topping

Hotel Capo D'Orso is a good solid option which is a little further south.

There is an incredible "design" hotel 6 miles down the road from Santa Teresa in Conca Verde (where we usually stay).

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g608922-d320655-Reviews-Hotel_La_Coluccia-Santa_Teresa_di_Gallura_Sardinia.html

The hotel is a far up the scale in design terms as you can get. However, from the reviews on tripadvisor the management have a lot to be desired.

The problem with this specific area is that most people (like us) rent houses. The higher end hotels are concentrated further south on the Costa Smeralda. It may be worth trying that area for up market hotels - there are many.

thanks humptynumpty,
I'll look into the Capo D'Orso. I read the reviews on La Coluccia and they are basically terrible....more than just management problems. Is Baiea Sardinia an option? I've heard such terrible things about Costa Smeralda I really don't want to stay there. I'd look at villas or homes but they probably want a week.

barefoot

La Coluccia - we don't stay there but in the villas in the same bay. The hotel is such a shame, with good management it could have been one of Europe's great small hotels. The location is so good.

Baia Sardinia does have some very good hotels but I am not keen on the resort itself. It is a little soulless.

Who or what gave you the impression that the Costa Smeralda is terrible? It is one of the most exclusive areas of Italy, if not Europe. There are many hotels there, many are upwards of e500 a night, some run into e000s a night.

Cala Di Volpe is our favourite spot in Europe.

http://www.hotelcapriccioli.it/capriccioli/index.php

Is reasonable (ish) but has a wonderful restaurant.

Costa Smeralda is high side for prices, exclusive and very busy in August but terrible... not sure who gave you that idea.

Bit like saying a Ferrari is terrible because you can't get the shopping in!

I've read magazine articles (National Geo Traveler) and other poster's reports that it's a very artificial, soulless place....not to mention exceedingly expensive. So, since I"m not a Saudi princess or a Wall Street broker/banker, I need somewhere more reasonably priced...and somewhere that reflects the essence of Sardinia better.

I did look at Capriccioli, which looks nice, but I was thinking i should stay nearer St. Teresa because it seemed like there was more to explore around there. I'll take another look at Capriccioli. I know i can stay at a modest hotel in town Santa Teresa, but that's not really what I envisioned...want to see the water.

I will go visit Costa Smeralda though...want to see all those yachts!

The National Geo article has been mentioned here before.

I would use their articles as a basis for backpacking round Mongolia. I have absolutely no idea why they would choose to review Sardinia's north east coast. They wouldn't review West Palm Beach so why bother with The Costa Smeralda.

I am no film star but have been to a few of life's high life hot spots and have only really been aware of being out of my league in Bal Harbour which was simply ridiculous.

The great thing about the Italians holidaying on Sardinia is that they become a little more laid back. I wouldn't discount The Costa Smeralda on the basis of out of context articles.

Hotel Capriccioli is where James Bond's Lotus Esprit came out of the sea! The beaches are approaching those in the Caribbean which is unusual for Europe. I would consider it if it is in your price range.

I am aware that there are some nice hotels being built on the Maddalena islands but I am not sure if they are operational.

I do sympathise as we went through the same issues with hotels near Santa Teresa for years. We simply gave up and rented villas. La Coluccia was our shining hope when we saw it being built, unfortunately it clearly hasn't lived up the promise its design indicated.

How about ?

http://www.hotelcaladilepre.com/sardinia/index.html

Not a very local feel but again a good location. I don't know it but it is close to Palau and Santa Teresa.

Did you see these threads; they mention Santa Teresa:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/a-great-sunny-week-in-sardinia-with-a-wonderful-day-trip-to-corsica.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/sardinia-again.cfm

I remember them because I am longing to go there someday!

ps your are on the right track with Santa Teresa. We love it as it does have the best location possible for trips out and it does have a local population ie some soul.

It has a bit of a frontier town feel as many long distance yachties who aren't the sort to own multi national corporations stop off. Those that do own multi nationals head for Porto Cervo.

eks

3 months to go!

http://www.evholidays.co.uk/images/sardina.jpg

ps I was markrosy before the summer of discontent last year. I pointed out the truth once to often to one of our more pretentious posters and the powers that be didn't appreciate it!

