Thank you for stopping by!
I’m currently working (very hard, trust me!) on the Sardinia section and this page will be available soon. In the meantime, you can subscribe to my Sardinia newsletter to get notified when the pages and the articles will be fully uploaded!
IN THE MEANTIME… READ MY NEW ARTICLE!
With lots of tips to move by car as well!
I really appreciate your patience, thanks! π
Comments
Hi, love reading your suggestions. I am attempting to plan a 12 day driving trip around Sardinia and am overwhelmed by the possibilities. Of course I want great beaches, but am looking at staring in Cagliari and stopping in: Oristano, Olbia, Sassari, Alghero, Bosa Villasimius, and La Magdalena. Is that too much in 12 days?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hey Jared
Sorry, I’m just catching up with the comments in this section and missed a few of them including yours. If you happen to read my reply, let me know if I’m still in time to help you out!
Cheers
Clelia
Dear Clelia,
Your Sardinia site is amazing! Actually, your site is the main reason we decided to spend the major portion of our Italy vacation on Sardinia (vs. Puglia, Amalfi Coast, etc.) I’ve read many other Sardinia guides, none come even close to yours. Thank you so much for giving this tremendous gift to people!
Also, I just subscribed to your mailing list and looking forward to getting to know the insider secrets π
I understand how busy you must be, but I was wondering if I could ask you a quick question regarding our Sardinia itinerary.
– We are a very active family with two children – 7 and 8 year old.
They love swimming Π°Π½Π΄ nature exploring (mountains, rivers, etc.).
– We will spend 10 full days on Sardinia (July 27 – Aug 5).
– Arriving by ferry in Olbia
– Leaving by ferry from Cagliari
So my plan was to spend:
– first 4 days near Olbia (Santa Teresa?)
– next 3 days either near Oristano (west) or Cala Gonone (east)
– the last 3 days near Cagliari
My main main question is about the middle portion
– which place would be better for active kids (Oristano or Cala Gonone)?
I would appreciate any of your suggestions or corrections to the above plan (and completely understand if you don’t have time to answer – your site is a treasure in itself)
Thank you so much again for the wonderful site you created!
– Lana
Dear Clelia
I do hope you are able to reply, this is the first time I have ever lefta message on a board.
I am hoping you can help me as I have found your website so so helpful, we have travelled to Italy every September for the last 4 years, although this is our first time to Sardinia. We are travelling on the 10th September 2016 for 2 weeks, we fly into Olbia and will be renting a car.
We will be travelling with our 1 year old son and would like ideally two nice places to stay where we can visit other areas you may be able to suggest although we would like to be by the beach for part of the holiday, as he will love paddling in the sea. Could you please help me and recommend two places to stay which would be ideal with our son but also has some character, A traditional Italian feel, little villages, we are not after nightclubs, we like less touristy places, with a relaxed feel but a few places to eat in the evening/lunch, that we may be able to walk to.
I really look forward to hearing form you as I feel a bit lost at the moment, could you recommend any nice places to stay as well, as I found your review of the top 10 beauches so helpful.
Hi,
It was a pleasure reading your blog, especially the part about the 10 best beaches and couples` holidays. I am eager about the 2 weeks trip column. My boyfriend and I are travelling to Sardinia on the 16th of September and we are staying there for two weeks. We arrive to Alghero, and would maybe first like to see it, and then move on to other places, change our stay a few times, maybe also stay in the middle of the island at some agroturismo. If you have any good suggestions on how to make our trip (we will by travelling by rent-a-car around the island), as cool as possible, please let me know. We would like to see the main attractions, but also the hidden places, eat delicious Sardinian food and swim at the best beaches (I already have the list you provided us with).
If you have any advice on what to do/what to see, or where to stay and eat, let me know. Thanks again, as I said – it was a pleasure reading your blog. One can notice how much effort you put in it!
Best regards from Berlin,
Dona
Hi, this website is awesome. The most informative I’ve found!
So I’m looking at 2 weeks from around 7th September.
Cala ganone is the only thing that is definitely on my list. Other than that, I’m struggling to decide.
I’m looking to avoid the very expensive areas of Costa Smeralda and would like to see the more authentic Sardinia, with local food and more reasonable prices.
