Greetings! Am new here. Have done research/read posts and now am looking for advice/input. I am planning on a 7 night trip to Sardinia the first week of July 2019, flying into/out of Olbia. Planning to rent a car. We are:

-family (two adults, 13 year old girl, 15 year old boy)
-looking for a relaxing beach vacation
-love good food (but not expensive)
-kids do not need night life/activities; we're good as a foursome
-son would like to be able to fly his drone a bit
-budget is mid-range, meaning we like value for money...have found accommodation on the island overall to be higher prices for less (things are more basic, older unless one can afford the fancy 5 star places)
-we like hotels more than airb&b types of places, but still open to that option
-we have enjoyed boutique-style hotels in the past where you get a bit of a luxury feel at lesser prices
-would like a very comfortable hotel (good beds, good wifi, nice common areas, and great coffee in the morning) that we enjoy spending some time at but can't afford 5-star prices

At this point, I am thinking of the following
-Two nights in the Cala Gonone area (maybe the Cala Luna hotel) with day trips (one day via boat, maybe one day a bit of hiking) to the beaches south in the park (i.e. Cala Goloritze or others)
-5 nights in the Santa Teresa area (explore beaches that side, maybe a day trip to Corsica, day trip to La Madallena or other little coves/islands)
-hotels in the Santa Teresa area that look like possibilities include Hotel Corallaro or maybe further in Palau, Hotel Palau...I'm trying to use some credit card points for the hotel part of the trip)

Would appreciate comments on my ideas so far and ideas for where to get the best bang for a buck, great locations, or things to realize that don't come out easily in the reading up on places. I read a helpful thread from 2011 about avoiding the ostentatious wealth between Olbia and Palau, but would like to hear more about areas on the island and how to make our stay feel relaxing, even during the summer over-crowded months. Any tips on service providers (boat trips, great restaurants that aren't expensive) would be much appreciated. Am I thinking reasonably to split the trip up or is it better to stay in one location? Am thinking to split between the two locations because I really want to see those beautiful beaches/waters on the coast of the state park south of Cala Gonone, but also want to see some of the Costa Smeralda and the sunsets there. Thank you!

The unorganized pebble coves between Cala Gonone and Sa Maria Navarese are fine. Nice hiking trail from Cala Gonone via Cala Luna up to Cala Sisine. Very strenuous trails from Cala Goloritze into the mountains. Excursion boats from Cala Gonone as well as from Sta Maria.
There is nothing wrong with Sta Teresa or Palau neither (organized sandy beaches).
Nice sandy beaches all along the coast from San Teodoro up to Capriccioli.
The first week of July is not yet high season.
Some people stay at or around Olbia and drive every day to another beach.

Thank you for your input! I will look at the hiking options...maybe I should stay 3 nights in Cala Gonone rather than two.

Do the prices differ much between the areas between Olbia to Palau versus the area nearer to Santa Teresa? It looks like the fancy hotels (and I assume higher prices, overall, at restaurants) would be in the area between Olbia and Palau. Is my assumption wrong? That is partly why I'm drawn to Santa Teresa. Also, I want to see sunsets. We don't want to drive everyday. We'd prefer to really enjoy the hotel/location and relax.

"Cheaper" hotels with own beach between Olbia and Palau:
Colonna Resort, Marinella
Hotel Capriccioli, Capriccioli

Katybots

What’s your nightly budget? We have visited Sardinia many times and I would actually use a base on the NE corner of the island . This will allow you day trips to La Maddalenas and Corsica (Bonifacio is well worth a visit).

i need to know what you regard as average budgets. Some hotels in the area can cost E000s a night.

Neckervd has picked out one of my favourites, Hotel Cappricioli has a perfect location on Cala di Volpe which is one of the most exclusive areas in Europe but the hotel is reasonable at around e200 a night, their seafood is memorable.

Early July should be medium busy, any later or August can be insanely busy.

You mention budget / money / value several times -- that doesn't help us much. What is your actual budget per night (best in € but if it must be $ we can figure it out).

Yes, budget...it would be hoping for under Euro200/night. The Colonna Resort is definitely the type of place we'd enjoy staying because it has nice common areas to relax in plus the beach. When I look at it though, we'd have to get a double and a triple room (hence a price hike) because they don't seem to have a room that accommodates 4 people. So, booking a double and a triple there brings the price to Euro750/night! Ouch.

Katy

I will have a dig around to see if anything new has opened since we were last on Sardinia 4 years ago but the problem is that most Sardinian hotels has small bedrooms and don’t allow family sharing. We have a 13 year boy and the days of sharing may be coming to an end which I agree has large cost implications.

I think a good ideal would be renting a villa near Santa Teresa, it will be far more cost effective.

Immobilsarda have many properties just be careful about the quality as many Italian rentals are either of a high standard and incredibly expensive or good value dog kennels. The middle market is quite difficult to find, particularly in Sardinia.

We always rent in a small area called Conca Verde which is a 10 minute drive to Santa Teresa, it’s very quiet and has stunning views of La Maddalena.

The rentals are usually around e750 a week.

i would persevere as I am sure from you want list, Sardinia is the place for you. The beaches are the only ones in Europe that come close to the Caribbean.

BritishCaicos,
Thank you for your posting. I think you've hit the nail on the head in saying that the middle market is quite difficult to find in Sardinia. But, I'm looking. Thanks for the idea of Immobilsarda. I'm looking there.
I bought our flights last night (first week of July). Please tell me the weather is good and the swimming great at that time of year. I know August is the high of the high season but I figured that by July, the weather is hot and the sea nice, with a bit of a lower crowd level. Any tips on best boat to do a day sail with (for price/food/hospitality/sites)? Thanks.