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Hello there, I’m Clelia, the girl behind this website, born and raised in Sardinia in a village near Cagliari, and I’m here to help. Nice to meet you! 🙂
Plan Your Sardinia Holiday With Me!
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Are you planning your holiday to Sardinia, but you feel overwhelmed by those websites full of pictures of hotels and villas with no accurate information?
Forget about all that nonsense (I hate it)! Here, you will find honest advice from a local girl (Aka me!), and the best part is that all the info here is FOR FREE!
I put together several ready-to-use itineraries for every need. I’ll create new articles for you on this separate part of the website to help you have a fantastic time on my paradise Island!
Given the massive amount of comments and requests, I am also creating a Consultancy Page where I will take the time to plan, give you some good advice, and put together a detailed itinerary that will suit your needs. Stay tuned 🙂
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What Is The “Sardinia Home Page” About?
I created several pages and articles in this section to help you with your Sardinia Holiday planning. So where can you find all the info you need?! Easy! Start by checking the links below (you can also find them on the main menu at the top of the page), and you will find all the info you need!
I’m a perfectionist, and I LOVE Sardinia to pieces, so it takes me quite a while to write these massive guides. Please bear with me when I try to turn 24 hrs into 48 to finish them all 🙂
Are You Ready For Sardinia?
Click on the relevant section, and let’s jump right in
GENERAL INFO
Want To Know Something More?
Check out the Infographic I put together with some fun facts about Sardinia!
Comments
I always try to find tips from locals when I go to new places… I’m so glad I found you before my trip to Sardinia!! Thank you.
Hi Whitney, I’m very glad you found my Sardinia articles useful 🙂
I need help with a week vacation in Sardinia. Can you contact me via email?
Hello
We are flying to Olbia for 1 week on the 7th September with our 11 month old baby. The travel agent has recommended cannigione. In a apartment hotel called Cala de falco. We are getting a hire car so are happy driving to beaches and want to do some sightseeing but would like to be able to walk to restaurants in the evening. Do you have any recommendations on other suitable towns or do you think Cannigione is best for our family holiday? Thanks
Hi Jo!
I know Cannigione quite well and it’s lovely, quiet but has everything you need and it’s on the sea. Nearby there is Arzachena but it’s not on the sea so maybe for a visit or to eat why not but I would stick to Cannigione, well located for the tours and the activities!
Cheers!
Hi Clelia,
Love the website! My boyfriend and I are flying into Cagliari 17th sept for 7 nights. It sounds like renting a car is essential. We were hoping to stay in 2 different places where we would could explore beaches from. We both love nice wine and food. We are hoping you could recommend 2 locations where we could base ourselves?
Looking forward to your reply,
Anita
Hi Anita, thanks for stopping by! I am also organizing a one week trip on my island for that period 🙂
What I can say is that you could spend 3 nights in Cagliari so that you can not only discover the city which is beautiful but also take day trips to the beaches in the south (CHia, Tuerredda, Piscinas…) and then you could move to the Ogliastra area which is, in my opinion, the best part of Sardinia where you will have the wilderness, the cultural vibe, the mountains, and fabulous beaches. For the wine and food, this is a real paradise. Any local restaurant you try will surely satisfy you! In Cagliari, there are many places you can choose to eat out, try to avoid the tourist trap and wander around to “Old Cagliari” Up to the Bastione, in there you will also find nice local restaurants. For the wine, I recommend our famous (and strong) red Cannonau and the Vermentino di Sardegna 🙂
Enjoy your stay!!
Hubby and I are planning a late August into early September trip. Flying from NY to Olbia. How many days would you suggest a car? Mayb four days in Olbia and three days in Cagliari? Any suggestions welcome. I need beach, relaxation and great meals.
Hi Eva, I think your plan is quite good! 4 days in Olbia and 3 in Cagliari is perfect or you can do the other way round but I think there is a bit more to explore in the north. As for beach, relaxation, and meals, you are covered everywhere in Sardinia really!
