Summer in Sardinia Travel Guide

If you want to go to the best hidden gem in Italy, I would highly recommend doing summer in Sardinia! Surprisingly not a ton of people from the U.S. have even heard of Sardinia, which, I guess is good for us seasoned travelers who like to avoid crowds!

Recently I went to Sardinia (which is spelled “Sardegna” in Italian) in the peak of summer, and didn’t find the crowds bad at all! Beaches had a lot of people but nothing unbearable, especially since I spent most of my time in that crystal clear blue water!

I didn’t plan much ahead of time, I just had a general idea to stay in Palau because of the name, and to go to the small islands near it. Then a travel planner from Sardinia actually reached out on IG and asked if I wanted to collaborate with her and experience the area where she has a BnB she rents. Turns out it’s in one of the top up and coming destinations of year!

So below is everything you need to know to plan your summer in Sardinia, or at least a week there anyway!

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• Flights: Use Skyscanner for cheapest comparisons
• Travel Insurance: Mandatory for this trip! I use World Nomads
• Packing List: My full EBC Packing Guide

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Where is Sardinia?

Sardinia is an island (love) that is just west of mainland Italy. This is why it has so many glorious beaches and small islands!

How to get to Sardinia?

You have a couple of options, usually I try all of them to see which is cheapest. I always use Skyscanner to get the cheapest flight as well, and I try it from my phone and my laptop to see if there’s a difference in price.

Also, there are two main airports you can aim for. Either Cagliari or Olbia. I flew into Cagliari, but then had to drive 4 hours to get to my destination in Palau. So if you’re just planning to do the north coast area, I’d fly into Olbia.

• Option 1: Try searching flights directly to Sardinia. Depending where you want to go, or if you want to compare pricing, search Cagliari and then Olbia.
• Option 2: Fly into Rome and get a second connecting flight to Cagliari or Olbia.
• Option 3: If you happen to be in Sicily, there’s a fun little ferry through Grimaldi that takes you from Palermo to Cagliari. It also runs from Barcelona and Ibiza to the top part of the island!

How to Get Around Sardinia

I rented a car in Cagliari and drove up to the north end of the island. It was a pretty easy drive for half of it, but then the roads get very narrow and winding. If I did this trip again, I would fly into Olbia and rent a car from there.

There is a train that goes from Cagliari to Olbia as well, and of course buses. But in my opinion renting a car is essential. Especially if you want to go to the many beaches!

IMPORTANT NOTE: You need an International Driver’s Permit to drive in Italy! Easily get one online or in person at AAA for $20. I also recommend getting the damage insurance because they WILL find scratches!

Areas I Went to and Loved:

I was only in Sardinia for one week, therefore only had time to go to two areas. But I loved both of them and would highly recommend them!

Palau and Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda is probably the most famous/popular area of Sardinia. It’s where all of the big luxury hotels are, big fancy houses, but also some affordable hotel options as well!

I stayed in a part of Costa Smeralda called Palau, mostly because of the name. Earlier this year I went to the country of Palau, so I thought it would be cool to go to another one in Italy! There’s a small town area in Palau with a couple of good restaurants (I liked Pasta & Wine), and even better was the one around the corner from it that faces the port.

There’s also some really beautiful beaches in Palau! One is right next to the port, which has surprisingly clear waters considering all of the boats that are there. You can also walk further east (to the right if you’re looking at the water) and check out the dog beach! It’s less crowded of course, and there’s a cool forest there too.

I stayed at an overpriced big family hotel that I only really recommend because of the proximity to the beach and port. It’s called Esse Club, and again, mostly just convenient. The other thing I liked was they have a little restaurant and bar near the beach, but nothing super amazing.

From Palau you can find all of the boat tours for…….

La Maddalena Island

My initial main goal of going to Sardinia aside from beach hopping, was doing a boat tour around La Maddalena Island and the small uninhabited islands around it.

I would not recommend doing the cheap $50 boat trips because they pack like fifty people on those boats. Instead do a small group size sailboat tour. The one we found was $100 with only 10 people on it, and included lunch and unlimited drinks! They also offer snorkel gear!

The boat tour is absolutely stunning and spectacular! Just the bright blue clarity of water alone will take your breath away! Highly recommended!

Please consider using “reef safe sunscreen” if you go in the water in Sardinia, so that you don’t contribute to water contamination!

Tortoli and Baunei Coast

Tortoli is the town where AlessiAdventures hosted me, and she had so many great things to say about it! I stayed in her two bedroom BnB which was absolutely FABULOUS, especially after staying in the musty outdated hotel in Palua!

Her BnB is right on the main strip of Tortoli, which is filled with restaurants and shops! On Thursdays they shut the street down to cars and all of the restaurants have outdoor seating on the road. There’s also several DJs playing music, so plan to stay out late unless you want to just lay in bed unable to sleep!

Just a short drive towards the coast and you’ll find several beautiful beaches, and even a couple of “beach clubs”. I ate at Al Mari in Cea beach and it was absolutely amazing! The beach in Cea is very beautiful as well.

You’re also a short drive to the port, where boat tours also leave from! AlessiAdventure set up up on another sailboat tour, where I was actually offered the opportunity to help sail! We had a beautiful sail along the Baunei Coast, stopping in several secluded areas to swim and relax.

We also attempted to see a waterfall that streams into the sea, but there wasn’t much water there during summer. You can see it better in spring! Regardless, what we did not see, was many other boats! Unlike La Maddallena where many boats were out, it felt like we were the only ones in this hidden paradise!

I’d also highly recommend going to Gebelias winery! It’s only about 10 minutes from Tortoli and the wine there is incredible! You can also enjoy the vineyard views and the cool stories behind each wine region and bottle. Many include pirates! Be sure to tell Nicola the owner that Alyssa said ciao!

Be sure to contact Alessia if you’d like help planning this part of your trip! You can DM her on IG (@alessiadventure) and she will help you out!

Cagliari

Cagliari is the main city of Sardinia and it’s located at the south end of the island. There aren’t really nice beaches there, but there is a bigger city than the rest of the areas I went to, and it was really vibrant and poppin’.

If you happen to stay in Cagliari, I’d recommend Cagliari Suites. It was a very affordable price and a great location.

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xx, Alyssa