Do you recommend going south towards Cagliari or west towards Oristano?
I’m ideally looking for calm, beaches and local restaurants and stunning, varied scenery, (sunsets would be a bonus ! )
Would it be better to fly out of Cagliari and cover Cala ganone and the west AND south?
Where would be the best bases?
Also, Are some of the beaches that are not accessible but car, accessible be quad bike? Are the roads safe enough for a quad bike?
Thanks so much for your help in advance
Hey Elena Thanks for your message
Sorry I’m still in the process of writing the piece for the 2 weeks Itinerary, busy times! If you want to experience a bit of real Sardinia the Oristano area might be a good choice for you, small villages, quieter than the other areas in Peak season (even if it’s still busy of course) and easier access to Quad bikes, not to mention that the west coast will give you some excellent sunsets! π From Cala Gonone to Bosa marina is around 2 hours drive and then you can head South to Oristano and visit San Giovanni, Is Arutas and S’archittu beach and Arbus village. The only minus is that after seeing the Cala Gonone area, Oristano offers a slightly less scenic panoramic views, but nothing beats Golfo di Orosei for that in my opinion!
Cheers
Clelia
Hi,
I love your blog on Sardinia, myself and my boyfriend are goin for 10 days in september and are looking for some advise. We are flyin into Alghero. We are hiring a car and maybe spending the first night in Porto Torres, taking in Stintino the next day. We are tinkin of glamping in Matris (saw a website glamping hub had nice tents) for 2 nights. Then travelling to Santa teresa Gallura for a night. Then Arzachena for a night to take in porto cervo. San Teodoro for a night and maybe travelling to Orosei for 2 nights and bacl to Alghero the night before we fly home. What do u tink of the itinery? Are we doing too much travelling. We both like to be on the move and are looking for a relaxing holiday with a nice food. WE are also interested in going to an Agriturismo (or maybe a few ) have heard great things about them. Can you recommend any that mite be in the areas we are visiting?
Thanks for your help in advance
Niamh
Hi Clelia,
Great website and especially great advice! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! You are so dedicated! I learned a lot just by reading othersβ posts and your replies (as you will see in my email below).
Now as for me very quickly, my husband and I would like to travel to Sardinia for the first two weeks of September. We love Italy and we have been many times but it will be our first time to Sardinia. We like to rent apartments /villas and really take time to discover the area and go back to places/beaches twice or more! We will be renting a car. We like to stay up to a week in the same spot. So in regards of that, we thought of flying into Olbia and stay the first week in the North, Santa Teresa, Palau or Cannigione (any preference/ recommendation?), and then stay the other week in the east, Orosei or Cala Ganone (again any preference/ recommendation?).
When on the north coast, we would like to do the following:
– Boat trip to Arcipelago della Maddalena or can we rent a boat to go there instead? We would prefer that!
– Visit the beach of Porto Istana
– Rent a boat in the Costa Smeralda area like Capriccioli and Spiaggia del Principe.
– Visit Arzachena area where we could discover traditional villages (any names for us?)
Any other βmustβ we are missing?
When on the east coast, we would like to do the following:
– Boat trip to Cala Mariolu/Cala Luna/Cala Sisine (or could we rent a boat instead of the big tourist boats?)
– Trek to Cala Goloritze
– Rent a boat from Cala Gonone to Cala Biriola
– Visit Parco Nazionale del Gennargentu
What about Cala Liberotto and Berchida Beach? Any other βmustβ we are missing?
So all in all, do you think this is a reasonable itinerary? My biggest concern at the moment is to find the perfect spot/area to stay. So if you could just recommend the best town/area to stay in the North and East coasts (in regards of what I listed above), this would be very helpful.
Thanks in advance for any tips you might give me! It is truly appreciated!
Anik
(Ottawa, Canada)
Hi Clelia,
I’m sure you are very busy but if you have a chance to guide me in choosing the best town/area to stay in the North and East coasts (in regards of my email above), this would be very helpful. Thanks again. Any help would be very much appreciated, as we would like to book very soon.
Ciao,
Anik
Hi!