Hello Clelia 🙂 very nice website and tips by the way.
so, me and my girlfriend are going to Sardenha for 10 nights in the begining of September. I already know the island but its the first time for her. Last time i did the coast from Porto Cervo to Orosei. This time we are flying to Olbia and out in Alghero. we are going to rent a van in Palau. So, i was tinking this time maybe doing all the north, including 2 or 3 nights in Maddallena island. What do you think? any advice, since we have to leave the van again in Palau and take the flight in Alghero?
Thanks for your time
Cheers
Zé Pedro
Hey, sorry! My commenting section had some issues and I wasn’t able to reply to any comment for a while! I hope you had a fabulous holiday in Sardinia!
Ciao!
Questo sito è buonissimo, e mi sta aiutando molto a preparare la mia vacanza in Sardegna!
Il 13 settembre è il compleanno del mio ragazo e saremo a cala gonone. Vorrei fargli una sorpresa speciale e pensavo affittare un gommone per fare il giro delle spiaggie! Su i siti internet i prezzo sono minimo a 80 euro + benzina, ed è purtroppo un budjet un po alto per me 🙁
Voleveo chiederti se mi puoi consignere un noleggio di gommoni a un prezzo piu basso?
Mi potresti consigliare anche un buon ristorante con cibo buono, locale romantico e piatti sui 20-25 euro?
Grazie mille per l’auito!!!
Ciao Ivi, grazie del commento (In Italiano!) 🙂 Per quanto riguarda i gommoni, purtroppo i prezzi sono quelli (almeno online), quello che ti suggerisco e’ di arrivare sul posto e visto che te la cavi molto bene con la lingua, chiedere sconti sui prezzi e dove trovare magari dei privati che affittano il gommone (se gli spieghi che e’ per una sorpresa, potresti trovare qualcuno che ribassa il prezzo!
per i Ristoranti, Cala Gonone ha parecchie opzioni e i prezzi variano a seconda dei piatti che mangiate (io ne ho segnalati 3 nell’altro articolo riservato alle coppie in vacanza in Sardegna
Se clicchi all’inizio dell’articolo su “Cala Gonone” trovi anche le info su come raggiungere i ristoranti e alcuni hanno anche il sito web. Se quelli che vedi sono troppo cari (20-25 euro e’ un po pochino se vuoi mangiare pesce e porzioni abbondanti) anche li, girando potrai trovare qualcosa a prezzi piu economici. Come sempre, piu’ ti allontani dal centro e meno cari sono. Non ti so dare i nomi precisi di quelli super economici perche’ ogni anno o cambiano gestione o ne vengono aperti altri, dovrei rifarmi un giro per testare con mano! (E ci sto lavorando su) 🙂
Hi Clelia,
I am finding your site so helpful!!!
Me and my partner are booking to go to Sardinia (we have left it very late and are going in 3 days – hope you read this in time!)
We will can fly in to Olbia or Cagliari.
We want a relaxing beach holiday with some exploring, we’ll hire a car, and would happily base ourselves in two places for 4 and 5 nights. We want less touristy areas, real Sardinia if possible, but somewhere where we can go for a walk, eat locally and have a drink in the evenings. Not wanting to drive everyday… Any suggestions?? Maybe Castelsardo/Stintino way and then across to the east?
Also…any dishes you can recommend we find??
Oh Marisa! Sorry, too late for me to reply to this 🙁 I hope you had a great time in Sardinia!
Hi Clelia
Thanks for your useful tips!!!
I will fly to Olbia in August for 3 full days. I was planning to go to Maddalena, Spiaggia del Principe and “Little Haiti”.
Do you think it is the best plan to do so for 3 days?
Thanks!
Jeremy
Hey Jeremy! Uhmm… for 3 days that is quite rushed but doable if you don’t mind jumping from one place to the other! The first full day I’d say you can do the mandatory boat trip to the Arcipelago Della Maddalena, the second day if you are based near Palau, go to La Spiaggia del Principe and the third day, drive to “Little Tahiti (which is actually the name for “Cala Brandinchi” a beautiful beach near San Teodoro.
From Palau to Cala Brandinchi (the furthest one) it is a bit less than 2 hours drive, so it is doable, yes!