Just call me frustrated! I have spent another day trying to sort Sardinia out....using the Rough Guide, Footprint, DK Eyewitness and Insight Guides, plus magazine articles....and balancing all against Fodor's Forum and TripAdvisor...I still am not totally satisfied with my decision.

humptynumpty, that is so funny that you had to change from being markrosy! I've read a lot of your posts and know you hate Sicily! Cala di Lepre has also gotten terrible reviews from TA...unless you're a family with small children, which we're not.

ekscrunchy, thanks for the links and I have read them before. It's ironic that I finally decided to stay at Hotel Marinaro, which was sited. But, it doesn't "warm my soup" but seems like the best alternative. I really didn't want to stay at an in town hotel. I'm still thinking about Hotel Capriccioli though.

I have narrowed it down to how much time I want to spend in Sardinia. 8days. We're also going to Corsica, Sicily and the Aeolian Islands...and I'm trying to do this in a month (or 5 weeks max). To tell you the truth, I'm very disappointed in what I'm reading about Sardinian lodging....there doesn't seem to be much cost/value here. I was hoping to find a small, charming boutique hotel with simple but classy furnishings with a sea-view terrace.

So, after we arrive in Olbia, we're going to drive to Santa Teresa and stay 3 nights at the Hotel Marinaro and then take day trips to see either the Maddalena Islands or Cala Volpe, and Castelsardo, and of course, Capo Testa. (unless we decide on Hotel Cappricioli). Then go to Corsica for two weeks and return on the ferry. Then, drive down to either Cala Gonone or Santa Maria Navaresse for 3 nights, then drive to Cagliari for two nights and fly to Sicily.

I really need to work out how many nights in each island so I can book flights. I'm worried because a lot of places already are booked in September.

If anyone has a better idea, please let me know! I'm starting to regret my decision to go here!

Barefoot

After many years, I am sure of one thing.

For some destinations you need a good hotel for various reasons. Maybe the local environment is so chaotic that you need somewhere to hide for some piece and quiet. Sardinia just isn't one of those places. We spend most of our waking hours away from our accommodation as it is very difficult to get an ideal property for less than an absolutely silly price.

In The Out Islands of The Bahamas we rent beach cottages with views that most people wouldn't think existed on the planet. We pay around £1000 a week. A similar property on Sardinia would be £10,000 on Cala Di Vope.

Your trip sounds about the best planned possible for anyone that thrives on seascapes. After spending 100 plus trips to Southern Europe, I can assure you that in my opinion you are covering the best Europe has to offer in one short month.

I would worry in the least about the issue of hotels in Northern Sardinia. As I said before, we have looked for "your hotel" for 10 years and just haven't found it either. Just go and enjoy Sardinia! You are absolutely right about the general value for money in relation to hotels. They just don't offer good sandards and those that do charge huge amounts as the seasons are so short.

Sicily, hate is a strong word.

I develop 300 year properties in a place where you need planning permission to breathe. I have spent 40 years travelling to places where you need planning permission to get up in the morning. I think what we found suprising about Sicily were two things. The total disregard to any structured planned development over the past 150 years left many areas totally ramshackled.

We spent many an hour photographing buildings that still make us giggle. Just about anything seemed possible with "a fist full of dollars" and knowledge of the right public official. Some of the older Baroque architecture is noteworthy but so is most of the architecture on the roads where we own houses.

Second issue with Sicily was the "culture" of the Sicilians which is very different to Northern Italians. Just different.

With a compare and contrast, following 10 odd visits to Tuscany, we would head back to Tuscany in future.

In short, Sicily interesting but hard work (IMO).

humptynumpty,
I have to thank you for such a well thought out and detailed response. And, I had to smile, because my husband says exactly the same thing when I carelessly use the word "hate".

I was frustrated because my reason for going to Sardinia is for a beautiful beach environment but I selfishly wanted to enjoy the views from my terrace...not having to drive to it. I just have to change my mindset. I'm also considering Monti di Mola, a small hotel inland near Porto Cervo which receives excellent reviews in TA.

I'm not planning to visit Alghero...is this a mistake?

My other new thought this morning is to cut out Corsica completely...as this trip is getting to be 5 weeks. I still would go over for a day trip to Bonifacio.

In short, try and fit Alghero in, if you can.

There are a number of small seafaring cities that stand out in Europe. Coincidentally, one of them is Siracusa on Sicily. They have a frontier feel about them, places where in the past, the sea and trade have been more important than national cultures.