Really looking forward until your site is ready! Me and my boyfriend going to Sardinia July 14 to 28 this summer. We land and go back home from Alghero. Know that we chose the wrong time to go with all the tourists, but we are now looking for budget accommodation.
We have rented a car for the entire trip and is therefore very flexible. We think that we might book 3-4 places to stay unnder those 2 weeks and then make day trips by car to other towns, beaches, etc.
We are 2 people who are very opend for suggestions, we love to strolling through ancient cities, visit flea market, sit down on a cafe in a alli like to o diffrent kind of sports, not afraid to fight our way to find a hidden place..
We have NO problem to stay cheap, we want to stay as cheap as possible! Campings, bungaloos, apartments, agroturism etc. Any suggestions are welcome! π
This is what we have planned to do so far:
– Maybe stay somewhere around Alghero 2 nights to take day trips to beaches and towns round about. Any suggestions? π Or go straight down to Bosa and stay there?
– Going away from Alghero, down past Bosa to any lovely beach, Have you any suggestions? π Later that day we go and spend a night somewhere around Oristano. Or stay a night in/around Bosa?
– Then on down to Pula / Cagliari and stay there a few days. Any suggestions on what we can do / see?
– Then we want to go up and stay driving distance from Cala Gonone. We would like to rent a boat in Cala Gonone and ride along the coast to all the wonderful beaches.
– Then back to Alghero to fly home π
What do u think about the format of the journey? Do you think it will be overwhelming and tedious with all the traveling?
Best regards,
Malin & Christopher
Hey Malin & Christoper, thanks for stopping by! I’m working on The Sardinia guides right now and it’s quite a job!! π
As per your itinerary, since you want to visit 3- 4 places, this is an Itinerary that might work well for you:
FIRST LEG OF THE TRIP: 2 DAYS IN THE ALGHERO AREA
DAY 1: Visit the lovely town of Alghero, the vibe is very nice and has some very scenic views!
and then Visit the Nettuno Grotto possibly in the morning (and if you go by boat make sure the sea is calm, otherwise it’s not worth it. Another option is to go by bus, then spend the afternoon strolling around the main beach “Spiaggia del Lido” in Alghero.
DAY 2: Visit Stintino “La Pelosa beach” (Stunning beach, but you have to expect the crowds in July)
CHEAP ACCOMMODATION AROUND ALGHERO: I suggest you have a look at this page with all the available accommodation in Alghero and surrounding areas, if you look at the left sidebar click on the price range and you can find hotels/hostels as cheap as 15 euros per person per night. Some places are not in Alghero city but at 1/2 km so still good enough for you! Usually, the places in town are a bit more expensive, so I’d recommend looking for the places a bit out of the city to get the cheapest options!
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SECOND LEG OF THE TRIP: 2 DAYS IN THE BOSA AREA : From Alghero to Bosa by car is around 50 minutes and the road is pretty nice with some good views on the coast.
DAY 1: Enjoy Bosa, a little village on the coast, relax in one of the cafes and take a walk, it’s worth it!
DAY 2: Boat trip around Bosa, they have great reviews and you can see a piece of real Sardinia! Can’t miss it!
I wouldn’t stay more than 2 days in Bosa as there are so many other places to see, and in my opinion the east coast has better beaches (but I’m notoriously picky for the beaches!) π
CHEAP ACCOMMODATION IN BOSA MARINA: There are good offers in here but you need to hurry as I was checking the best options and they are almost full. The price for some B&B is as low as 20 euros per night per person.
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THIRD LEG OF THE TRIP: 3 DAYS IN CABRAS/SAN GIOVANNI DI SINIS AREA (ORISTANO)
Since you are basically covering the whole Sardinia by car, I’d take the opportunity to stay at least 3 days in this quite underrated area (it’s the most beautiful on the west cost), you can visit the village of Cabras and the beaches of “Is Aruttas”, “San Giovanni di Sinis” and “Isola di Mal di Ventre”, you can see the reviews here on TripAdvisor I’ve been there many times and it’s very nice for a 3 day stay!
CHEAP ACCOMMODATION IN CABRAS:
Always the same advice, since you’re going in high season, you’ll need to hurry to still find the cheapest options, that’s why I always recommend this website, as you can book and if you change your mind last minute you can do it and won’t lose your money.