Cheers
Clelia
Hello, this is really a helpful site. We be there for 7 full days, flying into Olbia and out of Alghero. Our plan is to stay first in Cala Gonone and finish in Alghero but we would also like to visit the Maddalena Islands. The question is how should we split our time? Are these 3 locations possible in 7 days? 3 in Cala Gonona, 2 in Maddalena and 2 in Alghero? If we wanted one more day in Cala Gonone, where should we reduce, Alghero? We know we can’t do it all, so how to prioritize? We will have a car, so driving around is no problem.
Hey Brian
Your itinerary is surely possible, even if it’s a bit rushed in my opinion. I get that you want to make the mist of your time but also staying in less places and really enjoy them is great if you are in sardinia.
Here is my advice:
If you are flying in and out from Olbia, either reduce Alghero to one day and one night so that you can visit the city and spend the day at Stintino “La Pelosa” beach which is gorgeous, or if you really want to explore more of the Golfo di Orosei area (and believe me, there is so much to do and see in there!), just leave Alghero for another time.
However, if you are flying out from Alghero then yes, spend 2 days in there before leaving Sardinia!Since you will have to be in the area anyways, it’s worth it.
Hope it helps!
Cheers
Clelia
Hi Clelia,
sorry if I am doing this wrong never asked a question on a blog before.
Great sight. My question is, we would like to travel for 10 days to Sardinia in September, book flights and say 2 nights near either Alghero or Olbia. Then hire a car and find accommodation along the way do you think this possible or do we need to have an itinerary and prebook accommodation?
Hi Tracy! Coming to Sardinia without booking in advance is certainly possible, but a bit risky. First because September might be “low season” but many people are choosing to visit even in October (nothing compared to high season but still a bit crowded) so you might find it stressful to arrive at a destination and have to look for accommodation, it is your precious time you are wasting on a property that should also allow you to park your car, or make sure that you will always find a spot to park it without having to pay extra for that. The second reason to book in advance is that maybe you love a particular place and, set aside spending time to find a place to stay, maybe you don’t find it near the beach for example or the place you love is fully booked and you have to find something less appealing.
During my travels around the world I sometimes arrived at a place without booking and it’s definitely adventurous but somehow there is always a story to tell behind that choice (once I got stranded on a deserted beach with no human being in sight, another time I had to sleep on the beach and so on). Since then I always book in advance!
You might try to find a middle way and book the first 2-3 days and then explore and see if you find something else, but it’s still a risk. It all depends on how flexible and adventurous you are!
Cheers
Clelia
Hi Clelia!
Great site, keep up the good work here.
I am planning to come to Sardinia in August and still haven’t got any clue where to stay. I will probably arrive at Cagliari airport, so can you recommend some town/village nearby that is near beach and can be accessed easily with local buses (I will probably not rent a car).
Also I like the place to be active at night so I can take a walk with my girlfriend and have some drinks there
Best Regards,
Milan
Hey Milan, if you don’t want to rent a car you should know that moving around in Sardinia by bus is not ideal. Possible? Absolutely yes, but some awesome places can only be reached by car/scooter. That said, you have a few options:
1) Villasimius: Nice beach in front of the village that also has everything you will need for your vacation, from shops to restaurants, night life etc.
2) San Teodoro: Same as above, but you will need to land at Olbia if possible as it’s way more convenient, being well connected to the airport and at 30 minutes by bus.
Only one note: August will be the busiest time of the year which means that you’ll have to book a property ASAP, not just because the best deals are gone by February/March, but also because not having a car, it’s obviously better to choose a place at walking distance from the beach and the center so that you can enjoy your holidays without marching for kilometers.
Another note, if you don’t rent a car, the places I’m suggesting are the ones that are better connected to the airports, which means that, compared to other locations, reachable only by car, you will find more people who found it convenient to go there because they didn’t want to rent a car either 🙂
Hope this helps!
