Sardinia

Overview

Sardinia (Sardegna) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, about 165 miles (265 km) long, and it feels apart from the rest of Italy. The language you hear in villages is Sardinian, a Romance language of its own, and in Alghero people still speak a dialect of Catalan. The interior is granite and cork oak, sheep country with stone towers called nuraghi built by a Bronze Age civilization more than 3,000 years ago.

Most visitors come for the sea, and they are right to: the water is some of the clearest in Europe, from the turquoise coves of the northeast to the cliffs of the Gulf of Orosei and the long white beaches of the south. Distances are bigger than they look. Driving from Olbia in the north to Cagliari in the south takes about 3 hr 30 min, so pick one or two bases and stay put.

For combining Sardinia with Corsica, Rome or Sicily, see Combining Italy with neighbors and Plan your trip.

Getting there

Flights

Sardinia has three main airports: Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB) for the northeast, Cagliari Elmas (CAG) for the south, and Alghero Fertilia (AHO) for the northwest. In summer 2026, Delta launched a seasonal nonstop from New York JFK to Olbia, four times a week from May 20 into October. In August 2026, Italian aviation press reported that United will add Newark–Olbia for next summer; check both airlines for 2027 dates.

Otherwise you connect in Rome (about 1 hour to any Sardinian airport) or Milan or in a European hub. In summer, European low-cost carriers fly in from across the continent. Cagliari has no US nonstop. An open-jaw trip, into Olbia and out of Cagliari, saves the long drive back. See Flights.

Airport to town

Olbia airport is about 10 minutes from town by taxi or city bus. From Cagliari airport, a short train runs to the city's main station, and taxis take about 15 minutes. Alghero's airport is about 20 minutes from town by bus. In July and August, reserve your rental car well in advance; airport stocks run out.

Ferries

Ferries are how most Italians bring their cars to the island. The main routes:

Operators include Tirrenia, Moby, GNV, Grimaldi and Corsica Ferries, and comparison sites show all of them. Prices swing wildly by date: an August Saturday with a car and cabin can cost several times a June midweek day sailing. Book early for summer, and choose a cabin for overnight trips; deck passage is uncomfortable. See Getting around.

Beach rules: bookings, caps and sand

Sardinia protects its most famous beaches with daily caps, timed bookings and small fees, and the list grows every year. Rules can change within a season, so check the official booking site a week before your trip. Here is what applied in 2026.

La Pelosa (Stintino)

La Pelosa, at the northwest tip near Stintino, has shallow, pale water facing a Spanish watchtower and the island of Asinara. From May 15 to October 15, 2026, entry required a booking:

• A cap of 1,500 people a day, at €3.50 (about $4) per person. Children under 12 do not need to book.
• Book on the official site, app.stintinospiagge.it, or its app. Some 500 places can be booked at any time; the other 1,000 open at 9 a.m. two days before the date. Each booking covers up to four people.
• Show the QR code at the entrance; checks run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Rules: you must put a mat under your towel (rented at the entrance), and smoking, dogs and taking anything from the beach are banned.

Cala Goloritzé (Baunei)

Cala Goloritzé, on the Gulf of Orosei, is a white-pebble cove under a limestone spire, reached only on foot. Boats have been banned from mooring within about 1,000 feet (300 m) of shore since 1989. In 2026:

• A ticket of €7 (about $8) for adults, free for children 5 and under, booked online up to three days ahead on the Heart of Sardinia site for Baunei.
• The trail starts on the Golgo plateau. It is about 2.2 miles (3.5 km) each way with roughly 1,640 feet (500 m) of descent: about 1 hr 30 min down and 2 hours back up.
• The trail opens at 7:30 a.m. and closes to new walkers at 1 p.m.; you can stay on the beach until 4 p.m. Arrive by 10 a.m. to avoid the worst heat.
• Closed shoes with grip are mandatory, and staff can turn away people in flip-flops. Carry plenty of water; there is none at the beach.

Other beaches with caps or bookings

• Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu (San Teodoro): booking by time slot during the regulated summer period on santeodorospiagge.it.
• Cala Coticcio (Caprera, La Maddalena): only with an authorized guide, booked through the national park at lamaddalenapark.it.
• Spiaggia Rosa (Budelli, La Maddalena): closed to visitors for decades. You see its pink sand only from a boat.
• Rena Bianca (Santa Teresa Gallura), Punta Molentis (Villasimius), Oasi Biderosa (Orosei) and Tuerredda (Teulada): daily caps and online booking or paid entry in season, often bundled with parking.
• Cala Mariolu and the coves of Baunei: limits mainly on boat landings and time ashore, handled by the boat operators.

Do not take the sand

Sardinian law bans removing sand, pebbles, shells and coral fragments from beaches, and the fines reach €3,000 (about $3,360). Inspectors check at the most famous beaches in summer, and airport security at Cagliari and Olbia regularly finds bottles of sand in luggage, which leads to fines. The pink sand of Budelli and the quartz grains of Is Arutas on the Sinis peninsula are the most targeted. Leave everything where you found it, and do not buy "Sardinian sand" souvenirs.

The Costa Smeralda and the northeast

The Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) is a short stretch of granite coast north of Olbia that the Aga Khan developed into a luxury resort in the 1960s. Porto Cervo is the hub: a marina of superyachts, designer boutiques and famous nightclubs, very busy in August and quiet outside July and August. Hotels here are among the most expensive in Italy $$$$.