Alghero has good architecture, although not as imposing as Cagliari or Siracusa. In my experience, the people are as friendly as those on the remote Greek islands, which is a huge compliment. Due to the history of the city, there is a definite Spanish influence both in the culture and food.

It is a fairly easy drive along the coast and you can combine it with a detour to Stintino (again a Caribbean beach) and the impressive caves at Capo Caccia.

http://www.shardanas.net/images/sfondi/capocaccia.jpg

This produces a great day trip from Santa Teresa.

Corsica : is one of the few areas of The Med that we haven't made it to. We were going this July but I simply gave up trying to find half decent rentals for less than £4000 a week. The research just wasn't paying off considering that we had our little certainties just outside Santa Teresa.

We are planning a day trip on the car ferry this summer (from Santa Teresa).

From all you have said, I really would consider Hotel Capriccioli. Cala Di Volpe is my favourite 5 miles of coast in Europe and the food at the hotel is great. The Hotel Cala Di Volpe next door runs into £000s a night. Two years ago we stayed here :

http://www.residenzacapriccioli.com/

it was clean and that was about it. We frequently ate at the Hotel Capriccioli, it was lovely with views to die for.
Cala Di Volpe headland has a strange geography in that there are around five beaches which all face a different point of the compass. Point being that if it is windy, there is always a calm beach a short walk away.

The downside being that you are a long way from anything that could be classed as "local" culture.

ps I would never discourage anyone from visiting Sicily, just make them aware that it is a long way from the mainland (metaphorically).

pps you should know by now that half the fun of travel is the trail and tribulation of planning. If we are not on a plan we are usually on the internet planning a trip!

humptynumpty, thanks again for more great info. I couldn't find any reviews by people who stayed at Hotel Capriccioli so I appreciate hearing that they do have good food since they make you take half board. My most promising option now in Santa Teresa is B&B Domus de Janus, so I need to choose between the two areas.

That photo is stunning! If we go to Alghero, I thought we should stay overnight since it's a longish drive. I would also like to see Bosa. Funny you mention Siracusa because that's of the few places we're staying overnight in Sicily (also Salina Island, Taormina and Palermo)

For some reason, this planning is taking longer than usual. But, I spent a good part of it on Corsica.

In Santa Teresa di Gallura, I stayed at Hotel Marinaro which was great. Great value, nice, clean, friendly, right in town.

Thanks HowdyFrom,
That does look like a good option, but I'm trying to stay at Tancamelis B&B nearby...looks wonderful but I may not get all the nights I wanted...so either, I could stay at Marinaro or move on and spend 3 nights in the Cala Gonone area.

Hi barefootbeach-- I just saw your thread and I may be too late, but I just spent a week in Sardinia and loved it. We flew to Olbia from Rome as you said you will be doing, rented a car and drove to La Collucia. I wanted to let you know that we (my husband, 20's daughter and I) all loved it. I had seen those reviews on TA and was worried but we had such a wonderful experience. It's a lovely place and every employee was so nice and helpful, friendly, etc. We stayed 3 nights and it is very relaxed and quiet. One of the fun things for us was renting a small motorboat (from the hotel's beach) and going to La Maddelena to poke around and have lunch. The islands and the sea are gorgeous, and being able to get out in a boat was fun. I would be happy to answer any questions-- we really loved the island and our stay at la Collucia.

Surie

I am sincerely pleased to see your comments.

We usually stay in villas at Conca Verde (we don't like hotels) but were really pleased when La Collucia opened. we haven't eaten there but to us it offers a great option for dining.

We are visiting again in July for two weeks. Glad to see that somebody enjoyed their stay as the TA reviews are truely awful. This didn't make sense as the design and location of the hotel is up there with the best in Europe. It just didn't make sense that the owners would tolerate the poor management of what is clearly a substantial investment.

How much were the boats to hire?

thanks

Hi humpty-- I asked my husband as I can't remember and he says it was about 150E for the day; it may have been a little more. We went out 2 days and the second day we rented one of the new boats which was even nicer. It added a dimension to our stay.

If you go for dinner, it would be fun to go early and have a drink at the bar first. In the late afternoon they put out a nice bunch of hors d'oeuvre and the guests can nibble. It's very pleasant with a lot of comfortable places to sit, outside and in. I'm so glad you are giving it a chance. My daughter had done the planning so I didn't want to chime in against it after reading TA, and I was happy that those reviews seemed so off-base.

