Sardinia's Top 15
Golfo di Orosei
We can wax lyrical about sparkling aquamarine waters, blindingly white sands and sheer limestone cliffs but, trust us, seeing is believing when it comes to the Golfo di Orosei. Where the mountains collide spectacularly with the sea, this huge, sweeping crescent forms the seaward section of the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu. Set your spirits soaring by hiking its clifftop trails, exploring its sea grottoes in a kayak, or boating along the gulf to hidden coves – each more mind-blowingly beautiful than the last.
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Tiscali
Held hostage in the twilight of a collapsed limestone cave, the archaeological site of Tiscali is an enigma. Though only skeletal ruins remain, with a little imagination you can picture this nuraghic village as it was back in the Bronze Age. Every bit as enchanting as Tiscali itself is the trail through the lush green valley that takes you there – mighty rock faces loom above you, birds of prey wheel overhead and only the sound of your footsteps interrupts the overwhelming sense of calm that blankets this valley.
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Il Castello, Cagliari
Perched on a rocky peak, Cagliari’s Il Castello is never more captivating than at dusk on a warm summer’s evening. Rimmed by imposing ramparts, this hilltop neighbourhood spells out the Sardinian capital's history in artefacts. As the softening light paints the sky purple-pink, the citadel’s walls, palazzi and Pisan towers glow gold. Capture the moment by heading to the laid-back terrace of a bar on the ramparts, where sundowners are served with dress-circle views of the illuminated city.
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Costa Smeralda
Believe the hype: the Costa Smeralda is stunning. Here the Gallura’s wind-whipped granite mountains tumble down to fjordlike inlets, and an emerald sea fringes a coast that is necklaced with bays like the Aga Khan’s favourite, Spiaggia del Principe – a perfect crescent of frost-white sand smoothed by gin-clear water. Play paparazzi, eyeing up the mega-yachts in millionaires' playground resorts, or eschew the high life to seek out secluded coves, embedded in fragrant macchia (Mediterranean scrubland), where the views are simply priceless.
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Alghero
To see Alghero at its most atmospheric, come in the early evening when crowds fill its maze of dark, medieval lanes and people-watch from the grand cafe terraces on Piazza Civica. Tables are set up along the honey-coloured ramparts, softly lit by lanterns, for alfresco dining with uninterrupted views of the sea and stars. Never mind the expense, you must try Alghero’s famous aragosta alla catalana (lobster with tomato and onion), a lingering taste of the city’s past as a Catalan colony.
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Gola Su Gorropu
The first glimpse of Gola Su Gorropu on the scenic hike down from the Genna ‘e Silana pass is mesmerising. Dubbed Europe’s Grand Canyon, this mighty ravine is for explorers, with 400m-high rock walls and enormous boulders scattered like a giant’s marbles. At its narrowest point – just 4m wide – the gorge seems to swallow you up, blocking out the sun and silencing the world outside. Were it not for the occasional fellow trekker or climber, the chasm would have the eerie effect of seeming totally lost in time and space.
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Bosa
Like many great works of art, Bosa is best admired from afar. From a distance you can take in the whole picture: the elegant houses in a fresco painter’s palette of colours, the fishing boats bobbing on the Fiume Temo and the medieval Castello Malaspina perched on a steep hillside. Linger until evening to see one of Sardinia’s prettiest towns without the crowds, walking its narrow alleyways and stopping to sample some of the freshest fish on the west coast at family-run restaurants.
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Nuraghi & Tombe dei Giganti
Defensive watchtowers, sacred ritual sites, prehistoric community centres…the exact purpose of Sardinia’s 7000 nuraghi is unknown. Yet the island's Bronze Age past is still tangible within the semicircular walls of these stone towers and fortified settlements. Most famous and best preserved is the beehive complex of Nuraghe Su Nuraxi, a Unesco World Heritage Site. Equally mysterious are the island’s tombe dei giganti (giants’ tombs), megalithic mass graves sealed off by stone stele.
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Grotta di Nettuno
Whether you glide in by boat from Alghero or take the vertiginous 654-step staircase that zigzags down 110m of sheer cliff, arriving at the Grotta di Nettuno is unforgettable. Enter the immense, cathedral-like grotto and it really is as though the forces of Neptune, god of the sea, have been at work. All around you are forests of curiously shaped stalactites and stalagmites, reflected in still pools of water. Nothing – not even the midday crowds – can detract from the magic of this underground fairyland.
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Hilltop Villages
You’re lost on a hairpin-bend-riddled road in the mountains that seemingly leads to nowhere, and no sat nav, map or passing flock of sheep can help you. But then, suddenly, you crest a hill and a tiny village slides into view, surrounded by titanic mountains and sweeping forests. It happens all the time in Sardinia’s wild Barbagia and Ogliastra provinces. If you're up for an offbeat adventure, get behind the wheel for a head-spinning drive to gloriously remote villages such as Aritzo, pasted high on a mountain slope.
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Parco Nazionale dell'Asinara
Dangling off the northwestern tip of the island in splendid isolation, the rugged green Parco Nazionale dell’Asinara is one of Sardinia’s greatest coastal wildernesses. The unique asino bianco (albino donkey) is at home in this outstanding national park, as are peregrine falcons, mouflon, wild boar and loggerhead turtles. For close-up wildlife encounters, join one of the guided walking or cycling tours that take in the island’s remote corners. Or go diving in the crystal-clear waters that lap its granite cliffs and dreamy beaches.
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Oristano & the Sinis Peninsula
One of Sardinia’s great medieval cities is Oristano, the capital of the 14th-century province of Arborea. History seeps through the centre’s baroque lanes and piazzas, presided over by the graceful domed duomo. Slow the pace and follow the locals to the Piazza Eleonora d’Arborea to stroll and chat in front of the ornate palazzi. Or base yourself here to explore the Punic-Roman ruins of Tharros and the snow-white beaches and bird-filled lagoons of the Sinis Peninsula.
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Orgosolo
Social commentary, politics, end-of-the-world prophecy – all are writ large on the shabby exteriors of houses and cafes in Orgosolo. Once a byword for banditry, today Orgosolo is an enormous canvas for some of the most emotionally charged graffiti you’ll ever see. Along the Corso Repubblica, vivid murals recall the big events of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the creation of the atomic bomb to the fall of Baghdad; events that seem a million miles away from this small village in the heart of the tough, mountainous Barbagia.
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Foodie Sardinia
‘Organic’ and ‘slow food’ are modern-day buzzwords for what Sardinia has been doing for centuries. Trawl the interior for farms selling their own pecorino, salami and full-bodied Cannonau red wines; buy artistic-looking loaves and almondy sweets from bakeries and confectioners in Cagliari and Nuoro; and tuck into a smorgasbord of seafood. Or sample the lot at a rustic agriturismo, such as Li Mori, where your hosts will ply you with course after course of antipasti, ricotta-filled culurgiones (ravioli), slow-roasted suckling pig and honey-drenched sebadas (fritters).
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Festive Sardinia
Be it the death-defying horse races of S’Ardia or mamuthones (costumed carnival figures) exorcising winter demons in Mamoiada, Sardinians celebrate in weird and wonderful ways. Time your visit to catch standouts like the medieval tournament Sa Sartiglia in Oristano in February, Cagliari’s Festa di Sant’Efisio in May or the folkloric parades of Nuoro’s Sagra del Redentore in August. Hungry? Check out our line-up of seasonal food festivals, where you can indulge in everything from chestnuts to sea urchins.
