You Should Need Some Advice Before Traveling To Sardinia

Sardinia is a wonderful island, but you need some advice to fully enjoy its potential and have a unforgettable vacation either alone or with your family.

Sardinia is an Italian island located in the heart of the Mediterranean sea between the North African and the Italian mainland, second in size only to Sicily.
Long isolated, Sardinia has preserved its own character, landscape and traditions. Although predominantly hilly and mountainous in the Centre, with a few coastal plains, Sardinian coast has an incredible stretch of almost 2,100 Km of unspoiled landscape, where rugged cliffs and tiny coves alternate with miles of long, white sandy beaches. They are among the world’s most enchanting beaches where the seawater is gifted with aquamarine and emerald green shades. Thanks to its long seclusion and a reasonably low density human presence, Sardinia has preserved its spellbinding beauty, combining the scents and colours of oleander, juniper and myrtle bush with the most pristine and translucent sea water.

Undiscovered, with a natural outstanding frame, Sardinia plays an undisputed top of the list role among the most beautiful places in the Mediterranean.
Sea and sun tan lovers may visit Sardinia any time between April and October with July and August being the hottest months with an average temperature of 31° Celsius, although the coastal areas are often swept by a cool breeze.
Any time of the year is recommended for golfers, trekkers, climbers and those willing to explore the mountainous area of the island.

Hotels in Sardinia

A stay in Sardinia is easy to plan and there are several solutions to suit any expectations.
Local tour operators, like Hosteras, will help you by providing detailed information and pictures on all available accommodation ranging from hotels to farmhouses, B&B, camping and holiday apartments.

Most of the accommodations have been recently opened and are generally privately owned delivering a good quality service.
Along the coastline and by the most famous beaches, hotels and resorts boast a variety of facilities and services like pools, water sports as well as kids clubs and restaurants. A true paradise for families!

Camping in Sardinia is quite popular although the island itself doesn’t offer a massive number of campsites. All of them though are in the proximity of the sea or the beach and are the perfect fit for those looking for nature and sport.
Staying in a farmhouse would really be a true local experience interacting with the farm owners who, generally, don’t speak any other language than Italian and Sardinian however their great sense of hospitality will make communication very easy.

Discover Sardinia And The Costa Smeralda Beaches

Sardinia: Costa Smeralda beaches
A charming and contradictory environment, characterized by the wild and proud Mediterranean shrub-land (Macchia or Maquis), strange-shaped white granite rocks, beaches, coves and bays that your eyes have never seen yet.
Costa Smeralda is surely the most renowned place in Sardinia not only for its constant society life, but also for its unforgettable beauty.

Sardinian Climate
Sardinia has a maritime Mediterranean climate, stronger along the coastal strip, due to its insularity and to the small distance from sea of every part of its territory. It is temperate during all the year.

It naturally shows the effects of its geographical position (in the centre of Mediterranean sea). In fact, the Island is situated in the trajectory of tropical air masses coming from the African coasts on one side, and air masses carried by Western winds originate from the Atlantic Ocean on the other side. It is sporadically crossed by cold currents of air coming from the Artic.

Normally the North is more rainy than the South. In winter, the temperature is normally around 10° C in the coastal cities and a little bit lower in the inland area, while during the summer it can reach and exceed 30° C.

The summer tends to be more or less long depending on the year, but it is usually possible to spend a nice day at the beach (bath included) from April to October.

Sardinian History: the Nuragic civilization
The Nuragic civilization developed between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age (from 1800 to 500 B.C.). Almost 8000 nuraghes, about 400 tombs of Giants and no specified number of sacred wells are examples of the impressiveness of the nuragic civilization. The so-called bronzetti (representing little modern ships) and the archaeological finds (such as the representations of Shardana people in the Egyptian temple of Medinet Abu) demonstrate how the nuraghic people dominated the whole Mediterranean area. The theories of Sergio Frau, a journalist and writer of the book “Le Colonne d’Ercole, un’inchiesta” (The Pillars of Hercules. An investigation) state that Sardinia actually was the powerful Island of Atlantis. Eminent scholars and archaeologists of all over the world maintain these theories.

B&B and excursions: discover a Sardinia far from the usual clichés

Do you think Sardinia is a beautiful place, but very expensive? You’re half right: indeed the beautiful island of nuraghi offers the chance to be discovered even at very reasonable prices.

One of the best way to enjoy a low cost holiday is to stay in one of Sardinia’s many bed and breakfasts.

There are many special offers for your accommodation in Sardinia and it’s always the right moment to discover one of the most beautiful places in the whole world!

Once the accommodation problem has been solved you can relax and enjoy the reality of a dream island.

Special offers, package holidays and excursions in Sardinia

In Sardinia you can choose among many different excursions, food and wine offers and sport activities available in every season. Beaches, nature, trekking, biking, golf, horse-riding, free-climbing, canyoning, quad, windsurf, kitesurf, boating, diving, snorkelling, canoeing, kayak, wellness and much more!

