Sardinia
Sardinia, in a few days
From Alghero round to the Gulf of Orosei by car, cove by cove: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.
- Day by day
- 1 Alghero and La Pelosa Days 1-2
- 2 Costa Smeralda Days 3-4
- 3 The Gulf of Orosei Days 5-6
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
Day by day
Alghero and La Pelosa
A walled port settled by Catalans in the fourteenth century, where a form of Catalan is still spoken. At the north-west tip of the island, La Pelosa beach and its shallow lagoon.
- Boat trip to Neptune's Grotto2h30 · from €30Along the cliffs of Capo Caccia to a sea cave of stalactites with a salt lake inside. The other way in is 654 steps down the cliff.
- Alghero's old town and ramparts
- Capo Caccia
Costa Smeralda
The granite north-east coast, turned into a resort by the Aga Khan in the 1960s: clear coves, yachts in the harbours and the La Maddalena islands offshore.
- Boat day in the La Maddalena archipelagoFull day · from €55A day among the granite islands of the national park, with swimming stops in coves such as those of Spargi.
- The Costa Smeralda beaches
- Porto Cervo
The Gulf of Orosei
Limestone cliffs dropping into the sea on the east coast, with coves reached on foot or by boat, Cala Goloritzé among them.
- Boat to the coves (Goloritzé, Mariolu)Full day · from €45A day down the coast by boat, landing at coves like Cala Mariolu. Cala Goloritzé is closed to boats: it is reached on foot, with a booked ticket.
- Cala Luna
Worth sorting before you go
A hire car · The stops are spread across the island and the best coves are far from any bus. A car lets you reach them early, before the boats and the crowds.
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Porceddu: suckling pig roasted slowly over myrtle and juniper wood.
- Culurgiones: pasta parcels of potato, pecorino and mint, pinched shut like an ear of wheat.
- Malloreddus: small ridged gnocchi of durum wheat, served with a sausage and tomato sauce.
- Pane carasau: a paper-thin, crisp flatbread first baked for shepherds on the move.
- Seadas: a fried pastry filled with fresh cheese and covered in honey.
- Mirto: a myrtle-berry liqueur poured at the end of the meal.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Taking sand, pebbles or shells from the beaches: it is against the law, with fines running into thousands of euros.
- Turning up at La Pelosa or Cala Goloritzé in summer without a booking: numbers are capped and you will be turned away.
- Tipping before checking the bill for the coperto, the cover charge.
- Entering churches with bare shoulders or knees.
- Travelling in August if you can avoid it: the whole of Italy is on holiday, and the coast is at its most crowded and expensive.
Words that help
English ↔ Italian
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Buongiorno |
| Thank you | Grazie |
| Please | Per favore |
| Yes | Sì |
| No | No |
| Excuse me | Mi scusi |
| Goodbye | Arrivederci |
| Do you speak English? | Parla inglese? |
| I don't understand | Non capisco |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa? |
| Where are the toilets? | Dove sono i bagni? |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore |
| Help! | Aiuto! |
| Cheers! | Salute! |
The practical page
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/sardinia
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.