JOURNEYS WITH ROOM TO BREATHE
Ways to discover
Sardinia.
Five ways to explore the island, shaped by a native Sardinian perspective. Each route balances its places and distances with time to enjoy them. The hotels are examples from our wider selection: we’ll choose the right stays and experiences with you around your holiday style, budget and season. Each journey can be adapted for a honeymoon, a couples’ escape or a family holiday, with hotels chosen accordingly.
Photo courtesy of Palazzo Tirso Cagliari MGallery
01 / 3 NIGHTS
A long weekend
in Cagliari.
Three nights in Sardinia’s capital, with Castello’s lanes and terraces, city restaurants and the sea within reach. A compact break for food, history and time together, without changing hotels or setting off around the island.
- Day 1
Arrive, settle in, find your table
Check in and take an easy walk through the Marina quarter and along the harbour. Start with an aperitivo, then dinner centred on Sardinian seafood or regional cooking.
- Day 2
Castello and the island’s past
Explore Castello’s lanes, the cathedral and Bastione terraces. Add the Archaeological Museum for a closer look at Sardinia’s ancient cultures, then leave time for a long lunch and an open afternoon.
- Day 3
The city’s flavours, or a little sea air
Choose a market visit or Sardinian cooking class, with availability checked for your dates. Alternatively, spend time at Poetto for a beachfront lunch and a swim in warmer months. Return to the city for a final dinner and a glass of local wine.
- Day 4
One last city morning
Enjoy breakfast and a final coffee before returning to the airport. We’ll shape the first and last days around your flights.
Ryan Hodnett / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized.
02 / 5 NIGHTS
Cagliari & Costa Rei
Two nights in the capital, followed by three at La Villa del Re on Costa Rei. City walks and regional food give way to an intimate adults-only beach retreat, with the infinity pool and the sea at the heart of your stay.
- Day 1
Ease into Cagliari
Settle into your hotel, walk through the Marina quarter and start with an aperitivo and dinner in town.
- Day 2
Castello, then the sea
Explore Castello and its terraces in the morning, adding the Archaeological Museum for a closer look at Sardinia’s ancient cultures. Leave the afternoon for Poetto and its beachfront cafés, then return to the city for seafood or fregula with clams.
- Day 3
Head for Costa Rei
Travel to La Villa del Re in Castiadas, on the Costa Rei coast. If you prefer a scenic journey, take the coastal route via Villasimius before settling into the hotel.
- Day 4
The beach and the infinity pool
Spend the day between the hotel’s beach and infinity pool. Leave time for lunch and a swim, with dinner at the hotel to round off the evening.
- Day 5
A little more of the south-east
Stay by the sea or explore towards Cala Pira and Villasimius. We’ll help choose an outing around the wind, sea conditions and how much you want to move.
- Day 6
One last island morning
Enjoy breakfast and return to Cagliari for your journey home.
Bruno Barral / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized.
03 / 7 NIGHTS
Gallura & the northern islands
Start among the granite hills, then move closer to the islands. Village evenings, a winery visit and a boat day give this trip its rhythm, with generous space for the hotel and the sea.
- Day 1
Into the granite hills
Arrive in Olbia and settle near San Pantaleo. Keep your first evening simple, with dinner at the hotel or in the village.
- Day 2
Village life and the coast
Spend the morning around San Pantaleo’s square and small shops, then find a nearby beach for the afternoon. For an archaeological alternative, visit La Prisgiona, a nuragic settlement near Arzachena.
- Day 3
A taste of Gallura
Discover Vermentino di Gallura at a winery, then return for the pool and the landscape. We can arrange a tasting around your interests.
- Day 4
Move towards the islands
Travel to your coastal base near Palau. Settle in, swim and enjoy the view across the water.
- Day 5
La Maddalena by boat
Take a shared or private boat trip among the islands. Choose the route with your skipper around the weather and park rules.
- Day 6
An island at your own pace
Take the ferry to La Maddalena for a town wander and time on Caprera, or stay at the hotel for a quieter day.
- Day 7
Leave a little room
Return to a beach you enjoyed, book a spa visit or explore a little more. Keep this day flexible if sea conditions move your boat outing.
- Day 8
Return through Olbia
A final breakfast, then travel back to the airport.