Where is Conca Verde?

Surie

Conca Verde is the area that the hotel is located. It is simply the inlet from the hotel (at the head of the inlet down to the village of Porto Pozzo.

Conca Verde is just made up of the hotel and the villas close to it. We have always loved the view from the top of the hill when approaching inlet overlooking the islands.

Good news about the cost of the boats - that price is pretty good. NE Sardinia is famous for over-charging.

I agree about a little boating in any trip, makes for a whole different experience.

I am really pleased you enjoyed the trip, feels a bit like sharing an old friend!

That whole area is lovely! I walked around it, but somehow missed the village. Next time! And we really want to go back-- we all loved it.

I'm glad that was reasonable-- it seemed so at the time, and it was something we all wanted to do. The water was too cold for swimming which was too bad because it was so clear and beautiful. I guess it will be perfect when you are there. I hope you will write about this next visit-- I will look forward to it!

Surie,
Glad to hear that you loved Sardinia....I am so looking forward to it! And, that the TA reviews didn't fit your experience of La Collucia.
My intinerary has changed so much after starting this post. Now, we're flying into Corsica (from the States thru Paris ) visiting for 2 weeks, then taking the ferry to Santa Teresa. We've booked at the B&B outside of town, Tancamelis for 3 nights, which looks lovely. We'll have to at least have dinner at La Collucia, and we definitely want to take a boat out somehow, but I didn't think we could take one out by ourselves to La Maddelena. Were you able to dock easily on the island?
Then, I've booked 3 nights at Hotel Nuraghe Arvu in Cala Gonone, followed by 2 nights at Il Cagliarese B&B in Cagliari before we fly to Sicily.
I'm going to take one more look at La Collucia based on your comments.

Surie: Would you mind telling me what month you were there? (wondering about your comments that the water was too cold for swimming..) I have never been to Sardinia but it is near the top of my list for a visit in the future and this thread is extremely helpful. Thanks!

barefoot

When you visit Cagliari try to make it to one of the restaurants just out of town. I can't remember its name but it is on the coast road out west. It is just on the edge of La Maddalena (village not island) right on the beach. the locals will know it as it is regarded as the best fish restaurant on the island. Best fish we ever had and that includes some very fine competition.

Surie

I am not sure of your location but if you enjoyed lazing around on boats try here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Town

We sail but with 5 year old it is demanding. We fell on Hopetown by accident. It is the safest and cheapest place on earth to hire boats (no cars). A 22ft boat (much bigger and safer than your RIB in Sardinia, costs $600 a week. The huge inland sea if full of life (sharks, dolphins, turtles etc) and is only 20 ft deep, so any problems with the boat you just throw out the anchor and wait for help. Few rocks just sand. Basically we think it is the world's best sea playground.

Greatest feeling is going out for dinner and speeding home at sunset on a flat calm sea! Shame our transatlantic flights are so expensive this year!

eks

Our 6 Sardinia visits have always been between May and late October. We have never had an issue smimming. In July we had to be in the water as the air temps were just too much. Post Mid September you are playing roulette, we have had 80oF but alos have had rainy 60s but the water still hadn't cooled.

Sardinia still, after a total saturation of southern Europe over 50 years, is fairly unspoilt. It does have a fairly neglected feel on the coast out of season and August is plain silly with half of Rome swamping the island.

We are natural beach lovers not beach slobs (or naturists for that matter!). We feel Sardinia has some of the best seascapes in Europe and some of the warmest Italians around.

Hi barefoot-- so glad you saw my rave about La Collucia! I was hoping you would return and it's interesting that you are going to Corsica too. What a great trip it sounds like!

My husband loves boating and we have a small motorboat so he was comfortable docking it. My daughter and I thought it might be hard for someone who is not used to it, although if you just go very slowly that makes it easier. There are spots to dock when you go into the port at La Maddelena, (the public ones are on the right along the street-- just bump up and tie up) and good restaurants-- and we found a delicious gelato place. (called something like Dolci Distraitione... not sure of that second word) It was fun to wander around the town. When we were there, there was some boat traffic but it was not busy and I imagine that it gets congested in the summer.

eks-- we just got back so it was mid-May. I jumped off the boat and literally scrambled right back in. I am a bit of a wuss I admit, but it was very cold. Maybe I found the one cold patch in the sea that day! We too loved the beauty of Sardinia and the friendliness of the people. It's the kind of place we would like to spend more time in, and I loved that it was so unspoiled.

humpty-- thank you for the link to Hope Town! I've heard the name and we have spent some time on Harbour Island which we loved in the past. We would like to be on a less busy island, I think, and your description of it and skimming home in the evening was delightful!!

