Discover what to do in Sardinia, where to go on day trips and how to enjoy yourself during your holiday.

Beaches and swimming

Sardinia is often rightly compared to the Caribbean, the Seychelles or Thailand, as its beaches are among the most beautiful in the whole of Europe. Wherever you go in Sardinia, you’ll come across a dream beach. 

Sardinian beaches have two things in common. The vast majority are covered infine white sand, ideal for children and those who love comfortable beaches. And on every beach, you’ll be swimming incrystal-clear water.

Find the best beach resort in Sardinia

On the north and south coasts, the beaches have a very gentle slope into the sea, which is shallow and pleasantly warm here. Thanks to the numerous coves and islets in both the north and south, don’t expect big waves – just calm waters.

In contrast, on the east and west coasts, which are much more open, you can have a go in larger or smaller waves, and kitesurfers will also enjoy themselves here. Usually, however, even on these coasts, the first 50 metres into the sea are very gentle.

TOP 10 most beautiful beaches in Sardinia

To help you decide where to go in Sardinia, we’ve selected the top ten most beautiful beaches on the island. We’ve put together more detailed information on each one – simply click on the beach name. For a quicker guide, we’ve included the distance to the nearest airport in brackets:

• Costa Smeralda (32 km from Olbia Airport)
• Cala Brandinchi (20 km from Olbia Airport)
• Cala Luna (140 km from Olbia, 180 km from Cagliari)
• Cala Mariolu (140 km from Olbia, 180 km from Cagliari)
• Spiaggia Piscinas (80 km from Cagliari Airport)
• Spiaggia Is Arutas (116 km from Cagliari Airport)
• La Maddalena (48 km from Olbia Airport)
• La Cinta, San Teodoro (28 km from Olbia Airport)
• Porto Giunco, Villasimius (66 km from Cagliari Airport)
• Su Giudeu (58 km from Cagliari Airport)

Prices for sun loungers and parasols in Sardinia

Travellers often find that beach equipment hire prices represent a fairly significant item in their budget. Sun loungers and parasols, in particular, are virtually essential for a comfortable stay on the beach. It is important to note that prices vary significantly depending on the specific destination.

On average, you’ll pay around 15 eur. 

Expect the highest prices for these services on the Costa Smeralda and generally around Olbia, where hire charges can rise to over 20 eur; conversely, the cheapest hire is generally on the west coast, with prices as low as 10 eur.

Hiking

The island is a great place for hiking. There are both easier and very challenging routes available. The choice is entirely up to you.

You can find maps with route descriptions in English on websites such as alltrails.com, whilst some hiking trails are also excellently illustrated on en.mapy.cz.

Compare car hire prices in Sardinia

Golfo di Orosei National Park and the Gennargentu Mountains

The national park along the coast of the Golfo di Orosei and the Gennargentu Mountains is home to the island’s highest peak, Punta La Marmora (1,834 m above sea level), and countless mountain hiking trails. These lead through deep, wooded canyons and across bare limestone peaks with stunning views of the surrounding countryside.

The best base camps for accommodation are the towns of Dorgali and Cala Gonone in the northern part of the national park, and Lanusei and Ulassai in the south, in the highest parts of the mountains.

• Map of routes in the Gennargentu Mountains
• Map of routes around the Gulf of Orosei

Selvaggio Blu

Set aside at least a week for one of Europe’s most challenging treks. Covering the 45-kilometre stretch along the coast of the Golfo di Orosei requires exceptional physical fitness and proper trekking kit. A guided tour is definitely recommended.

• More at: selvaggioblu.it

Gola su Gorropu Gorge

Set off to visit Europe’s deepest gorge early in the morning, before it gets too hot and the place becomes overrun with tourists. There are two main routes leading here. The more challenging route, about 8 kilometres long, starts at the car park at the Genna e Silana Pass. The easier and second most popular route leads across the Sa Barva bridge. From the bridge, it’s about a two-hour walk along the dry riverbed of the Flumineddu to the mouth of the gorge. Guided tours are, of course, also available.

Entry is permitted daily from 10.30 am to 5.00 pm for 5 eur.

• More information on the location details

Le Prigionette

This nature reserve offers a wealth of lovely trails for walkers and cyclists. The local woodlands are home to wild deer, ponies, wild boars and albino donkeys. The park is situated near Cape Caccia and the resort of Alghero and is an ideal destination for a day trip.

• Map of trails in Le Prigionette Park
• Official website

The park is open every day from 9 am to 6 pm and admission costs 3 eur per person.

