Sardinia
5
Day Itinerary •
Italy
Five days in Sardinia allows you to explore the island's extraordinary full range. The ancient Bronze Age civilisation of the nuraghe builders, the Phoenician and Roman layers of Cagliari, the wild mountain wilderness of the Supramonte, the dramatic Gulf of Orosei coastline and the extraordinary Catalan-influenced city of Alghero on the northern coast. This route covers the complete hidden Sardinia. From the flamingo lagoons of Cagliari to the deepest canyon in Europe, from the sacred well temples of the mysterious Nuragic people to the finest hidden beaches on the Mediterranean, and ending in Alghero, the only Catalan-speaking city outside Catalonia, with its extraordinary Aragonese towers and the finest lobster in Italy.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to October
Getting There
Fly into Cagliari (CAG) or Olbia (OLB)
Getting Around
Rental car essential throughout
Budget Per Day
Approx 80 to 130 euros per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, walking and driving
DAY 1
CAGLIARI
MORNING
CAGLIARI CASTELLO AND THE PISAN CITADEL
The Castello district perched on its hilltop was built by the Pisans in the 13th century. The medieval walls, towers and cathedral are extraordinary. The Bastione di Saint Remy gives the finest panoramic view over the city and its lagoon system. The Museo Nazionale Archeologico contains the finest Nuragic bronze figurines in Sardinia. Entry to museum approx 5 euros. Drive: 20 min walk to Roman quarter
MIDDAY
ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE AND ANCIENT LAYERS
The Roman amphitheatre is carved directly into the limestone hillside. The Phoenician and Punic necropolis of Tuvixeddu is the largest ancient Phoenician necropolis in the world, with rock-cut tombs from the 7th century BC. The entire city sits on layers of Phoenician, Carthaginian, Roman, Byzantine and Pisan history. Drive: 20 min drive to lagoons
AFTERNOON
FLAMINGO LAGOONS
The Molentargius lagoon 10 minutes from the centre hosts between 10,000 and 15,000 flamingos year-round. Cycling paths circle the lagoon and the pink flamingos against the city skyline are extraordinary. Free entry.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Santuario di Nostra Signora di Bonaria, patron saint of Sardinia, contains a statue the Virgin that arrived on the sea in a sealed crate from Spain in 1370. Christopher Columbus visited here before his voyage to America and named a settlement in Cuba after this church. Free entry.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Torino, Cagliari Most beautiful traditional cafe in Cagliari since 1921. Excellent espresso and local pastries. | Lunch: Trattoria Lillicu, Cagliari Most beloved traditional restaurant. Culurgiones pasta, bottarga and local Vermentino wine. | Dinner: Osteria del Castello Outstanding restaurant in the Castello citadel. Modern Sardinian cuisine and finest local wine list.
DAY 2
NURAGIC SARDINIA
MORNING
SU NURAXI DI BARUMINI, UNESCO BRONZE AGE VILLAGE
A central tower from 1500 BC surrounded by a village of circular stone huts, the whole complex built without mortar and still standing after 3,500 years. The Nuragic civilisation built over 7,000 of these towers across Sardinia and left no written records. Their language and religion remain completely unknown. Entry approx 15 euros including guided tour. Drive: 40 min drive to Santa Cristina
MIDDAY
SANTA CRISTINA SACRED WELL TEMPLE
A perfectly constructed stone well shaft descending 6 metres below ground with a corbelled dome above the water. Twice a year the full moon shines directly down the shaft to illuminate the water below. The engineering precision required is extraordinary. Entry approx 5 euros. Drive: 30 min drive to Orgosolo
AFTERNOON
ORGOSOLO, THE VILLAGE OF POLITICAL MURALS
Over 150 political murals cover the buildings of this mountain village, telling the political and social history of Sardinia. The village is the traditional heart of Sardinian bandit culture and entirely authentic. Free to walk through.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Nuragic bronze figurines in the Cagliari museum are the most extraordinary objects in Sardinia. Tiny detailed bronzes of warriors, priests, animals and boats from 1000 to 700 BC showing a sophisticated culture of which almost nothing else is known.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Barumini village Coffee before the guided nuraghe tour starts at 9am. | Lunch: Trattoria Sa Lolla, Barumini Outstanding traditional cuisine. Roast porceddu, local cheeses and Cannonau wine. | Dinner: Ristorante Monte Maccione Extraordinary mountain restaurant above the Supramonte. Local lamb and views to the sea.
