Sardinia
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Sardinia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Chia Beach
Although there is a perfectly serviceable sandy beach right outside the archaeological site of Nora, infintely more enticing is the series of long expanses of sand 18 km (11 miles) farther south toward the cape of Capo Spartivento, Sardinia's southernmost tip. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee in summer); toilets. Best for: swimming.
Santa Margherita di Pula, Sardinia, 09010, Italy -
2. Compendio Garibaldino
Pilgrims from around the world converge on the Compendio Garibaldino, a complex on the island of Caprera that contains not only the restored home of Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–82) but also his tomb. The national hero and military leader who laid the groundwork for the unification of Italy in 1861 lived a simple life as a farmer on Caprera, the island that he eventually owned. Exhibits include a collection of weaponry, numerous items of furniture belonging to the family, Garibaldi's famous red shirt, and the poncho he wore during his South American campaigns. The grounds contain the hero's tomb alongside those of his family, all surrounded by the olive grove that he planted. There are explanatory panels in Italian and English, and visitors can also download an app providing more comprehensive information. A combined ticket takes in the Memoriale Giuseppe Garibaldi, 4 km (2½ miles) away—a multimedia museum, housed within a stern fortress dating from 1895, that chronicles the swashbuckling career of the Italian hero. To visit the Compendio and Memoriale, take the ferry from Palau to Isola Maddalena, from where a causeway bridge crosses to Caprera. Note that visits to the Compendio Garibaldino must always be booked ahead for a specific time slot. A tour of the house and grounds should take less than an hour. Caprera island is now a nature reserve, its woods and Mediterranean scrub crisscrossed by a network of waymarked trails that offer great opportunities for scenic walks and picnics.
7 km (4½ miles) east of Isola Maddalena, La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy0789-727162-for informationSight Details
Rate Includes: €8; €12 combined ticket includes Memoriale Giuseppe Garibaldi, Usually closed Sun. except for 1st Sun. of month when entry is free (check first), Book ahead for Compendio Garibaldino -
3. Grotta di Nettuno
At the base of a sheer cliff, the pounding sea has carved an entrance to a vast fantastic cavern filled with stunning water pools, stalactites, and stalagmites. The dramatic cave and coves, discovered by fishermen in the 18th century, are popular tourist attractions for their sheer natural beauty. You must visit with a guide; tours start on the hour. It's possible to reach the caves by boat or by land. Between April and October, boat trips depart regularly from the port of Alghero for €16 round-trip (admission to the grotto is extra). To reach the grotto by land, you can descend the 654 dizzying steps of Escala del Cabirol ("Goat Steps"), which are cut into the steep cliff here. By public bus from Alghero's Via Catalogna, the trip to the top of the stairway takes about 50 minutes. Allow 15 minutes for the descent by foot. Visitors arriving by land must book beforehand by telephone or online at www.algheroexperience.it.
Off SP55, Alghero, Sardinia, 07041, Italy079-946540-officeSight Details
Rate Includes: €14, Closed in rough seas -
4. Poetto Beach
Only 5 km (3 miles) southeast of the city center, Poetto Beach is one of the most enticing spots to relax in summer for both locals and tourists. Its clean, shallow, turquoise waters stretch for some 8 km (5 miles), and the beach is lined with cafés, restaurants, snack bars, and parks. Beach chairs and umbrellas are available for rent for around €15. Away from the sea, you can explore the nearby Molentargius lagoon, and admire the pink flamingos that nest in the marshy reeds there. Poetto is easy to reach on the frequent public transport services: take Bus PF, PQ, or, in summer, Poetto Express, from Piazza Matteotti. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee in summer); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming; walking; windsurfing.
Cagliari, Sardinia, 09126, Italy -
5. Su Nuraxi
The most extensive of the island's 7,000 discovered nuraghi, Su Nuraxi is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Concentric rings of thick stone walls conceal dark chambers and narrow passages in a central beehive-shape tower. In the ruins of the surrounding village there are benches, ovens, wells, and other Bronze Age remnants. Tours start every 30 minutes and last about 50 minutes. The same ticket includes entry to a museum and exhibition center in Barumini. If you're driving from SS131, don't be misled to other, lesser nuraghi—follow the signs all the way to Barumini.
Viale Su Nuraxi, Barumini, Sardinia, 09021, Italy070-9368128Sight Details
Rate Includes: €15 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Cabras
Extensive marshlands and shallow lagoons teeming with eels, crayfish, and wildlife surround this calm and compact 11th-century town. Make a stop at the archaeological museum here for its awe-inspiring nuraghic statues, then drive north and west into the Sinis Peninsula to access the pristine beaches of Is Arutas, Maimoni, and Mari Ermi, characterized by fine white quartzified sand grains.
SP3 off SP1, Cabras, Sardinia, 09072, Italy -
7. Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto Beaches
A couple of kilometers north of Alghero's old town, backed by pine woods, Maria Pia beach offers a convenient though unspectacular spot for an afternoon of bathing and sunbathing, but if you don't mind going farther afield, head for the altogether superior beaches of Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto, on adjacent inlets 10 kms (6 miles) west of town. Sheltered from the wind and equipped with bars and facilities for renting pedalos and canoes, the beaches are similar in style—both curves of soft sand studded with a few rocks, and both packed in August. The beaches are easy to reach on the frequent tourist bus service, Il Trottolo. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee in summer); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; windsurfing.
Alghero, Sardinia, 07041, Italy -
8. Orto Botanico
Located just below Cagliari's amphitheater, the city's Botanical Garden offers a welcome refuge from the summer's heat, and a shady spot for a pause from sightseeing. The 12-acre site is managed by Cagliari university and includes plants from all over the Mediterranean as well as Africa and further afield, plus herbariums, ponds, and a scattering of Roman remains, notably cisterns, tanks, and a well. As the only green space in the city center, it's ideal for kids to let off steam, and perfect for a picnic. Guided tours are also available (book ahead).
Viale Sant'Ignazio da Laconi 11, Cagliari, Sardinia, 09124, Italy070-6753512Sight Details
Rate Includes: €4, Closed Mon. -
9. Spiaggia del Principe
Among the less developed of the Costa Smeralda's five-star beaches, the Spiaggia del Principe is tucked well away from the crowds, mainly because it is not so readily accessible as some of the others. The rewards, however, are all the greater. Edged by jagged, gold-tinted rocks, the beach has fine white sand and water ranging from emerald to a Caribbean shade of turquoise. Access from the car park is tricky—a 10-minute walk along a rough path (stout sneakers needed)—but a tuk-tuk service is sometimes on hand for a small charge. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee in summer); toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.
Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy -
10. Tharros
San Giovanni di SinisThe spectacular site of the Carthaginian and Roman city of Tharros was, like Nora to the south, chosen because it commanded the best views of the gulf and could provide an easy escape route if inland tribes threatened. The Phoenician-Punic city planning here includes sophisticated water channeling and masonry foundations. Two reconstructed Corinthian columns stand as testament to the site's Roman history, and there are baths visible and mosaic fragments from the Roman city.
Off SP6, Cabras, Sardinia, 09072, Italy0783-370019Sight Details
Rate Includes: €6.50; €10 combined ticket, includes Museo Civico di Cabras; tower €4, Closed Mon. Nov.–Mar.
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