June 2019 – 6 nights with the family and Bubba
If you want to be mesmerized by water the color of turquoise and so many other shades of blue that it’s difficult to describe, then head to Sardinia, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean. Sicily is the largest and another of our favorite destinations, though Sardinia is very different with endless, sandy beaches and a more refined vibe. We brought Dave’s mom here to celebrate her 70th birthday, and we can’t think of a better spot for a big celebration.
Like the rest of our travel guides, this is not an all-encompassing account of everything we did. We do not want to make a list of ‘Best’ or ‘Must-do’ experiences since we know it depends on your personal preferences. These are only our personal favorites and they are divided into two groups: “Avventura Favves” and “Other Things We Liked”.
Overview
Sardinia is a large island with a lot to see and do and taste. It was difficult to plan this trip because we wanted to get the overall feel of the various parts of the island, but even with 6 nights, it’s impossible to see everything and actually have a relaxing, island experience. To try to keep things somewhat simple we didn’t even consider the option of taking the short ferry to Corsica.
To save some time, we elected to fly into Cagliari in the south, spend a couple of days there, and then drive 4 hours north to the famous northeast part of the island, which includes the fancy-schmancy Emerald Coast. We returned home on a flight out of the nearby airport in Olbia.
Next time we will probably focus on the three national parks on the island. There is the La Maddalena archipelago in the northeast that we visited (see Favves below) and would return to, and then we would hike along the Gulf of Orsei National Park on the east coast and cruise through Asinara National Park in the northwest.
We “worked hard” and tried to hit at least 2 beaches every day. Maybe it was the pure white sand (which is illegal to take home with you) or perhaps it was the intense turquoise color of the water, but the beaches have a Caribbean, tropical feel to them. We elected to go in mid-June before the kids were out of school because we had heard that Sardinia can get very crowded in the height of summer, but in hindsight, it was not the best choice because the water was still quite cold. Next time we’ll go when it’s warmer and maybe even in September as we did for Skopelos to enjoy warm weather and smaller crowds.
Like the rest of Italy, Sardinia boasts its own regional foods that are specific to the island. They (obviously) have their own shapes of pasta. Culurgiones are like Italian perogies filled with mashed potatoes and so, so yummy. The small, curved, and ribbed malloreddus pasta grab meat sauce really well. Fregola are bits of dough that look like pearl couscous and are perfect in seafood stew with clams. Macarrones is a thick-spaghetti like noodle. They also have their own flatbread called pane carasau with a crisp, cracker-like texture that is seasoned with rosemary and sea salt. And don’t forget about su porcheddu (Sardinian for porchetta – roasted suckling pig) with crispy skin and juicy meat. My mouth is literally watering right now. To pair with all those delicious foods they have their own local wines – Cannonau di Sardegna (a red wine made from Grenache grapes) and Vermentino (a white wine). Finish off your meals with mirto, a digestif made from blueberries.
When you combine beautiful beaches with the warmth of Italians and the comforts of their food, Sardinia really is an ideal destination.
Avventura Favves – boating through a national park, pasta & wine, beaches, agriturismo
Beaches
Tuerredda Beach – We kicked off our beach tour of Sardinia at this mid-size beach in the southwest near Cagliari. After burying Joy in the sand, we had a nice casual lunch at the beachside cafe.
Li Cossi Beach on the Costa Paradiso (north coast of Sardinia) – This rocky coastline offers incredible scenery, but the beaches require some work to get to. We went on a cloudy and windy day, but the water was still gorgeous.
Capriccioli Beach on the Emerald Coast – This is another beautiful white sand beach that was not too crowded since there are a few different spots with smaller beaches along this little peninsula. We had a slight preference for the ‘west’ beach that required a short stroll through a wooded area, but they’re all nice. It’s a perfect spot for a drink or lunch by the water, unfortunately, the restaurant that’s there is too expensive and doesn’t seem worthwhile. If you are looking for a luxury experience, the 5-star Hotel Cala di Volpe is nearby. Next time you go feel free to bring us along with you.
La Maddalena: We visited the beaches of this archipelago while on a boat tour. Spargi Island has Cala Corsara and Cala Soraya, while Budelli Island has the Beach of the Cavaliere (Knights) and the Pink Beach.
La Maddalena National Park – This marine national park is a series of islands that are fun to explore by boat because many of the beaches are not accessible by land. We spent a good amount of time to find a boat tour with good recommendations and a nice looking boat at a reasonable price. We were able to find one, unfortunately, because of strong winds on the day we scheduled, the tour had to be canceled. The next day had better weather but the captain already had another group booked. If these are the main problems in life, then realize how lucky you are. We ended up going down to the marina in Palau and found another boat operator to take us, the boat we originally booked probably would have been better but it was still a beautiful day to be sailing in La Maddalena.
