Italy, as we all know, is by far one of the most favorite destinations for most holidaymakers, Italian holiday destinations like Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Tuscany are strong tourist magnets but Sardinia, on the other hand, is an overlooked gem in Italy but is truly worth visiting for its seaside resorts and white sandy beaches.
Sardinia is a large Italian island lying in the Mediterranean Sea, can make a perfect seaside resort destination. The island is renowned for its white sandy beaches with pristine blue waters and glitzy resorts, especially in the 10 km stretch of Costa Smeralda, often frequented by top Hollywood actors like George Clooney.
The best time to fly to Sardinia is during the months of April to June when the flowers are in full bloom and the weather is not so hot as in the summer months of July and August, temperatures in summer can really soar high in Sardinia and may not be the best time for a beach holiday, hiking and cycling activities.
Although Italian is the first language of the people, Sardo is the widely spoken language of the people and interestingly the language (Sardo) varies from city to city and village to village and has Arabic, Catalan, and Spanish influences. Sardinians are known to be very friendly and polite like all Italians from other regions. Most locals can speak English as it is their second language and this makes it easy for most English speaking tourists to get around the island without much difficulty.
Sardinia boasts of being home to more than 100 beaches stretching along the Mediterranean coastline, the beaches in Sardinia are known for their white warm sands, pristine clear waters, and spectacular sand dunes and the variety is so diverse that there’s a beach to match the tastes of every beach vacationer. You can expect to do surfing, diving, and snorkeling at most of these beaches. Our top picks for the best Sardinian beaches from north to south are La Pelosa (Stintino), Le Bombarde (Alghero), Grande Pevero (Costa Smeralda), Spiaggia di Liscia Ruja (Costa Smeralda), Spiaggia del Principe (Costa Smeralda), Rena Majorri Della Nurra (Sassari), Beach of the Prince (Arza Chena), Cala Brandinchi (San Teodoro), Is Arutas (Cabras), Putzu Idu (San Vero Milis), Porto Giunco (Villasimius) and Porto Pino (Sant’anna Aresi).
Besides beaches, the other star attractions of the island include the nearby Maddalena Archipelago (a group of seven islands, famous spot for snorkeling), the iconic Neptune Caves in the province of Alghero, mural paintings in Orgosolo, Mediterranean Masks Museum in Mamoiada, the town of Castelsardo (recognized as one of the most beautiful villages of Italy), the resort town of Villasimius, Nuraghe Su Nuraxi, the sacred well of Santa Cristina, and the Petrified forests of Martis.
As Sardinia is an island, seafood is the most popular food that is eaten by the locals and impressive displays of seafood is a common sight everywhere in Sardinia. During your visit to the island, you must savor its circular flatbread (Pane Carasau), cured pork Charcuterie (like pancetta, prosciutto, and Lonza), Porceddu (suckling pig spit-roasted for hours) and cheeses to name a few.
That being said, for an exhilarating holiday in Sardinia you must go to the beach, sail around the island, visit the nearby islands, admire the island’s fauna and flora, indulge in water sports, explore the castles, explore the beautiful countryside churches, try the local food specialties and lastly don’t forget to visit Sardinia’s charming cities and villages, your trip to Sardinia is incomplete if you miss any of these must-dos.
It’s easy to get around the island which is connected by an extensive network of public transportation modes of busses and trains but the only catch is sometimes using the public transport can be really slow and can mess up your vacation. My advice is hiring a rental car is the quickest and the best way to reach the different places of interest on the island although it may be slightly expensive but is the worth the money for the convenience it offers to travelers.