In Sardinia you can choose long and challenging itineraries; or beautiful paths of no difficulty, suitable for beginners or people who might have some problems coping with gradients.

The excursions could last few hours or the whole day. The walking-tours in the Gulf of Orosei or the relaxing trips in the middle of Sardinia are particularly unforgettable.

More challenging, but also more fascinating and adventurous, are the excursions to the Gola di Gorropu (the Gorge of Gorropu) or the Supramonte of Baunei. The great walking-tour to Tiscali is dedicated to culture and nature.

A Sardinia that has to be lived with soul and body, to discover the secrets of an environment that is rough, but hospitable at the same time.

A paradise of nature and adventure, crossing the whole island, from North-West, with the climbs and descents along the rocks in the territory of Sassari, to the North-East, with the relaxing walks in Gallura, or in the area of Oristano, in Barbagia and Ogliastra.

Look for the excursion that is perfect for you. From the walking-tour to a day of climbing that can be more or less challenging.

Find what you’re looking for: the path towards adventure has been traced, now you just have to go along it.

Do you want to discover the real Sardinia! Do you know what nuraghi are? NDiscover the Nuraghi Island, its Archaeology, its culture, with Nuraghes, Sacred Wells and Giants Tombs, Find the real Sardinia: click here.

Looking For A Different Holiday Destination This Year? Why Not Choose Sardinia…..

Sardinia is an island nestled between Africa to the south, Corsica to the north, Italy to the east and Spain to the west. The east coast shores of Sardinia are lapped by the Tyrrhenian Sea and the west coast by the Mediterranean ocean. Why would you chose to go on holiday to Sardinia instead of mainland Italy or indeed any of the more popular Mediterranean destinations?

Sardinia is pretty easy to get for a holiday with airports in Cagliari (the capital), Olbia and Alghero, Alghero being one of the most popular holiday destinations on the island as well as being one of the most beautiful towns on the island.

Sardinia is one of those rare holiday places to find, an un-spoilt territory with beautiful scenery, stunning beaches and great facilities that attracts hordes of Italian tourists each year and lesser numbers of British and Germans but has managed to keep its integrity and culture and not succumb to the temptation to build monstrous high rise hotel blocks, all clamouring to reach the sun, perfect for family holidays.

Sardinia is a traditional place where locals still go about their daily business without too much interference from tourists on holiday. Many holiday resorts close down for the winter, not so Sardinia. The winter months see business very much as usual with the fishing boats still coming in and going out daily and the shepherds still tending their flocks in the mountains. Sardinia receives more sunshine than anywhere else in Italy, reputedly 300 days per year so it’s easy to see why life goes on as usual for the residents of Sardinia, nearly everyday is like summer. So no matter what time of year you chose to visit Sardinia for your holiday the weather should always be good.

The beaches in Sardinia are stunning, stretches of majestic white sand meeting crystal clear blue green water, clean and tranquil, perfect for a long beach holiday. The beaches of Sardinia can get busy in peak holiday times but go out of peak time, even as late as June and you’ll be lucky to find more than ten people on the beach for company.

Most beaches have a little beach cafe or two alongside offering very good food, beer or coffee at very reasonable prices. These Sardinian beach cafes have usually been family run for years and over the period of a two weeks holiday you will find yourself becoming more and more acquainted with the owners. Such is the way of life in Sardinia, every one is so hospitable and welcoming it’s easy to get accepted into their lives, like all islanders they thirst for contact with the outside world.

Scattered across the island are hundreds of ancient Nuraghi, the pre-historic dwellings of the ancient Sardinians, these make an interesting diversion from a day at the beach or shopping during your holiday.

In the north-west of Sardinia are the famous caves of Capo Caccia. These caves run deep into the cliffs to the north of Alghero and can be accessed via a boat trip or by means of a flight of stairs with over 700 steps to the bottom. Guided tours of the caves are run every hour, you can either choose to pick the tour boat up in Alghero or you can drive to the headland and takes the steps down to the caves.

Restaurants in Sardinia specialise in a wide number of dishes, fish, lamb and cheese are three Sardinian specialities but it’s also possible to find really good pasta and pizza restaurants in all towns. To get the real feel for Sardinia it’s wise to hire a car for a few days and drive inland where the country is very hilly and mountainous but the roads are good and signposted well. Sardinian drivers are pretty good and courteous so even the most in-experienced of foreign drivers should be ok.

There are so many beautiful places that are still relatively un-touched by the outside world in Sardinia. You really should consider Sardinia as a holiday destination, there is plenty to see and do for all the family, even the kids. The beaches are clean and the people extremely friendly. The food is excellent and the transport network is good. Oh yes, the sun nearly always shines as well

Find your B&B and discover Sardinia, its beaches and its excursions

Discover Sardinia with Ciaosardinia Map!