Regards
Clelia
Hello! I will be landing on Olbia airport on 8th of June and turn back same from Olbia on 15th, together with my husband. We would not want to rent a car. Could you please advise where is better to stay? We booked a nice hotel in la maddalena, but I think is too complicated to move around from there. Thank you very much
Hey Andreaa, thanks for stopping by…If you are planning not to rent a car, then La Maddalena is not ideal if you want to move around as it’s a small island and a small village and to get to the mainland you will need to get on a boat every time. Not exactly ideal. I would suggest a place that has a beach at walking distance like the beautiful Santa Teresa di Gallura. I think that landing in Olbia, that is your best option, also in terms of transport (around 2 hours by bus from the airport to the village)
The second option,for the same reasons is San Teodoro. Easy to reach, beach at walking distance and the village has everything you need. From the airport to the village is around 45 minutes by bus.
I hope this helps 🙂
Cheers
Clelia
Hey! Your blog is fantastic – you’re brilliant! Me and my boyfriend are travelling to Cagliari for about 4 whole days in April and we won’t have a car (can’t drive 🙁 ) and are really confused about how to get up to the northern areas – we ideally wanted to fly there and stay there but the flights to Olbia and Alghero were quite a lot more expensive – not sure why. We want a holiday full of nature, the sea (not too bothered about laying on the beach, more so about taking in the beauty of the beaches), possibly snorkeling, hiking and seeing the flamingos. My real question is, how would you suggest we get up to the northern areas? Are taxis expensive/are there cheaper options than taxis which aren’t as slow as the train? Thanks so much, i know i’ve rambled a lot I’m sorry!
Sarah 🙂
Hi Sarah
Sorry for the late reply, I hope you will still able to read my reply. Unfortunately, the transportation in Sardinia is not ideal, either you take the bus or the train. It’s slower of course but the taxis don’t even do such long journeys from Cagliari. The ideal thing for you would be to get to a place like Villasimius (it’s not in the north but really beautiful and easy to get around), alternatively San Teodoro but in terms of wild nature is not the best option, as it’s mostly beaches but if you don’t mind, that could be a great option for you! It is well connected and easy to walk around by foot or bike!
Cheers
Clelia
Hi Clelia,
In early stages of planning for next September(2017). Assume early September is better? Coming from Canada via visit to family in UK so could use either Cagliari or Oblia airports or even fly into one, back from the other. Interested in beaches but also archaeology (ancient, Roman). What do you recommend?
Thanks
Hey Linda, sorry for the super late reply! Depending on how many days you have available, you could definitely fly to Cagliari and fly out from Olbia or viceversa. I know many people who do that so that they can divide their time in between the south and the north east which are both definitely beautiful.
In the south, just Cagliari and the ruins in Nora are very interesting places to visit from an archeological and historical point of view, and they combine beautiful beaches nearby! In the north there are also interesting sights, nuraghes mostly, so way more ancient than Roman but they are Sardinia’s trademark and would be a shame to miss them. The most important one is the Nuraghe di Barumini, which is slightly off the main road to go to the north (you need to take a 1 hour detour from the main road but is worth it in my opinion).My grandmother lived in a super small village nearby so I know that archeological site very well and it’s incredible especially at sunset. Added bonus of the detour is passing by some typical Sardinian Villages with murales and tipical Sardinian houses so I highly recommend it!
I hope this helps and have a great time in Sardinia 🙂
Cheers
Clelia
Kia ora Clelia,
You’ve made my day by taking the hard work out of planning our trip to Sardinia in May next year. As keen hikers from New Zealand we’ll definitely be basing ourselves in the Golfo di Orosei, Cala Gonone, and Baunei and taking in the major hikes and sight you have recommended. We have 9 full days in Sardinia and fly into and out of Cagliari where we plan on hiring a car. My question is: should we head directly up the Golfo di Orosei and spend the 9 days in that region or take in a few days driving up and back visiting towns and sites. If so what and where would you recommend? We both enjoy hiking food and wine and the local culture.
Again many thanks for all your hard work on your site.
Kind Regards Yvonne
Hi Yvonne! I’m glad I could help you with your trip! As per your question, given that you love hiking, food and wine and also visiting local villages, Orosei is PERFECT as it really has it all! So since you have 9 days I would go straight there, set a base and explore the surrounding areas. Not sure whether you have already read it but I have an interesting article on things to do in the area (it says Cala Gonone but everything is relatively close in there). You can check it out in here.
