2. Sardinia is famous for its gorgeous beaches and sheer, rocky coast with thousands of amazingly beautiful bays, but traveling to Sardinia is not only about the sea. Sardinia is sometimes rightly defined as a micro-continent, where seemingly endless mountain ranges coexist with green woods and forests, agricultural plains, rivers, lakes and largely uninhabited, pristine territories.
3. Sardinia cities and towns are charming, full of attractions and a real joy to visit. You will be amazed by the great number of archeological sites and remains, famous and highly ornamented monuments, beautiful towers and castles. Therefore, Sardinia is a perfect travel destination even for a longer holiday.
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| Castello landscape view, Cagliari | Sardinia Italy |
4. Sardinia is one of the best destinations in Europe for water-sports enthusiasts. Excellent wind statistics and plenty of great spots make Sardinia a great destination not only for professionals but also for amateurs who want to try windsurfing, kitesurfing, diving, snorkeling etc.
5. Pink flamingos. While there are many places in Italy to see them, Sardinia is probably the safest bet. Pink flamingos are a well-known symbol of Sardinia island and Sardinians have even given them a unique name sa gente arrubia, meaning the pink folk.
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| Pink Flamingo, Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
6 – 9 Traveling to Sardinia island
6. When to visit Sardinia. Sardinia can be scorching hot and crowded in the high season. Therefore, if you want to avoid the crowds (although it’s not that hard if you consider traveling to less known Sardinia beaches) the best time to visit Sardinia is from the beginning of April to the end of May and from the beginning of September to the end of October, while it’s still warm enough to swim in the sea and even better if you prefer the bicycle for traveling short distances or want to enjoy some Sardinia hiking trails.
7. Sardinians speaking English and Sardinian language. Hardly anyone in Sardinia speaks English (outside of famous Sardinia beach resorts), so it’s good to know some phrases in Italian. However, what Sardinians lack in spoken languages, they definitely make up for in physical communication and are amazingly successful in solving tourist’s problems without speaking the English language. Interestingly, the Sardinian language (Sardu) is considered the closest genealogical descendant to Latin.
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| Street in Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
8. What to pack for Sardinia. There are a few essentials you might want to take with you when traveling to Sardinia: at least one light, rainproof jacket (especially when going in the Sardinia mountains as the weather can change very fast), comfortable shoes (flip flops, sandals and sneakers), light scarves and hats (for sun protection) and UV sunglasses. Opt for lighter and brighter clothing. Shorts are acceptable in most restaurants but it’s best to avoid skimpy clothes when outside of the beach. Generally (especially when traveling to Sardinia in the low season) dressing in layers will help you cope with the temperature changes.
9. Sardinian souvenirs and gift ideas:
- A kokku is a Sardinian filigree jewelry amulet worn to ward off evil. It’s traditionally made of silver, obsidian or onyx and coral.
- Handmade blankets with embroideries.
- Orosei marble is a unique stone, renowned for its natural colors and structure due to fossils, shells, minerals and algae crystalized inside it.
- Local sheep cheese, Sardinian Cannonau wine and Sardinian Mirto liquor are perfect souvenirs.
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| Bastion of Saint Remy roof, Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
10 – 15 What to avoid in Sardinia
10. Don’t take sand from Sardinia beaches! It’s not only wrong to take Sardinian sand and shells with you, but it’s a serious offense and you are risking high fines and even arrest.
11. In most Sardinia accommodations, it’s disallowed to throw toilet paper into the toilet. You should use the bin.
12. You can drink Sardinia water. Tap water is absolutely safe to drink in Sardinia, but you might prefer to buy bottled mineral water: frizzante (sparkling) or naturale (still).
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| Santa Margherita di Pula beach, Pula | Sardinia, Italy |
13. Mosquitos in Sardinia. In 2019 a huge plague of locusts invaded Sardinia but it was a one-time accident. Usually, there are no more mosquitoes in Sardinia than in other Mediterranean regions and the government takes care to get rid of them.
14. Dangerous species in Sardinia. Sardinia is generally a safe place for travelers but even there you might happen to run into some dangerous species. The riskiest (and extremely rare) encounters are those with snakes (especially the grass snake, called the biacco).
15. Watch out for goats and sheep especially when driving a car. Never beep on goats! They could get mad and attack your car!
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| Goats on the road | Sardinia, Italy |
16 -18 Sardinian transport and driving
16. Driving around Sardinia is easy and we highly recommend to rent a car in Sardinia and take your own, unique Sardinia road trip. A car will let you fully explore Sardinia island and do it on your own terms. Public transport in Sardinia is fairly good, but it won’t take you to some of the Sardinia must-see places. The railways only cover some parts of Sardinia and certain locations are accessible only by car.
17. In the cities, it’s much better to use public transport than taxis. Not only will you save a lot of money but also you won’t have to haggle with some unfair taxi drivers.
18. Renting a bike is a good way for traveling short distances, but some Sardinia cities like Cagliari (Sardinia capital) are based on many steep hills, so you might consider exploring them on foot instead of hard cycling. Fortunately, most Sardinia monuments and highlights are easily reached.
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| Landscape view, Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
19 – 22 Sardinian food and cuisine
19. Sardinian blue zone. Sardinia is known for being one of the seven Blue Zone regions of the world – a place, where people live much longer than average. Sardinian DNA is quite distinct from the rest of Italy, but it is also said that the secret of Sardinians longevity lies in Sardinian food. Their lean diet is mainly based on cheese from grass-fed sheep, goat milk and lots of homegrown fruit and vegetables and fishes, with a small amount of meat.
20. What to eat in Sardinia. Although Sardinian cuisine is like Italian cuisine, it definitely has its own identity. It’s worth noting that seafood plays an important role in Sardinian cuisine. Some typical dishes in Sardinia include: fregula with clams (a type of Sardinian pasta), bottarga (spaghetti with fish eggs or sea urchins), zuppa gallurese (it’s not really a soup but Sardinian bread, Sardinian casizolu cow’s milk cheese and spices, softened with broth and then cooked in the oven), porceddu (sit-roasted suckling pig).
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| Restaurant on the street, Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
21. Sardinian cheese is an absolute treasure of the region, made from an ancient breed of sheep. Also, Pecorino Sardo is one of the most famous cheeses of Italy.
22. In addition to the Sardinian Cannonau wines and Sardinian Mirto liquor mentioned earlier, you might want to try a local Sardinian cult beer Ichnusa brewed near Cagliari.
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| Yoghurt Gelateria, Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
23 -26 Interesting facts about Sardinia
23. What does the Sardinian flag mean. The Sardinian flag is composed of the St. George’s Cross and shows four black heads of Moors with forehead bandages. There is an ongoing debate, whether they represent the four kingdoms of Sardinia, beheaded prisoners or the four defeated Aragonese princes. Although the Sardinian flag history is quite complicated, the latter hypothesis is the most accepted one.
24. Some scholars think that the southern end of Sardinia resembles an underwater Pompeii, which may have been the inspiration for Plato’s the legendary Lost City of Atlantis.
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| Roman amphitheatre of Cagliari | Sardinia, Italy |
25. Sardinia history. Sardinia is an ancient land that was originally jointed to Corsica. There are over 8.000 archeological monuments in Sardinia and human remains from 150.000 BC were found on the island.
26. Sardinia has some dark secrets. Sardinia is literally dotted with NATO military bases established after World War II. In fact, much of the Sardinia coastline is still a no-go zone. Unfortunately, frequent Sardinian protests have not affected the relocation of the NATO bases and some claim that this military activity is responsible for poisoning the sea and Sardinia island.
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