Olbia, Sardinia

Get away from Olbia as FAST as you can. It is perhaps Sardinia ugliest mid-sized city. Unfortunately, it is also Sardinia's busiest passenger port, due to its proximity to Livorno and Civitavecchia (as well as a port of call for cruise ships). Thankfully, the coast north of Olbia is extremely scenic, and well worth a daytrip. I will let other readers offer an opinion as to the respective merits of La Maddalena Archipelago and the Costa Smeralda. If you are interested in history, you'll choose La Maddalena and visit Garibaldi's House and Tomb on adjacent Caprera Island (connected by a causeway), which is a National Historical Landmark and an obligatory stop for every Italian and Italophile (or indeed, anyone else with an interest in Italian history of the 19th Century). It's well worth it.

GAC is right Oblia is a local town/port and has little to keep you - most tourist use and it for supermarket shopping and little else.

1. Costa Smeralda - hang out of Europes billionaires and industrial families. Thrown the odd footballer and Hollywood star and you complete the picture. Its quite low key though with beach wear being the order of the day. The beaches are the best in Europe but the town have no history and little attraction unless you like £2000 dresses or £100,000 sports cars. Many hotels charge over £1000 a night - its that sort of place.If your visit is August forget it - its aweful. Just too busy.

2. The Maddalenas - a far better bet. A long day trip but well worth it. Again some of the best beaches in Europe. You will get the ferry over to the main (and only town) - great place good restaurants for lunch and solid Venetian type architecture. The islands are small and Garibaldis house is worth a visit - you bump into strange neo facist types who go to pay homage to what they regard as a national icon. Its interesting as it shows how Italy's greatest leader spent the last days of his life.

In my opinion its a stright choice - lunch with the high rollers or a trip out to beautiful islands with at least some history and sense of reality.

Thanks greatly for both of these replies-- very helpful. Seems pretty clear cut to me what our choice should be (though I don't look forward to fascist-types, neo or otherwise).
By the way, we're passionate about snorkeling-- have done it lots of places around the planet. Any good snorkeling thereabouts? (though I think with going over to Maddalenas, there'd be no time, correct?)
Thank you.

Poss - How can I put this - there's very little out there!

The sea is very very clear and offshore in the Sea of Liguria everything lurks, whales etc. But inshore over-fishing had finished off the ecosystem. There are reefs but they require scuba but have very little sealife. Snorkeling is "pretty" but you will see very little. I did this for 38 years until we visited the Carribean for the first time 2 years ago - now I don't even take my mask to Europe - you realise its like a pool compared with other world destinations.

The Maddalenas is a long day but plenty time for a swim.

Glad you seem to have choosen what would be our choice.

Sardinia is our favourite relaxing break destination in Europe and the people are generally very warm.

GAC please don't get me going on Sicily again !!!

BTW Poss - your favourite world snorkeling desination ? we too love it.

Markrosy-- I'm glad that you've discovered the Caribbean! Of the various places we've snorkeled, it remains our favorite, which is a happy thing since it's fairly close (some of it). We enjoy snorkeling in Hawaii (not so close to us here on the east coast of U.S.)-- there are lots of different fish from the ones we see in the Caribbean. We enjoyed snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef the one time we were there (we especially loved those amazing giant clams) and thought Red Sea was nifty too. But for the kind of snorkeling we love best-- just walking into the water and having great snorkeling right there-- i.e. not having to take a boat out-- we've found nothing that beats some of our favorite places in the Caribbean. We love the entire Caneel Bay property on St John-- varied and fine snorkeling in every bed, every cove. We like a lot of places on Virgin Gorda, we love the Grenadines (off a sailboat-- I don't know those islands from onshore), we like Bonaire, but less well than St John, Cayman has some excellent spots, but we don't like the island all that much, so we haven't been in some years, we used to like CanCun, but also haven't been a while-- too crowded. Certain spots on Tobago are terrific, Etc. BUT: Every year the snorkeling gets a little less spectacular. No question about the fact that the stress on the reefs over the decades has been great. We treasure what's left-- nothing compared to what it used to be, even in the 5 decades that we've been enjoying that marvelous pleasure.

We would like to hike and bike one or the other.
We arrive in August for the day with our cruise ship. Anyone know of any hiking companies or biking companies. Easy to Moderate. Please reply
littlear@hotmail.com