You do not have to stay here to enjoy it. The beaches are public, and Capriccioli, Liscia Ruja and Romazzino are a drive from cheaper bases in Olbia, San Pantaleo (a granite village with a weekly market) or Baja Sardinia. Expect paid parking in summer.

La Maddalena Archipelago

Off the north coast, the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park have some of Sardinia's most beautiful water. Ferries run about every half hour from Palau to La Maddalena town (about 20 minutes), and a bridge links it to Caprera, where Giuseppe Garibaldi spent his last years. Full-day boat tours from Palau or Cannigione visit Budelli, Spargi and Santa Maria; choose a smaller boat if you can, and bring cash for lunch on board. A park fee is usually included in tour prices.

San Teodoro and Santa Teresa Gallura

South of Olbia, San Teodoro is a lively family resort near La Cinta, Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu. At the northern tip, Santa Teresa Gallura has Rena Bianca beach, the wind-carved granite of Capo Testa, and ferries to Bonifacio in Corsica for a day trip (bring your passport).

The Gulf of Orosei and the interior

The east coast between Cala Gonone and Santa Maria Navarrese is Sardinia at its most dramatic: limestone cliffs falling into the sea, with coves reachable only by boat or on foot. Boats and rental dinghies from Cala Gonone visit Cala Luna, Cala Mariolu, Cala Biriola and the Bue Marino sea cave. Boat trips are subject to weather; when the wind blows from the east, tours are canceled.

Inland, the Barbagia region around Nuoro and Orgosolo keeps the island's traditions: murals in Orgosolo, the masked mamuthones at Mamoiada's carnival in winter, and long Sunday lunches at farm restaurants. Sardinia is also one of the world's "Blue Zones," with an unusually high share of people over 100 in some interior villages.

Cagliari and the south

Cagliari, the capital, is a working port with a hilltop old town, Castello, behind medieval walls. Climb to the Bastione di Saint Remy terrace for sunset over the city, see the archaeological museum's bronze figures and the Giants of Mont'e Prama (stone warrior statues from the Nuragic era), and eat seafood in the Marina district. Elevators link the lower town to Castello. Ten minutes away, Poetto is a long city beach, and the Molentargius lagoon behind it has flamingos.

The coast southwest of Cagliari has the ancient Phoenician-Roman ruins of Nora near Pula, the dunes and lagoons of Chia, and Tuerredda, a cove of turquoise water. To the east, Villasimius has Punta Molentis and Porto Giunco. Cagliari is the best base in the shoulder seasons, since the city stays open when resorts close.

Alghero and the west

Alghero was settled by Catalans in the 14th century, and street signs are still in Catalan and Italian. Its walled old town on the sea is lovely at sunset, and it is a good base without a car, since buses reach nearby beaches. The big excursion is Neptune's Grotto (Grotta di Nettuno) at Capo Caccia: take the boat from Alghero's harbor in calm weather, or walk down the 654 steps of the Escala del Cabirol cut into the cliff. Boats do not run in rough seas.

From Alghero, La Pelosa is about an hour's drive north. To the south, Bosa is a pastel town on a river under a castle, and the Sinis peninsula near Oristano has the Punic-Roman ruins of Tharros and the quartz-grain beaches of Is Arutas and Mari Ermi. Cabras is the home of bottarga, cured mullet roe.

Food and wine

Sardinian food comes from shepherds as much as fishermen. Try:

• Porceddu: suckling pig spit-roasted over myrtle wood, often ordered in advance.
• Culurgiones: hand-pleated pasta stuffed with potato, pecorino and mint, from the Ogliastra.
• Malloreddus: small ridged gnocchi, often with sausage and tomato.
• Fregola: toasted pasta beads, cooked with clams.
• Pane carasau: paper-thin crisp flatbread, also served wet with tomato and egg as pane frattau.
• Seadas: a fried pastry filled with fresh cheese and drizzled with bitter honey.

The wines are Cannonau, a red related to Grenache, and Vermentino di Gallura, a crisp white and the island's only DOCG. After dinner comes mirto, a liqueur of myrtle berries. See Italian food and Wine.

Getting around

You need a car. Buses (run by ARST) link towns but rarely reach beaches at useful times, and the rail network is thin. The good news: Sardinia has no toll motorways. The main north–south road, the SS131 Carlo Felice, is a free four-lane expressway from Cagliari to Sassari, with a branch to Olbia.

• Carry an International Driving Permit with your US license. See Driving in Italy.
• Mountain roads in the east are slow and twisty; add time to any map estimate.
• Fill up before heading into the interior, where gas stations are few and some close at lunch and on Sundays.
• Beach parking is often paid in summer, by meter or app, and fills by mid-morning.
• Watch for sheep, goats and cows on rural roads.

When to go and where to stay

June and September are ideal: warm sea, long days and room on the beaches. July and August bring Italian and European families, high prices and full ferries, especially around Ferragosto (August 15). Highs reach the upper 80s to 90s°F (31–35°C), and inland can be hotter. Late May and October are good for hiking, though many beach hotels close from mid-October to Easter. The maestrale, a strong northwest wind, can blow for days and change which beaches are swimmable; locals pick the beach each morning by the wind. See When to go.

For a first trip of 7–10 days, split your time between the northeast (Olbia, San Teodoro or the Costa Smeralda, with La Maddalena) and either Cala Gonone for the Gulf of Orosei or Alghero for the west. Agriturismi inland serve huge set-menu dinners $$; beach resorts run $$$–$$$$ in August. Many towns charge a tourist tax, paid at your hotel. See Where to stay.