DAY 3
GULF OF OROSEI
MORNING
MORNING BOAT TO THE HIDDEN COVES
The Gulf of Orosei has 40km of sheer limestone cliffs dropping into turquoise water, accessible only by boat or on foot. The morning boat from Cala Gonone stops at extraordinary coves including Cala Luna, and the Grotta del Bue Marino sea cave. Book in advance from approx 25 euros. Drive: Time at Cala Luna beach
MIDDAY
CALA LUNA, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH IN SARDINIA
A perfect arc of white pebbles backed by freshwater spring caves. The turquoise water is extraordinarily clear. No road access, no permanent development. Accessible only by boat or by a 3-hour clifftop walk. Drive: Boat back to Cala Gonone
AFTERNOON
GORROPU GORGE, EUROPE'S DEEPEST CANYON
The canyon walls rise 500 metres above a narrow gorge floor of enormous boulders. The walk from the Flumineddu river crossing takes 45 minutes. Free to enter, moderately strenuous. The most extraordinary natural landscape in Sardinia.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The walk from Cala Fuili to Cala Luna along the clifftop takes 3 hours and is one of the finest coastal walks in Italy, running 200 metres above the sea. Bring water, non-slip shoes and start early to avoid the heat.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Cala Gonone harbour Coffee before the morning boat departs. Watch the boats being prepared. | Lunch: Picnic on Cala Luna Bring food from Cala Gonone. No facilities on the beach. | Dinner: Ristorante Il Pescatore Finest fish restaurant in Cala Gonone. Fresh gulf catch and local Cannonau.
DAY 4
SUPRAMONTE WILDERNESS
MORNING
TISCALI, THE NURAGIC VILLAGE IN A CAVE
Tiscali is one of the most extraordinary ancient sites in Sardinia. A Nuragic village built inside a vast collapsed cave in the heart of the Supramonte mountains, hidden so effectively that it was inhabited by people fleeing Roman persecution until the 1st century AD. The 3-hour round trip walk through the Lanaitto valley is extraordinary. The site reveals a nuragic village protected by the mountain itself. Entry approx 10 euros including guide. Moderately strenuous. Drive: 1 hour drive to Baunei
MIDDAY
THE SUPRAMONTE PLATEAU, THE WILD HEART OF SARDINIA
The Supramonte is one of the wildest and most extraordinary landscapes in Italy. A high limestone plateau of ancient forests, sheer cliff edges and valleys carved by underground rivers. The Golgo plateau above Baunei has views of the entire eastern coastline and the extraordinary Su Sterru pothole, a perfectly cylindrical natural shaft descending 270 metres into the earth, one of the deepest in Italy. Free to view. Drive: 30 min drive to Dorgali
AFTERNOON
DORGALI AND THE ISILI COPPER NURAGHE
Dorgali is the finest artisan town in Sardinia, producing extraordinary ceramics, carpets and leather goods using techniques unchanged for centuries. The local Cannonau wine produced from the surrounding vineyards is among the finest in Sardinia. The Serra Orrios nuraghe village nearby is one of the best preserved nuragic villages on the island, with 70 circular huts still standing. Entry approx 5 euros.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Grotta di Ispinigoli near Dorgali contains one of the tallest stalagmites in the world, a single column 38 metres high rising from the cave floor. The cave also contains the extraordinary Abyss of the Virgins, a sacrificial site where Nuragic votive offerings were found at the bottom of a deep shaft. Entry approx 10 euros.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Bar in Oliena village Start the day in the extraordinary mountain village below the Supramonte. | Lunch: Su Gologone Hotel restaurant One of the finest restaurants in Sardinia in an extraordinary setting. Local suckling pig, pasta and Cannonau. | Dinner: Trattoria Ispinigoli, Dorgali Beloved local restaurant. Traditional Barbagia cuisine, local cheeses and the finest Cannonau di Sardegna.