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Ok so now we already covered 7 days in 3 different places. Since you will also want to spend some time on the east coast (which I highly recommend), here is my opinion on how to structure the second week:
1) You skip either Bosa or Cabras and head straight to Cagliari/Pula where you will have 2/3 days to visit Chia and Tuerredda beach (the best of the best in the area!), and after that I’ll leave the remaining days to reach Cala Gonone (from Cagliari is around 2 hours drive) and stay there until you fly back from Alghero (from Cala Gonone to Alghero airport is around 2 hours too).
That’s why you should stay put for the second week, unless you want to have a bite of everything which is not a relaxing holiday!
If you decide to skip Cabras or Bosa (depending on your taste, I like them both but maybe the sea is better in Cabras), then you can continue the
FOURTH LEG OF THE TRIP: 3 DAYS IN PULA AREA (I’m including 3 days as one would be to reach and leave Cagliari to get to Santa Margherita di Pula and to have the time to leave for the Golfo di Orosei)
DAY 1: Visit Chia beach (Su Giudeu) or the nearby smaller beach of “Cala Cipolla”
DAY 2: Visit Tuerredda (my favorite beach ever in South Sardinia) BUT! I need to warn you, in July is a huge risk to go there if you are looking for some peace, also…the parking area can be full if you don’t go early in the morning and the parking fees are ridiculously high. I leave you the link with the reviews on TripAdvisor (which I agree with mist of the times), and if you decide not to go, then use the 2 days to visit the biggest beach Su Giudeu and the second day to visit Cala Cipolla.
CHEAP ACCOMMODATION NEAR CHIA (santa Marherita di Pula(:
I chose Santa Margherita as it’s the nearest village ti Chia and the cheapest option for this area if you want to stay only for a few days. Chia is not that cheap, you can also try the camping nearby, but I’ve never been there so you can maybe check out the reviews and try to ask for the price/options.
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FIFTH LEG OF THE TRIP: GOLFO DI OROSEI
This is actually the easiest part as once you drive to OROSEI OR CALA GONONE, you’ll have 5 full days to discover the area, take the boat trip to Cala Mariolu, Cala Luna etc, Hike to Cala Goloritze and see the surrounding areas.
If you click on the name of the village you’ll see the top attractions so you can decide which village is best for you (always remember that you need to go back to Alghero which takes 2/3 hours from the Orosei area, but it’s well worth the ride as I think that Golfo di Orosei is the best in Sardinia!)
Also to reach Orosei from Cala Gonone it would take you around 30 minutes and the ride is very nice as it’s a coastal road surrounded by nature and the cliffs on the sea!
CHEAP ACCOMMODATION IN THE GOLFO DI OROSEI AREA:
I’d say, depending on where you decide to have a base, here are the two links that might help you in the choice:
ACCOMMODATION IN OROSEI
ACCOMMODATION IN CALA GONONE
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I can’t give you specific things to do in here as everything you’ll try would be amazing, BUT don’t miss the boat trip, and you said you could rent a boat so it’s actually PERFECT! You won’t be disappointed!
Hope that helped!!
Cheers
Clelia
WOW!! THANK YOU CLELIA<3
Thank you SO much for all your help! We are so grateful!! This helped us ALOT and we are gonna book accommodations tonight!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We are really looking forwar to this trip! π
Keep up the good work! Best travlersite i'v ever visited!!
Best regards!
Malin&Christpoher!
Awwww, Thanks a lot Malin! You have no idea on how much I appreciate when people write me that I was actually able to help. Sometimes it takes me hours to put together a reply for my readers (in between working at the guides and many other projects), so your message brightened my day, really! π
It’s true that my website is also my full time job, but passion is the main reason why I do it, so thanks for the lovely message! Have a fantastic time in sardinia!!
Haha aaw π
Still, we are tha one who should thank you! You are doing an awsome work and i feel that you really put your heart into ALL your answers! You are so great!!!
All the best to you!
Thanks! Yes I do put all of my heart in the answers, and 80% of the time I don’t have any feedback. Not that I’m expecting it, but it’s always nice when it happens!:)