Hope this helps and have a great time in my beautiful island!! 🙂
Hi Clelia!
I just stumbled upon your webpage a couple of days ago and I must say that I truly find it to be inspirational! 🙂 I need some of your Sardinia expertise to plan my trip. My sister and I were thinking of traveling to Alghero for 1 week in mid-September and and follow some of your travel tips. However, I have a concern regarding traveling from Alghero to La Bombarde beach, La Pelosa beach, Stintino and Bosa/Bosa Marina without car, since neither one of us have a driver’s license (we live in a city where the need for it isn’t essential).
Is it even possible to visit some of these places without a car?
Are taxi fares high in Sardinia?
Is the sea water still warm in mid-September?
Is Grotto di Nettuno worth a visit?
And lastly, how are the vegetarian food options in Sardinia? 🙂
I’m very grateful for advice from you. Thanks in advance!
//Marina
Clelia hello again!
Do you have any idea of a place to rent a car in Cagliari without the need for any deposit? All the places I have found request a deposit around 1000€!!
Thank you very much.
Hi Leonor,
It really depends where are you booking your properties, if it’s through privates they might ask that much, but always be careful! What I can suggest is that you book via Booking.com as they have very good deals also for Villas and apartments in Cagliari, or AirBnb even if I’ve never used it so I am not sure on how reliable it is.
I hope it helped!
Clelia
Clelia thank you for your answer. However, I was asking about renting a car, not properties!
Many thanks,
Leonor
Hi Leonor, sorry! I saw the 1000 euros deposit and my mind must have gone to the properties. Where did they ask you that much?! It’s not usually that amount… very weird. All the people who booked their cars via my website paid a small amount, depending on how many days they needed the car. If you want, you can rent a car directly at the airport with the usual car companies. In my opinion, besides the small difference of prices they are almost the same. Being August I’d recommend you book the car beforehand as you might find out that the one you need might not be available and they will let you rent a pricier option.
If it were off season I would have suggested renting directly in here, but not in peak season. Did you check out how much would you pay using rental car? (I have the banner on the side of the page), I know for sure that the deposit is never as high as 1000 euros!
Hi Clelia,
thank you for this great blog, lots of useful information! 🙂
I was wondering whether you could help me find out if it’s allowed to set up a private barbecue on a beach in Sardinia? We are going there in August and we’ll spent 2 nights in Alghero and then drive south to Cagliari. I tried to find some information online but didn’t succeed (either there is no information or it might be in Italian which I unfortunately don’t speak).
I would be grateful for any information.
Thank you,
Martina
Hi Martina, Honestly i don’t think it’s possible to set up barbeques on the beach anymore in Sardinia. Itìs against the law. This is not something we use to do, and the rules are pretty strict to preserve the beauty and integrity of the beaches.
Cheers
Clelia
Hey
Just randomly came across your page!! love it 🙂
We are travelling to Sardinia (Olbia Airport) in August for 3 days. Any ideas where we could go to? Someone close to beaches, relax, good food and chill. Not sure if I need to hire a car for 3days? but open to that option also. Budget not an issue either. Was recommended Purto Cervo, but not so sure now..
Please advice, what do you recommend.
thank you
Hi Michael, Thanks for your nice words 🙂
Please consider that if you want to relax in August… your only option is to stay in a resort/hotel with a private beach! If you really just want to relax and have only 3 days, the Costa Smeralda Area is a good place to be if the budget is not an issue. Maybe rent a car for 1 day and go to Palau for the amazing boat trip to Arcipelago della Maddalena. I can’t recommend that boat trip enough!
Not sure whether you have already checked out my other article “Sardinia for couples” (it is actually a massive guide for everyone, not just couples) and I have an entire section dedicated to Porto Cervo, what do do, where to stay and where to eat.
I hope this helps!