Travel tip: A common issue that we’ve experienced when traveling is that tours, particularly boat tours because of the wind factor, can be canceled at the last minute. We find it’s best to plan to do the activity early in the trip so that if it is canceled you could possibly reschedule for another date. It’s tempting to want to save the best for last, but if you plan on ending the trip with an excursion and it gets canceled, then there’s no chance for a backup plan.
Restaurants & Bars
- Osteria del Gusto is a small restaurant in the town of Palau with owners who take their food seriously, but not themselves. The menu consists of fresh ingredients prepared in a creative way but based on the traditions of the island. The atmosphere is refined yet casual. It’s well located near the port and shopping. We booked a month in advance via Facebook messenger.
- Phi Beach Bar – This is not our usual kind of place (trendy, expensive, and playing loud techno music), but it was really fun and is in a beautiful setting along the water under an old fortress. And since we arrived in the afternoon, we were really the only people there. The kids loved the fancy lounge chairs and we loved the fancy drinks. If you want to experience the Emerald Coast, this is your place.
- Frades La Sardegna in Bottega – We went for lunch at this restaurant/wine store. The menu is based on Sardinian classics with a slightly modern twist. To get with the delicious food they have wine that you can buy to have with your meal or to take home. It’s in a bit of an odd location in an upscale, outdoor mall (since it’s the swank Emerald Coast), but it’s close to many of the beaches.
- PianoB – This Italian panini (sandwich) shop is located in Nouro and was the perfect place to stop for lunch on our way from the south to the north. The atmosphere is cool and cozy, and the tasty homemade sandwiches are made with fresh bread, meats, and cheeses. A perfect match for an easy and cheap glass of red wine or beer.
Tenuta Petra Bianca – This beautiful agriturismo hotel is our favorite kind of accommodation in Italy. A charming little hotel set in the middle of an organic farm, with friendly people and fresh breakfasts. This hotel is set a bit inland from the coast which means it is much more affordable, and the property is gorgeous and the breakfast delicious. On longer trips, we normally try to find a property with a pool to give the kids a break from the running around for a morning or afternoon, but since running around meant going from beach to beach we didn’t miss having one here. We got to taste the wine they made from the grapes growing around us, as well as the blueberry mirto digestif made from a secret family recipe. These ended up being perfect gifts for our friends back home, and our future selves.
Other Things We Liked
Lu Impostu – On any other trip this is probably a favve, but on Sardinia, there are so many beautiful beaches and so little time. This long, narrow beach has the requisite white sand and blue water. The nearby parking lot makes it easy to visit
Su Giudeu – This beach required a bit of a walk to get to across a long boardwalk, but once there, we were rewarded with wide-open spaces and so many different beautiful colors of the water. We visited here after having lunch at Tuerredda Beach in the southwest of the island.
CuCumiao – near Palau and our agriturismo is this restaurant that is always packed with locals enjoying Sardinian dishes with a focus on grilled meats. It’s a great place to try some su porcheddu (roasted suckling pig) in a lively environment with rustic decor.
Our first couple of nights were spent outside of Cagliari at an Airbnb with an amazing location right on the water at Spiaggia di Santa Margherita di Pulai. The apartment itself was quite old, but the location did not disappoint, as the kids woke up early and played on the empty beach right below our balcony.
Logistics and Miscellaneous Notes
- Sardinia is quite accessible with three different airports in the south, northeast, and northwest. Several low-cost airlines, as well as Alitalia, offer nonstop service from most of the major cities in Italy, as well as a few cities throughout Europe. To save some traveling time, we flew into Cagliari in the south and out of Olbia in the north (direct from Turin).
- It’s also possible to take the ferry across to Corsica for some French food from Santa Teresa Gallura in the northeast.
Next Time We Go
We definitely want to go back to Sardinia. Similar to Sicily and Crete, it deserves a second trip because it’s so big and there are so many great places to explore.
- We recommend going later in the summer when the water is warmer, and ideally in early September when the crowds are reduced.
- Next time, we would hope for less wind to explore La Maddalena by boat again and to be able to see more islands. Caprera island seems to have a lot of nice beaches. We might even elect to stay overnight on one of the islands.
- Along the northwest coast, there is the town of Stintino with its La Pelosa beach. A boat trip to see the beautiful Cala Sabina in the Asinara National Park would be fun. And the town of Alghero is supposed to have a charming central area and there is Neptune’s Grotto for some spelunking. Alghero has an airport so that whole area is easy to access without too much driving.
- On the east coast, we’d like to hike to the stunning Cala Goloritzé within the Gulf of Orosei National Park. When we visited Lynn had a hurt knee so we couldn’t do the hike. There are a lot of other amazing beaches in that area that require a boat ride or hike to access. Then relax and cool off with some gelato in the town of Cala Gonone and sleep it off at the Su Gologone Experience hotel.
- There are too many beautiful spots! In the southeast near Villasimius, Porto Giunco beach looks amazing too.
The Avventura 