It will be probably be thanks to nature that you will fall in love with the Nuraghi island, with more than half of its territory given to green; forests, caves, canyon and mediterranean scrub, jealously tied to ancient vestiges of the past. Thousands of archaeological monuments will show you the greatness of the Nuraghi civilization and of its Shardana people. You will discover the famous Nuraghi: mysterious constructions, with almost 10000 towers that make Sardinia even more unique. You will also get to know other megalithic monuments such as Menhir, Dolmen, Domus de Janas, Tombs of Giants, Sacred Fountains and Nuragic Wells. You will admire all the surprises offered by these mysterious places: small ships and Bronzetti (bronze statuettes), kept in the many Museums in Sardinia.

So, are you ready to be surprised?

<a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.ciaosardinia.com/eng/sardinia/special-offers/excursions-packages/ciaosardinia-map” target=”_blank”>Discover Sardinia: Ciaosardinia Map will shows you the best excursions in Sardinia: click here</a>.

Find you bed and breakfast in Sardinia. There are many special offers for you. An example:

The Sandalia Bed and Breakfast is located closed to Badesi, a marvellous tourist site of the reknown sub-region called Gallura, and more exactly in the fraction of Muntiggioni. The town, which is 2 chilometers far from the seaside, was built at 102 meters of altitude, at the very bottom of a hill, from where you could admire the overwhelming panorama of the Asinara gulf, along with views of the medieval village of Castelsardo and the Coghinas river.
The beaches closed to the urban center, with their wonderful brighting white sand, run along the coast for a distance of around 8 km (one of the most extended of the island), and are, for sure, the most reknown and appreciated for their ambiental caracteristic.

<a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.ciaosardinia.com/eng/sardinia/special-offers/excursions-packages/ciaosardinia-map” target=”_blank”>b&b in Sardinia, the best way for be free to discover: click here</a>.

Find the best beaches in Sardinia. An example:

La Cinta beach is located in San Teodoro.
It is certainly the largest and most frequented beach on the whole coast, one of the most favourite spot for surfer and kitesurfer. The beach is a very long sandy cordon of about 4 km which reaches with sandy dunes the nighbouring centre of an important ovifauna where you can often find also flamingos. The beauty and whiteness of this solar and panoramic shore, the transparence of the very green water are qualities to be added to what, nowadays, may be considered one of the most prized prerogatives for a seaside resort: the remarkable extension of La Cinta allows space and peacefulness, even in the high season.

<a onClick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.ciaosardinia.com/eng/sardinia/special-offers/excursions-packages/ciaosardinia-map” target=”_blank”>the best beaches in Sardinia: click here</a>.

I Love Touring Italy – Southern Sardinia

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the island of Sardinia, a region of southern Italy. Depending on your interests, this beautiful area can be an ideal vacation spot. You can get classic Italian food, and wash it down with fine local wine. Some parts of Sardinia remain undiscovered by tourists, while other sites are favorites of Italian and international jet setters and are priced accordingly. This article presents southern Sardinia. Companion articles present northern Sardinia and central Sardinia.

We’ll start our tour of southern Sardinia at its capital and largest city, Cagliari on the Golfo di Cagliari (Cagliari Gulf). Then we head southwest along the coast to Pula and nearby Nora and then continue on or close to the coast, first southwest and then northwest to Sant’Antioco and neighboring Calasetta. We next visit the island city of San Pietro. Finally we return to mainland Sardinia and then proceed north to finish our tour at Costa Verde.

Cagliari has a population of about one hundred sixty thousand or more than twice that when you count the suburbs. It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The city fought alongside the Savoyards against the French Revolution. When it became clear that they would not be rewarded for their loyalty, all Cagliari rose up against the Savoyards and expelled them and their Piedmont allies. Every year on the last weekend of April Cagliari celebrates this insurgency in the Die de sa Sardigna (Sardinian Day). Their independence was short-lived.

The old city is called Castello (the Castle). It lies on a hilltop and offers an excellent view of the Gulf of Cagliari which is also known as Angels Gulf. The major part of the old white limestone city walls remain intact. Look for two Thirteenth Century white limestone towers, the Torre di San Pancrazio (St. Pancras Tower) and the Torre dell’Elefante (Elephant Tower). D.H. Lawrence, who wrote Sea and Sardinia, as well as Lady Chatterly’s Lover compared Cagliari to a “white Jerusalem”.

The remains of the ancient city include the Second Century Anfiteatro Romano (Roman Amphitheatre), parts of which are fairly well preserved, an aqueduct, ancient cisterns, and the ruins of a small temple. Summers you can attend open-air concerts and operas and concerts in the amphitheatre. The Museo Archeologico (Archeological Museum) located in a Fourteenth Century castle contains many artifacts coming from unique Sardinian stone structures called Nuraghe which are discussed in the companion article I Love Touring Italy – Central Sardinia.

