Sardinia Holidays: 5 things to know before travelling to Sardinia

29 May 2022 Sardinia Tourism @bluAlghero-Sardinia

Finally we can get back to planning our – long-awaited – Sardinia holidays! We had kind of forgotten about the pre-departure euphoria, the feeling of happiness that those simple words : “booked it!”

And what is the destination par excellence for summer holidays in Italy? Well, what talk… Sardinia, of course! You have over 1,000 reasons to visit and always a new reason to return. An ideal tourist destination at any time of year.

Although July and August are undoubtedly the most popular and frequented months, Sardinia reaches its peak between April and June with an explosion of scents and colours.

September and October, then, are the months dedicated to excursions, hiking and sports activities. Every season is a good time to come to Sardinia!

If you are about to visit this wonderful island, here are some tips for planning your holiday in Sardinia.

It is important to plan your holiday in Sardinia in the best possible way so as not to miss anything of this millenary island. First, we need to assess the period when we decide to go (if you don’t like crowded places too much, maybe avoid August), the area we intend to visit, what to expect, and what activities not to miss.

Sardinia’s most popular tourist destinations

Cagliari
Alghero
Olbia
Bosa
San Teodoro
Villasimius
Cala Gonone
Stintino
Baunei
Orgosolo

These locations are certainly among the most popular destinations, but there are plenty of other places to visit suitable for lovers of nature, sea, mountains or historical villages.

5 Things to know before going for a holiday in Sardinia

1. THE SEA AND THE BEACHES

The beauty of the Sardinian sea is beyond question. You can find Caribbean beaches with spectacularly clear water (…is the colour of the water really that clear? The answer is YES, absolutely YES!)

No less than 1850 km of (jagged) coastline with features that change dramatically from north to south, and from east to west. Typical is the granite coastline of Gallura, perhaps one of the most spectacular places in the world – where granite rocks shaped by the winds and water create veritable sculptures of the strangest shapes.

The limestone rocks of Ogliastra (Dorgali, Baunei, Cala Gonone) where the famous sea ox cave stands out.

In the central-western part in the Oristano area, the coastline softens geologically, where one can find wide inlets, large expanses of sand dunes and a sea characterised by the wind and various shades of blue.

Which beaches are absolutely not to be missed? We have dedicated plenty of guides to Sardinia’s beaches for you to take inspiration from, but know that you will find beautiful beaches in every single remote corner of the island. So start exploring!

For a full map of Sardinia beaches please click here

Holiday in Sardinia? Beaches of course!

2. THE NATURE

The good fortune of this land is that it has remained largely preserved from human anthropisation by maintaining virgin and unspoilt natural environments. Geographically speaking, Sardinia is a predominantly hilly land without any major mountain ranges. There are, however, some imposing massifs where the highest peak is the Gennargentu with 1834 metres in the province of Nuoro. Kilometres of unspoilt nature, woods, forests, waterfalls, natural parks where you can recharge your batteries in tranquillity.

There are 3 official national parks that are worth a visit and comprise about 25,000 hectares.

The Gulf of Orosei and Gennargentu National Park
The Asinara Island Park (includes the entire island)
The Maddalena Archipelago Park (don’t miss the tour of the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago)

Sardinia is a true spectacle of nature with its unspoilt and wild places: forests, caves, waterfalls, archaeological sites, beaches, natural monuments, WWF oases.

The typical Mediterranean scrub with species of broom, oleander, juniper, mastic tree and strawberry tree. The mistral draws the foliage of the junipers and creates the imposing sand dunes such as the wild dunes of Piscinas and the white dunes of Is Arenas Biancas.

TOP ACTIVITIES

3. ARRIVING IN SARDINIA

Getting to Sardinia is very easy thanks to the air and sea connections. In the hottest months between July and August the cost of both flight and ferry tickets increase massively, so if you decide to come on holiday to Sardinia in these periods consider booking your tickets well in advance.

The island has three airports: Olbia-Costa Smeralda, Alghero-Fertilia and Cagliari-Elmas.

Find a cheap flight!

The main ports are in Golfo Aranci, Olbia and Porto Torres. In the province of Nuoro the port of Arbatax (central-eastern coast) and in the south the port of Cagliari.

For the routes and the best ferry offers click on the banner below:

Book safely the ferry to Sardinia!

4. LOCAL TRANSPORT

Regional buses operated by the ARST company serve the entire region. You will find an Arst-branded bus in every remote village in Sardinia. However, deciding to travel exclusively by public transport is not advisable because the lines are not very frequent and often have no connecting routes. For more information on local transport visit our page: bus connections

The best way to visit Sardinia is by car. Whether you arrive in your own car or rent one locally, a car is without a doubt the best way to get from place to place on the island.

Car rental should be done well in advance, preferably several months in advance to take advantage of favourable rates. The closer you get to your departure date, the more the costs increase.

We recommend the RentalCar website where you can find car hire at the best price and book safely.

In regards of train connections, Sardinia still has a lot to improve: new trains are coming and an improvement of the railway line is planned soon. You can still use the train for the Cagliari-Olbia, Cagliari-Oristano or the Olbia–Sassari line.

The lines are operated partly by Trenitalia and partly by the region. For example, to reach Alghero from Olbia you have to go the Olbia-Sassari with Trenitalia. From Sassari to Alghero you need to take a regional train. The total travelling time is around 3-4 hours. Consider that it would take about 1h 30 minutes by car…

For more info about train connections visit our page: train in Sardinia

5. STAYING IN SARDINIA

You will find no difficulty in booking fantastic accommodation for your holiday in Sardinia. There is a huge choice of tourist facilities: hotels, resorts, b&b’s, agritourism, holiday homes, hostels, campsites, residences, camper van areas…

More info about holiday homes and apartments in Alghero here

Finding accommodation to suit your needs is very easy and prices vary for all budgets. They range from the super-luxury hotels of Porto Cervo area to the more budget-friendly accommodation of B&Bs, flats and hostels.

In July and August the availability is significantly reduced due to very high demand. If you plan to come to Sardinia in August you should at least book from March and April to get the best offers.