drinks, snacks, and sandwiches on board. 

• Orosei Coast - we drove a bit around here but mostly through the mountains. As previously mentioned, due to heat and time constraints we didn't hike or take a boat down to these beaches but they looked absolutely amazing and if we go back are definitely on our list! 
• Look up: Cala Mariolu, Cala Luna, Cala Goloritzé 
• Porto Cervo - This was a tentative stop on our list but we didn't make it (we enjoyed our time at La Maddalena). But it seemed beautiful, so look it up! 
• Porto Torres - We were on our way here then got sidetracked by a winery. No wrong choice here! Both seemed like pretty great options. :) 

Caves

There are caves throughout the island, and if you have never explored any, this might be the place to do so! Matt and I have been inside multiple caves (and we actually really do like them!) so since there was so much to do during our short week we opted out of this activity. However, one that sounded really neat was Neptune's Cave by Alghero.

Wineries

If it's not clear, we like wine. We like tasting and buying wine, which becomes dangerous when we travel with our car (and therefore have ample space to buy wine and bring it back home with us!). Here are a few wineries we stopped at. Some of them I found online, others were suggestions, and others we saw on the side of the road and just decided to stop.

• Sella & Mosca - I had read about this winery, but if we’re being honest we were driving from Alghero to Porto Torres and decided to stop at the winery instead! There was a nice little sitting area with umbrellas and we tasted a few wines (you can also do a tour but we showed up later in the afternoon. It also probably would have been better to book in advance). We found a red and white we liked, and loved the sparkling wine. 

• Cantina Madeddu (Bosa) - we found this one online but it was right near the city of Bosa so we stopped in on our way out. Luckily, we arrived before lunch and were given a little tour with an explanation of the wine process then a tasting. We learned a ton about history and traditions related to the wine, but if you stop here you should know the owner only speaks Italian, and talks very fast! The Malvasia wine was good (not too sweet), and the red was delightful. 

• Contini - this winery was not doing tastings due to the pandemic, but allowed us to taste wines to buy. (Convenient for us, but also made it a pretty quick stop!) This winery is close to Tharros so if we hadn’t had a set time to check in to our B&B we might have stopped by the archaeological site for a quick look or taken a dip in a beach nearby. 
• Cantina Giuseppe Sedilesu - the tasting is in town, but you can also organize a visit to the vineyards. We did a tasting here as well (they have different options available, including tasting to buy), and this was the only tasting we did (mostly) in English (in general I would say book things in advance if you can and ask if English is an option. We just dropped in most places and it was fine, but that isn’t always the case, especially during a pandemic!). 

• Famiglia Orro - unfortunately, no one was available to do a tasting with us, so if you go here I suggest you book in advance. I read about this winery in a blog and it sounded nice! 

Restaurants & Food

Everywhere we go we try to taste local dishes, so we definitely went with a list of foods to try in mind.

• Agriturismo Marongiu - this agriturismo has a set menu at €35/person and it absolutely worth it. The menu includes local dishes (starters, mains, dessert) and drinks (wine, water, coffee, liquor). The service was wonderful and the food was absolutely amazing. Hands down this was one of the best meals (if not the best meal) we had in Sardinia. 

• Su Cumbidu - a restaurant tucked in an alley of Cagliari, which serves traditional food. The service here was also great and this is the other restaurant that is our top contender for best meal in Sardinia (either way, the agriturismo and this restaurant are for sure the top two). 

• I Due Fratelli - this seafood restaurant by the water on the island of Sant’Antioco comes in third in our list of great meals! Here we tried the seafood fregola, which was fresh and delicious! We also had a waiter who was friendly and willing to suggest different dishes (and explain them) to us. 

• Typical Dishes 
• Fregola - hard to explain so just trust me when I say try it! We had a seafood one (above) and it was absolutely delicious. 
• Pane Carasau - a very thin, crispy bread (kind of like a cracker) 
• Malloreddus alla campidanese - gnocchetti/little gnocchi with pork 
• Culurgionis - handmade ravioli (so good!)
• Maialino - pork
• Seadas (dessert) - fried cheese with honey (loved these a little too much!) 
• Mirto - liquor/digestivo 

COVID Safety

Sardinia was one of the Italian regions with few covid-19 cases. To keep it this way and to make travelers and locals feel safer, the government required us to reserve lodging ahead of time and fill out a form listing each hotel. Two days before our arrival we were also required to fill out a health form and say we were willing to be tested upon arrival. We filled everything out online and were sent a bar code that needed to be shown as we boarded the ferry. (While this all was mandatory, no one ever asked to see anything.) We also needed to fill out a health/information form for the ferry company, and this was taken from us during check-in.

On the ferry many areas were blocked off, including certain sitting areas and tables/chairs within open sitting areas. Only one person was allowed to drive the car on and everyone else needed to walk on board in a separate entrance. Our temperatures were taken and masks were required outside of the cabins. Hand sanitizer was also widely available.

On the island the level of strictness varied (as it does everywhere we’ve been in Italy post-pandemic). Some people wore masks on the street, but many did not. Most stores required masks and gloves (or sanitizing hands before entering). Most people wore masks while talking to us. We carried hand sanitizer and wipes, and wore masks indoors and around others.