DAY 5
ALGHERO AND CAPE CACCIA
MORNING
ALGHERO, THE CATALAN CITY OF SARDINIA
Alghero is the most extraordinary city in northern Sardinia. Conquered by the Aragonese in 1354, the city still speaks a dialect of Catalan as its first language, the only Catalan-speaking community outside Catalonia. The old town within its 16th-century Aragonese walls is beautifully preserved. The Cathedral of Santa Maria has an extraordinary Catalan-Gothic interior. Walk the old walls at sunset for the finest view over the bay. Drive: 30 min drive to Cape Caccia
MIDDAY
CAPE CACCIA AND THE GROTTA DI NETTUNO
Cape Caccia is one of the most dramatic headlands in Sardinia, rising 169 metres sheer from the sea with extraordinary views along the northern coastline. The Grotta di Nettuno at the base of the cliffs is one of the finest sea caves in Italy, accessible by boat from Alghero or by descending the Escala del Cabirol, 654 steps cut into the cliff face. The cave contains extraordinary stalactite formations and an underground salt lake. Entry approx 13 euros. Drive: 30 min drive to hidden beaches
AFTERNOON
THE HIDDEN BEACHES OF THE NURRA PENINSULA
The Nurra peninsula west of Alghero contains some of the finest and least visited beaches in northern Sardinia. The Spiaggia del Lazzaretto, Cala Porticciolo and the beaches of Porto Ferro are extraordinary and largely unknown. The drive along the coastline passes through macchia scrubland with extraordinary views. End the trip with a plate of aragosta alla catalana (Catalan-style lobster) in Alghero, the finest version in Italy.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The Escala del Cabirol (Goat's Staircase) descending to the Grotta di Nettuno is one of the most extraordinary approaches to any cave in Italy. 654 steps cut into the sheer cliff face descend to the cave entrance at sea level. The views from the staircase across the bay and back up the cliff are extraordinary. The descent takes 20 minutes, the ascent 30.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Caffe Libarium Nostrum, Alghero Extraordinary terrace cafe on the old walls above the sea. The finest breakfast view in Sardinia. | Lunch: Ristorante Il Pavone, Alghero Most celebrated traditional restaurant. Aragosta alla catalana (Catalan lobster) is extraordinary. Book ahead. | Dinner: Trattoria La Lepanto, Alghero Beloved neighbourhood trattoria in the Catalan old town. Local seafood and the finest local Vermentino wine.
Where To Stay
Cagliari, Night 1 Hotel Regina Margherita, elegant hotel on the waterfront promenade. Approx 100 to 160 euros per night. Oliena or Cala Gonone, Nights 2 to 3 Su Gologone Hotel or Hotel Nettuno, Cala Gonone. Approx 110 to 200 euros per night. Alghero, Nights 4 to 5 Hotel Villa Las Tronas, a 19th-century villa on a private headland in Alghero. Approx 150 to 230 euros per night.
Top Tips
1. Book the Gulf of Orosei morning boat at least 2 days ahead in summer. It fills up extremely fast.
2. Cala Luna has no facilities. Bring all food, water and sun protection for the full day.
3. The nuraghe guided tour at Su Nuraxi is the only way to enter. Book in advance at barduminiturismo.it.
4. Sardinian porceddu (roast suckling pig) is best in the Barbagia mountain villages, not on the coast.
5. Cannonau di Sardegna red wine is one of the healthiest wines in the world. Sardinia has more centenarians per capita than anywhere on earth.
6. The flamingo lagoons around Cagliari are best in the early morning when the birds feed close to shore.
Total Budget
85 to 140 euros/day