I have to go back and re-read your posts on Sardinia, which I had enjoyed when we were researching. Thanks!

we are going to be in sardinia for 4 nights. My Italian teacher who is from sardinia suggests we stay at Club Saraceno in Tivoli area on beach. Rooms don't look that great but beach looks nice. She said food is great in the area. I have 2 teens who like the beach and like to shop. Is there shopping nearby?
Would you recommend another hotel or area to stay in?

humpty,
Was it LA BOTTEGA DEL MARE ? I asked the proprietor of the B&B we'll be staying and he came up with this name.
I may have to try your recom in the Bahamas...I've avoided them like the plague after a college grad trip to Nassau, which is so unfair, and we live so close (FL) that I really should give the great little islands a try this winter.

Surie, thanks for more on the boat. We've had a boat our entire married life so I think we could handle it if there are easy places to dock. You just never know when you're in a country where you don't speak the language.

I am getting excited just reading about your plans! Please write a report on Corsica and Sardinia--two islands that I've never visited and have always been curious about!

Hi Barefoot

No it was....

http://eat-drink-man-woman-blog.blogspot.com/2007/10/day-14-th-september-2007-dinner.html

This place was pure theatre and great fun. Just look at the photos. The staff wander round with skewers of grilled eels and you just stop them to grab a skewer. Oh! forgot about the idiosyncrasy. There are no menus!!!! You just tell them what you want from what is lying around the place!

As is usual for most Italian restaurants the Italian reviews range from 5 star bbbbbbbellissimo to please shoot the chef. I think the inconsistencies back up Surie's view of La Collucia v the Italian reviews on TA. I just think at times Italian travellers are a hard bunch to please.

Managed to find it with the wonders of google earth and related web search. It is now becoming a little disconcerting to see the depth of information you can piece together with 20 minutes and an active keyboard. Last weekend we had to track on individual down for land boundary issues. After 20 minutes with google we had their life story, income, house value and their expected life expectancy!

The Bahamas... god help you if you had to endure Nassau. It is a god forsaken place. On our next stopover (even if it is 11 hours) we will not leave Lynden Pindling International Airport. The Out Islands may as well be a million miles aay from Nassau and it really is a shame that the world's view of one of the world's great natural nations is tainted by the image of Nassau. Hopetown is a quiet little, (relatively) undiscovered gem. Do some research and try it out. Many of the cottages have their own docks and most everyone hires a 20ft runaround. Great, safe fun.

Surie

Hopetown is a very shade more downmarket than HI (maybe more laid back is the term). It is still very safe, fun with beautiful seascapes and wildlife. The only downside is the quality of food which can be variable.

Eks

The great thing about both islands (Corscia/Sardinia) is that they are very well served by most of the European low cost flight operators. Sardinia, like Sicily, is also quite unItalian. As I point out frequently they make for a perfect respite from dragging round Florence or Rome in 90oF. A 3 day break on either island makes real sense. Elba is another lovely place and a short ferry ride

humpty,
I have to clean my own fish?!!!! Thank God I have a fisherman husband because while I love seafood, I apologize for being squeamish with regard to eating it and definitely prefer it filleted with no skin, bones, head or tail to tanker with. And eels are not even close to appearing on my plate. It sounds like a great place though....and thanks so much for your computer skills in unearthing it's name and location.

Eks, I'll be sure to write a trip report. It's the least I can do to repay all the great information I get from fellow Fodorites. And Corsica and Sardinia seem to be lacking in the trip report area.

barefoot

Just been doing some research this looks great for an evening meal. We are off to Sardinia in 3 weeks.


http://www.agriturismosaltara.it/

Thanks humpty! I've printed out the info and will definitely have a meal there! Have a wonderful time in Sardinia! Look forward to your future report that I"m sure will have more great suggestions.