Monte dei Sette Fratelli

Monte dei Sette Fratelli is suitable for both easy and challenging hikes. It is one of three places where the Sardinian red deer can be found, and you may also spot flocks of falcons or eagles here. The nature reserve is situated not far from Cagliari, making it an ideal spot for day trips if you’ve had enough of swimming in the sea.

• Map of the Monte dei Sette Fratelli area

Sample Sardinian cuisine

Although Sardinia is part of Italy, the local cuisine is very different from that of the Italian mainland.

Bread

The traditional bread, pane carasau, is a crisp, thin bread that is still baked in the traditional way by many families today.

Pasta

Although spaghetti is very popular, Sardinians have their own special types of pasta. Try malloreddus (Sardinian gnocchetti) shaped like shells, culurgiones ravioli stuffed with ricotta or pecorino, or perhaps the twisted maccarones furriaos. They all taste brilliant!

Roast suckling pig and lamb

Roast suckling pig, lamb and kid are favourites, seasoned simply with herbs.

Cheeses

Cheese has a thousand-year-old tradition in Sardinia, and the Sardinians are true masters of the craft. Most cheese is made from sheep’s milk. You’ll see plenty of sheep here – reportedly up to four times as many as the island’s inhabitants. Try Pecorino Sardo, the creamy goat’s cheeses Ircano and Caprino, Fiore Sardo, Fresa, Peretta and many more. Only the most adventurous will dare to try Casumarzu, a rotten cheese containing live larvae of the small cheese fly.

Desserts

Head to a patisserie and try the traditional Easter biscuits, pardulas, which are sold all year round. Your taste buds will be delighted by the delicious almond biscuits, amarettes, but you can’t go wrong with the popular seada dessert either. Sardinian ice-cream parlours do Italian gelato proud, and you needn’t worry that you won’t enjoy it. The Italians simply know our tastes like the backs of their hands.

Agritourism

Agritourism is a major concept in Italy. Agritourism providers must not only offer accommodation to visitors but must also provide ancillary services linked to agricultural production. What does this mean in practice?

Guests stay on farms, in castles or even at country estates, and can often play an active part in preparing meals or harvesting crops. There are countless such agritourism establishments in Sardinia.

Which are the best farms with comfortable, modern accommodation that we would recommend?

• Tenuta Su Vrau – Western Sardinia, near the coast, approx. 51 km from Olbia Airport
• Sa Perda Arrubia – a beautiful location amongst meadows and forests near the town of Cardedu, approx. 127 km from Cagliari Airport
• Sa Mandra – a highly rated farm in a fertile area very close to Alghero Airport
• Li Pireddi – a farm in a stunning setting amidst the forests of northern Sardinia, approximately 55 km from Olbia Airport

Agriturismi also offer generous tasting menus, which cost an average of 35 eur per person. You’ll need to book in advance – it tends to get really busy here!

Cycling

Cyclists also love Sardinia. One of the most popular routes is the SS125, which runs between Dorgali and Santa Maria Navarrese. Sardinia is ideal for both road cycling and mountain biking.

For more information, visitsardiniacycling.com.

Water sports

Windsurfers head to Porto Pollo, Spiaggia della Pelosa, San Teodoro and Spiaggia Mugoni. Kitesurfing enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the Open Water Challenge in Oristano in September.

Surfers should head straight for the Sinis Peninsula, whilst diving enthusiasts should visit Isola San Pietro, Isola Tavolara or the La Maddalena Archipelago.

Yachters, paddleboarders, kayakers – in short, anyone who loves the water – will find plenty to enjoy here.

Festivals

Religious festivals hold great spiritual significance for Sardinians, but they are also a showcase of historical costumes, masks, music, dance and local cuisine. In February and March, traditional carnivals and festivals are held throughout Sardinia (Carnevale, Sa Sartiglia, Lunissanti, Settimana Santa, Sagra del Torrone).

If you’re planning to visit Sardinia in the first half of July, head to the small village of Sedilo in the province of Oristano, where the S’Ardia horse races are held every year.

Nuraghi

If you still don’t believe us when we say there’s something for everyone in Sardinia, we hope we’ll finally convince you. Sardinia has a rich history and is home to a wealth of archaeological sites.

The number of nuraghi is estimated at 7,000, and among the finest are: Nuraghe Su Nuraxe, Tiscali, Nuraghe di Santa Cristina, Serra Orrios, Nuraghe di Palmavera and Nuraghe Is Paras.

But what exactly are these nuraghi? Nuraghi are stone towers resembling the towers of medieval fortresses. They were first built on the island as far back as the Bronze Age, and their construction only ceased in the 3rd century BC.