KlausF / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped and resized.
04 / 10 NIGHTS
A different side of Sardinia
A journey from the western towns through Barbagia, in the island’s interior, to the Gulf of Orosei. This is for travellers who enjoy discovering local character, with a few changes of scenery and an unhurried finish on the east coast.
- Day 1
An evening in Alghero
Settle in and walk the old town before dinner. Start gently with the seafront and the evening light.
- Day 2
Old town, open afternoon
Explore Alghero’s lanes and waterfront, noticing the Catalan heritage that gives the city its distinct character. Leave the afternoon for the beach or time in town.
- Day 3
Beyond the city
Spend a day around Porto Conte and Capo Caccia, choosing an outing that suits your interests and the weather.
- Day 4
Follow the coast to Bosa
Enjoy the coastal drive south, then settle into Bosa for a riverside walk and dinner.
- Day 5
Stay with Bosa
Explore the lanes of Sa Costa, Bosa’s colourful old quarter. Make time for local Malvasia and spend the afternoon around Bosa Marina.
- Day 6
Into Barbagia
Travel towards Oliena, beneath the Supramonte, and settle into a rural stay. Keep the afternoon light after the drive, with time for a village stroll and regional cooking at dinner.
- Day 7
Village stories and the Barbagia table
Choose a guided visit to Orgosolo’s murals or Mamoiada’s Museum of Mediterranean Masks, with time for a local lunch. Alternatively, stay closer to Oliena for craft, a cooking class or a guided Supramonte walk suited to your fitness. A Cannonau tasting can be woven into the day, with transport and availability checked for your dates.
- Day 8
Over to Cala Gonone
Move towards the Gulf of Orosei. Settle by the coast and enjoy an easy afternoon before dinner.
- Day 9
The Gulf of Orosei by boat
Discover the limestone coast and coves by boat. Your route and stops will follow sea conditions and local access rules.
- Day 10
One more day beside the sea
Keep a relaxed beach day, explore Dorgali or make time for another local experience. This also gives your boat outing a weather buffer.
- Day 11
Depart through Olbia
Leave time for the drive north and your journey home.
Photo courtesy of La Villa del Re
05 / 10 TO 14 NIGHTS
Across Sardinia,
at your own pace.
From the granite coves of Gallura to Barbagia’s mountains and villages around Oliena, then Cagliari and the southern coast. A stay at Su Gologone brings Sardinian food, art and craft into the journey, with time by the sea at either end. Travel north to south, or reverse the route around your flights.
- Days 1 to 4
Begin in Gallura
Arrive through Olbia and settle into a northern base. Balance coastal days with San Pantaleo, a Vermentino tasting and a boat outing around La Maddalena. La Prisgiona near Arzachena adds a glimpse of the island’s nuragic past; choose the outings that appeal and leave room for the weather.
- Days 5 to 6
Stay inland at Su Gologone
Travel towards Oliena and settle into Su Gologone. Choose a village outing to Orgosolo or Mamoiada, or stay near the hotel for art, craft and a Sardinian pasta-making class. A guided walk in the Supramonte is another way to explore Barbagia. Leave time for local cooking and, if you wish, a Cannonau tasting. Cooking experiences are seasonal; we’ll confirm what is available for your dates.
- Days 7 to 8
Make time for Cagliari
Continue south to the capital. Keep arrival day light, then explore Castello, the Archaeological Museum and the Marina quarter. Make dinner part of the experience, from seafood and bottarga to fregula with clams, with time for Poetto if you feel like another swim.
- Days 9 to 12
Finish beside the sea
Move to La Villa del Re in Castiadas, on the Costa Rei coast. Spend a few days between the beach and infinity pool, adding an outing towards Villasimius or Cala Pira if you wish.
- Day 13
Depart through Cagliari
Leave time for the journey back to the airport. For the reverse route, arrive through Cagliari and depart through Olbia.
YOUR ISLAND, YOUR PACE
Your starting point.
Our island perspective.
Stay longer in a place you love, choose a different hotel or build the journey around food, the sea or a special occasion. Tell us what appeals, and we’ll bring it together.
Plan your SardiniaBoat days follow weather and local access rules. We confirm timings and reservations for your dates. Destination information: SardegnaTurismo. Maps made with Natural Earth.