I know you've already booked your places to stay, but my mother and I stayed at Hotel Le Dune in Arbus which is on the SW coast. It is right on the beach and pretty remote (7km dirt road to get there from Ingurtosu). We were the only guests there in March of 2001 but we had a lovely time. I kind of felt like I might be in an Agatha Christie novel or something - just us and the crashing waves and the single waiter . The hotel is housed in old mine buildings and is very pretty. http://leduneingurtosu.it/

Also, we stayed in Oliena at the Enis Monte Maccione which is high up on a hill above the town. The views are wonderful and it makes a good base for exploring the area around Dorgali. http://www.coopenis.it/

We loved Sardinia (so un-Italian!) aside from the pizza which was miserable - our previous trip had been to Sicily which has wonderful pizza. The rest of the food was delicious.

Thanks telechick,
I'm sure others will benefit from your recommendations. I will be sure to avoid the pizza!!!

Barefoot: I am so curious about your trip to Sardinia. Did you go and if so, can you give us some impressions and recommendations?? Thanks!!

I'm not Barefoot but we spent 10 days in Sardinia in September staying in Olbia, Castelsardo, Alghero and Cala Gonone. I'm happy to post more detail if anyone is interested.

Frances I am very interested! An article in today's NYTimes prompted me to again consider Sardinia for a future trip. Please give us any details that you care to share!!


http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/travel/a-return-to-sardinias-maddalena-archipelago.html?ref=travel

ekscrunchy,
just got back but have to strongly recommend a small B&B "Tancamelis" that's just up from Marmorata beach, near Santa Teresa di Gallura. Check out their website www.tancamelis.it/dintorni.php?lang=en to see how charming it is. Deb makes lovely breakfasts with organic produce from her garden. Close enough to drive into Santa Teresa for dinner and also to visit the fantastic spread at Agriturismo Saltara, up in the hills abour 20 min away.
We also liked Hotel Nuraghe Arvu, up above Cala Golone, where you can rent zodiacs and cruise the incredibly beautiful Gulfo Orosei. For a budget option in Cagliari, centrally located with a very helpful host, try the B&B "Il Caligarese".

Our visit to Sardinia was not foreseen three months in advance at which stage we were looking at Calabria/ Basilicata or failing that a return to Puglia where we'd had a super-duper 10 days in September 2010.
However a call from our daughter who had managed to book flights to Olbia from Bristol for about £40 each just sowed the seed which grew. About three years ago I made a list of the next places I wanted to go to- having been to all of those "must-see " places which were safe and being aware that at 55 I have less time left than has gone! Sardinia was on that list....and we wanted a Med holiday in September-its called a "No-brainer"!
We booked to spend a week by ourselves before our daughter and husband came out- then five days together, then we would return leaving them there. They didn't want to spend a lot and so wanted to camp. I didn't mind.
We needed a car which would take four of us comfortably although we didn't think we'd be touring in it. By now Our daughter had decided they wanted to stay at Cala Gonone and had found an Agritourismo "Nuraghe Mani". This also had cabins where my husband and myself were going to stay-we've done our camping!
We flew out of Bristol-a very user friendly airport. We are more used to Manchester. The car parking in silver zone was a doddle and very quick. We flew Easyjet and were at the airport quite early having travelled the last 100 miles or so that day but as we were coming through the Brynglas Tunnels which had been closed because of a fire only a few weeks before, we left plenty of time.
We arrived in Olbia on time and came out of the controlled area of the airport to try and find our car hire desk. A Rep approached me and asked what I was looking for and when she saw the name of the car hire consolidator which I had in my hand she said there was a very long queue at this desk. It was "Travel Jigsaw". She was right! We went in to the building which housed the Car Hire desks and as we went through the door we hit the back of a queue which curled around the middle of the room and over to the top right hand side.Yes, it was ours! It was the same desk as Alamo and ours which was Auto-Europe.
We stood there for about 20 minutes in which time only one person was dealt with. On looking at our info and booking confirmation we saw that they closed at 10pm and it was now 8.50. We estimated that there were about 35 people in front of us. We both came to the conclusion that this being Italy, they would just close at 10 regardless of how many people were still waiting. This would have infuriated us and we were also looking forward to our first meal in Sardinia. We were booked to stay in the Hotel Mercure in Olbia that night and so I suggested we should come back for the car the next day. I said I'd go up to the desk and ask if this was O.K. It was. They endorsed our booking confirmation to say so and off we went.
We initially thought of getting a taxi but feeling successful because we'd avoided the interminable queue we decided to see if we could get a bus and we did.
As it happened there were two other couples on the bus who were also going to the same hotel and so we all looked for it together.
The bus dropped us off where the railway line crosses the main road and we then had to cross the line and walk up the other side. We had seen the hotel over to the left before this and but for the bus driver telling us which way to go we'd have walked back the way we came and then been unable to cross the railway line.
The hotel wa svery nice . We were very hot indeed by the time we got there and the air-conditioning was very welcome.
We dropped our bags and set off looking for a restaurant, very happily setting down in Il Gambero. We sat outside trying pane carascu the local bread-which was never after this as good as in this restaurant . The bread is wafer thin and very nibblababble but here it was also brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt. The one(other)thing that I remember that I ate was a platter of smoked tuna and swordfish. Its almost worth flying to Olbia just for that!
The town felt safe and we slept very well indeed which is the exception for a first night. We had a massive bed and joked that it would have done for the family of four- which is how many of us used to travel when our children were at home.