The Duomo, Cattedrale di Santa Maria, (St. Mary’s Cathedral) was built in the Seventeenth Century but underwent major renovations in the 1930s. Other churches worth seeing include the Fifth Century Basilica di San Saturnino (St. Saturnino Bascilica), the Seventeenth Century Church of St. Lucifer, and the Fourteenth Century Sanctuary of Our Lady of Bonaria.

Many old Cagliari neighborhoods retain their charm. Some 1930s buildings were built in Art Deco style, while others such as the Palazzo di Giustizia (Justice Court) conform to a Fascist Neoclassist style. Cagliari also claims one of the longest beaches in Italy, the Poetto beach an amazing 8 miles (13 kilometers), once famous for its white fine-grained sand and one of the largest fish markets in all Italy, the Mercato di San Benedetto (St. Benedetto Market).

Pula whose population numbers some seven thousand is known for its lovely beaches, bays, and coves. Admire the flocks of flamingos in the marshes. Just outside of Pula lies the site of Nora, founded by Phoenicians and perhaps the oldest city in all Sardinia. The excavations, while not yet completed, have uncovered a wealth of ruins from the days of Carthage and Rome.

From the first to the fourth of May Nora and Cagliari host what is perhaps the greatest and most colorful religious procession in the world, the Festa di Sant’Efisio, honoring a martyr beheaded by a Roman soldier in 303 in Nora. In 1652 a plague was rampant in Sardinia and half of Cagliari lay dead. According to popular belief this saint’s intervention stopped the plague. In gratitude every year thousands of traditionally costumed marchers transport his statue from a church in old Cagliari to one in Nora and back. The end of the festivities is marked by a torchlight parade.

Sant’Antioco is an island off the coast of Sardinia. While quite small, it is the seventh largest island in the Mediterranean. The island itself was settled way back in the Fifth Millenium B.C. and the city of the same name, population twelve thousand, was settled in the Eighth Century B.C. The Roman causeway is still standing but you’ll probably get to the mainland and back by a modern version.

Make sure to see the Zona Archeologica (Archeological Zone) with its view of mainland Sardinia and an archeological museum. There’s even a necropolis dating back to the days of Carthage. Then stop by the little town of Calasetta, population under three thousand, first settled by Ligurians in 1770. I’m told the residents have kept their dialect that is as incomprehensible to Sardinians as it is to you or me, unless you’re from Genoa or its surroundings. Don’t worry about the language; enjoy the beaches and the port.

San Pietro was supposed to be settled by those Ligurians who ended up in Calasetta. Before long they were enslaved. Upon their liberation many went to Calasetta but some others returned to San Pietro’s town of Carloforte, population about eight thousand, once a center for tuna fishing and now a tourist resort.

Costa Verde is a great combination of wilderness and resort life. You can only get there by a lousy road. Take people’s advice and avoid driving during the heat of the day. But once you are there, Costa Verde is really unforgettable. Sand dunes, wild landscapes, and great beaches abound.

What about food? In spite of its magnificent coastline, native Sardinians don’t seem to go very much for fish and seafood. However, if you are on or near the coast you can get fish and seafood. Look for burrida, a Sardinian fish soup that is sometimes based on shark. The sea also provides swordfish, tuna, sardines, cuttlefish, clams, and mussels. An expensive specialty is mosciame di tonno, salted, air-dried tuna. A more familiar and often expensive specialty is lobster, some of the best in Italy.

Let’s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Impanadas (Baked Stuffed Pastry). Then try Lepudrida (Soupy Legumes and Meat with Ham). For dessert indulge yourself with Pabassinas (Pastry topped with Raisin and Walnut Paste). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.

We’ll conclude with a short examination of Sardinian wine. Sardinia ranks eighth among the 20 Italian regions in acreage devoted to wine grapes and twelfth in total annual wine production. About 57% of its wine production is red or rose (only a little is rose) leaving 43% for white wine. DOC is short for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The letter G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is absolutely no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. The region produces 19 DOC wines and one DOCG wine, Vermentino di Gallura. About 15% of Sardinian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.

Carignano del Sulcis DOC is produced in Sardinia’s southwestern tip from the red Carignano grape (the French call it Carignan) with a maximum of 15% of other local red grapes. The ros?ine is dry and still or fizzy. The red wine may be dry or sweet. Monica di Cagliari DOC is one of a series of similarly named wines featuring a grape such as Monica, Nuragus, etc. Monica di Cagliari is vinified in a large area of southern Sardinia starting from the local red Monica grape in a variety of styles both dry and sweet.

Free your dreams! Excusions and Beaches in Sardinia: discover the sardinian world