Cheers
Clelia
Hi Clelia
We start our trip in Sardegna this saturday 6th in Alghero with your friend Gabriella. We’ll be 3 days and the on wednesday we have already booked a place in orosei. What do you suggest us for tuesday? any place between alghero and orosei? we are not sure if we are going to fancy too much porto Cervo..Any other place with a bit of nightlife and good food for example? thanks in advance
Hi Andrea, glad you are going with Gabriella! If you don’t think you’d like Porto Cervo too much, why don’t you make a stop in Santa Teresa di Gallura? The village is super nice and lively and the beaches nearby are also super beautiful. I had another reader who recently came back from a 2 week holiday in that area and they had a great time in there! From Santa Teresa to Orosei you will pass via Olbia and then the usual route so it’s not a huge detour. Another option is San Teodoro, fantastic beaches and nightlife/restaurants and on the way to Orosei. I think these 2 options will be the best for you!
I hope you’ll have a great time in Sardinia
Cheers
Clelia
Ciao Clelia!!!I love your blog. I contacted you last year but finally we couldn’t manage to go to Sardegna, but..2016 will be our year for that!! I know you are really busy, but I hope you can help me a bit.
We are almost sure that will be arriving in Cagliari Friday 5th august 10.00 pm and go back home from Alghero monday 15th 6.35 am (ahh). We could also return from Cagliari but we think the north of Sardegna worths so much!!!
What would you suggest us to do: Cagliari – Golfo di Orisei – Stintino – Alghero??? Is it to much? We don’t mind if you change fully our itinerary. As we like also sports and hikking, I have contacted also Break to Sardinia; they are great and also found them in your website. Thanks for that reference, but I don’t know if we could do something with them this year or maybe we have to leave it for the near future
Grazie mile!!
Andrea
Hi Clelia!
Amazing website. You look great, where were you when
I was free & lonely..! Thank fa lot for your website/blogg to start with.
We are planning to travel to Sardinien from 29/7 for a week.
We have a direkt flight from Stockholm to Olbia.
We are a famliy of 3, a teen of15 yrs.
I found a room in Stintino Hotel Calla Reale via your website but
it’s a driving distance of 2 hours I fear.
Could you please recommend what to do if we choose in stead
to stay in Olbia at hotel Double Tree Olbia? Other hotels around clos to sandy beaches?
Beaches without a lots of people around Olbia?
Other tips/tricks are also very welcomed
& appreciated.
By the way I saw your video clipp from Phillipines, beautiful!
Have you been to Maldives, Bora Bora, La diegue-Seychelles.
There are also not less than true Paradises..!
Thanks a lot in advance.
Warmest regards.
//Ahmed, Sweden
Hi Ahmed! Thanks a lot for your comment, I’m so glad I was able to help you a bit 🙂 From Olbia to Stintino you have to drive a bit yes, but the Hotel you’ve chosen is great, one of the most popular in the area actually as most of the people who check out my blog posts in the end book in there! To be honest, I wouldn’t change the reservation to go to Olbia for a few reasons:
1) Stintino is a lovely village and much more relaxing for a holiday than staying in Olbia, it is going to be a bit crowded in July but less than Olbia as you would be close to the super touristy beaches of Costa Smeralda and San Teodoro. Lovely, don’t get me wrong but in my opinion, the whole area in summer reflects less of the Sardinian vibe than Stintino.
2) In Sardinia we are pretty used to drive for a while to reach the best beaches on a day trip, so if you are already in Stintino you could not only visit La Pelosa beach (awesome and if you wake up early you will have the advantage of finding less people in the morning, let’s say around 8am), while in Olbia the beaches will be rather crowded almost everywhere in July).
So all in all, If you want a relaxed week with your family I’d go for Stintino! The only “downside” is the 2 hours drive from the airport but as I said, for Sardinian people driving 2 hours to get to the beach is really not a big deal, especially if you don’t do it every day 🙂
I’m glad you liked my video about the Philippines, they are awesome!! And I actually went to the Seychelles recently (I posted a few pictures of my experience in there on my Instagram account here) as you can see…It’s a real Paradise, and coming from Sardinia I’m super picky with beaches! Never been to Bora Bora or the Maldives, but I’ll get there one day!!)
Thanks again for your super nice comment!! I hope you’ll have a great time in Sardinia 🙂 These days is a bit windy in here but today is a very sunny and pleasant day!!
Cheers
Clelia
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