Barefoot: So you did stay there! It looks beautiful! I hope you will consider adding more detail once you get settled back home..

Frances: Please continue! And thanks so much for taking the time. How did they/you decide on Cala Gonone? There seem to be so many lovely areas on the island...it is difficult to know where to begin when thinking about planning a trip...

Eks, cross Sardinia off your list and replace it with Corsica. Sardinia has suffered a severe downturn in tourism, we found the north of the island to be a desert bereft of customer service. Many businesses seemed to be under pressure to just survive. Frances' experience at Oblia airport was pretty similar to ours throughout our two week stay.

July was our sixth visit and it will be our last for some time. Just far too many other places to visit with a far warmer welcome.

The highlight our our trip was the day trip to Corsica which was exponentially more alive.

Barefoot

Did you make it to Saltara?

DickieG,
I have to agree with you about Corsica. We spent our first 2 weeks there, followed by one week on Sardinia and 2 on Sicily....and our preferences were in that exact order. Corsica scenically was the most beautiful and had the best food. But, I do think the beaches in Sardinia were stellar...so, if that's all you want, I'd do beach time in Sardinia....although Corsica's were also lovely. Can't say the same for Sicily. Yes, we ate at Saltara and it was a great experience...highly recommend.

Ok, now you have to tell us what you did not like about Sicily! Where did you go on the island?

...and where did you visit on Corsica? I sounds like a great trip and I would love to hear more details..

I promise I will publish a trip report on each when I catch up. But quickly, landed at Ajaccio 1 nt, drove to Piana for 3 nights, Algajola for 3 nights, Corte for 2 nights, Levie 1 night and Bonifacio for 3 nights. Sicily, Palermo 2 nts, La Foresteria at Planeta Winery (near Sellinute) for 1 nt, Agrigento for 2 nights, Modica 3 nights, Siracusa 2 nts, Taormina 3 nts. Sicily was a lot more frustrating, driving-wise, and not as beautiful (except for Taormina). We loved walking around the ruins at Agrigento, but not the surrounding area. The baroque towns were charming, but a nightmare to drive into. And, the food, which is so hyped as being the best in Italy, was a mixed bag. LOVED the Cerasualo wine, which is the only DOG wine in Sicily, and the Passito desert wine ( I normally don't like dessert wine but this was nectar from the gods). We were extremely lucky with warm and sunny weather for most of the five weeks, although of course, our worst days were in Sardinia when we wanted maximum beach time. And, we finished up with 3 nights in Rome...luckily just before the recent riots took place. Perhaps part of our lukewarm feelings toward Sicily were due to travel fatigue...5 weeks is really too long so we were really ready to leave Rome!

THANK YOU barefoot. The king is indeed naked.

Sicily is not the best thing since sliced bread. We had a very mixed time there. The best of it (architecture, food etc) was about on a par with Tuscany. The worst of it was on a par with some out of the way backwater in Sao Paolo.

I have been to probably every place you visited...Bonifacio for me had to come out tops.

Taormina a long way down the distant bottom.

What did we not like about Sicily.

The over-hyped food
The driving
The disgraceful contemporary uncontrolled development
The bluntness of the people
The devastation of the coastline through industrialisation
The crime

We loved

Some of the food
Siracusa
Pure chocolate in Modica
Our hotel - Il Parco Sircacusa

I am still looking for a blade of grass which I don't love in Tuscany.

DickieG,
I'd agree with you on everything except for the Modica chocolate (and I'm a chocolate freak)...i didn't care for the grainy texture. (And, we did like Taormina...maybe because we were there at the beginning of Oct, it wasn't overrun with cruise ship passengers like it would be in the summer. To me, it looked like an operetta set and the views from out balcony (Hotel Villa Schuler) of the mountains down to the sea were stunning. It also was fun walking down from Castelmola, and the Greek Theater ruins were better than I'd thought. Also had two delicious meals there at A "Zammara and Viccolo Stretto, with ambience to match.

As for the driving, our worst nightmare was finding our B&B just 6 km outside Agrigento because of the road construction going on....we tried for 3 hours! bouncing between Agrigento and F......... Favara (as I nicknamed this horrendous town) armed with a GPS and map, until darkness descended, I melted down, and we pulled over at a bar near the Temple ruins and had the souvenier stand guy call our host and tell him to come get us! You would not believe the convoluted route we had to take back, including driving past the barricade of a closed road. We thought we would be fine for the next day since our GPS traced our route, until a new road was closed the next morning! I truly regretted my decision not to stay at Villa Athena right at the ruins (because of mixed TA reviews) I also would not advise staying in the town of Agrigento because of the driving mess....but obviously, my plans to stay nearby in the countryside also did not work out.

Castelsardo.

Off to the airport after breakfast to collect our car. This morning there was no queue. A very pleasant and helpful employee of the car hire desk apologised for the night before and told us they would waive the fee for the extra drivers as a result. That was very welcome (although having returned we find it has nevertheless been debited from our credit card!). At the same time another couple arrived who had also hit the back of the queue after us the night before and left. Unfortunately there was no car for them as all the cars had been given out the night before. This was a little awkward but made me very glad we had checked and confirmed this before leaving the airport on Saturday night (which they hadn't done.)
The drive to Castelsardo was uneventful except that we got lost which often happens when I am map-reading- I want to look out of the window not at a map!
We passed through a village with a sign saying"Domus di Janas" without knowing what it meant and later passed the Elephant Rock which again meant nothing to me. I really was poorly prepared for this. Reading up on it I found that the particular type of rock meant that it readily formed caves and shapes when eroded thereby forming " fairy houses" and a rock which does a very good approximation of an elephant.
In Castelsardo we found our accomodation "Sa Duomo di Minnana" easily. It was just under the old citadel and we managed to park easily on the hill up to the top. This was because it was mid-afternoon. However by the time we lugged our cases to the B&B I was so hot that I just lay on the bed with the windows open for 20 minutes to cool off. This was the trademark of our stay here- we slept with the windows and the door open all night to create a draught and it was pretty comportable. Because we were on a dead-end road there was no traffic and so it was quiet- very necessary!
The B&B was perfect for what we wanted and every day we were able to park safely nearby.
In Castelsardo we visited the castle and walked out towards the marina. Every night we walked down to the new town to eat and had universally good food- sorry I don't have the details because I left the guidebook with my daughter when we came home.
There was the "usual" Rough Guide glitch where we searched high and low for a particular restaurant but were forced to conclude eventually that it must have closed. How often have you done that!
One afternoon we drove along the coast to the nearest beach which was very pleasant. When we had been trying to decide where to stay I saw a number of nice looking places along here but most of the reviews said that they were noisy with a busy road between them and the beach. A noisy place to stay ruins my holiday and so I was interested to check these out having chosen "Sa Duomo" in preference. The traffic in early September was not heavy but as there was none where we were staying we had made a wise choice!
Another day we drove to Sassari but didn't find much of interest here and so only stayed an hour or two.
Beer in Sardinia is offered as "Ichnusa" or something like that. I liked the way they promoted their own brand even to the extent that there was (in Castelsardo) no choice. Later in Alghero in particular you had the usual brands of European lagers brewed under licence but this was the first sign we had that Sardinia is very happy with how it is. Many times on this holiday we had the feeling that this is a living working island and holiday makers are very welcome but accept us as we are.
The temperature on a daily basis was about 30 degrees mid afternoon so that plus an Ichnusa usually meant a snooze in the sfternoon.
We were fairly enchanted by castelsardo when we arrived but the second night found that it was almost deserted after we ate. It was as if most of the tourists had gone home and it felt a little sad. I read afterwards that Castelsardo is generally a day trip destination and that is actually how it felt on the second and third night.