Sardegna

A travel guide to Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian), the Mediterranean's second largest island

A proper guide to Sardegna will be coming soon. In the meantime, here are links to all the important places, sights, and tourist offices mentioned in my recent Smithsonian talk.

BEACHES

Gulf of Orosei

» Stay in Cala Gonone and take boat trips down roadless stretch of coast to visit postcard beaches Cala della Luna and Cala Marilou, the Grotta del Bue Marino sea save, and other sights.

Cala Gonone tourist office, Viale Bue Marino (in the pine woods just above town). tel. +39-0784-93-696, www.dorgali.it.

Boat charters

Ferry: Nuovo Consorzio Trasporti Marittimi Calagonone. tel. +39-0784-93-305, www.calagononecrociere.it. Rates vary with season, but are around $43.50 (€29) for the Minicruise ($56/€37 with cave visit), or $22.50 (€15) roundtrip just to Cala Luna.
Lunch cruise: Nonno Pio, tel. +39-338-800-5925, www.sardegnapescaturismo.it. $98–$105 (€65–€70).
Sailboat: Veliero Dovesesto. tel. +39-335-743-8185 or 0784-93-737, www.dovesesto.com. $105–$135 (€70–€90).
Rubber boat rentals: Cielomar, tel. 011-39-0784-920-014; or Graziano Mereu, tel. 011-39-0784-93-048. $150–$240 (€100–€160) per day, plus $38–$45 (€25–€30) for gas.

Where to stay

Hotel Nuovo Gabbiano, Piazza del Porto, Cala Gonone. tel. +39-0784-93-200, www.hotelnuovogabbiano.it. Doubles from $105 (€70)—from €70 online.
Hotel Ristorante San Francisco, Via Magellano, Cala Gonone. tel. +39-0784-920-030, www.hotelsfrancisco.com. Doubles from €64 online.
More hotels at Booking.com and Venere.com.

Where to eat

Road House Blues, Lungomare Palmasera 28, Cala Gonone. tel. +39-0784-93-187. Meals from $38 (€25).
Il Pescatore, Via Acqua Dolce 7, Cala Gonone. tel. +39-0784-93-174. Meals from $52 (€35).
Hotel Ristorante San Francisco, Via Magellano, Cala Gonone. tel. +39-0784-920-030, www.hotelsfrancisco.com. Meals from $60 (€40).

Costa Verde

» Long, sandy, virtually abandoned beaches along the southern half of the western coast. Lots of small villages gathered under administrative region of "Marina di Arbus".

Arbus tourist info: tel. +39-070-975-4063, www.prolocoarbus.it and www.provincia.mediocampidano.it.

Where to eat

Ristorante Torri dei Corsari. Viale della Torre, Torre dei Corsari. tel. +39-070-977-028, www.ristorantefrongia.it. Meals from $45 (€30).

Where to stay

Brezza Marina. Viale della Torre 10, Torre dei Corsari. tel. +39-338-367-6886, www.brezzamarina.it. In Aug., minimum stay of one-week. 2–3 bedroom apartments $64–$160 (€43–€107)—from €50 online—villas sleeping up to 8 $86–$171 (€57–€114)—from €60 online.
More hotels at Booking.com and Venere.com.

Stintino

» Sweet art of white, sugary sand and shallows that stay calf-deep for dozens of feet out into the turquoise waters; 16th century Spanish watchtower on an island at one end of the beach; tour nearby island of Asinara, former prison colony famous for its miniature white donkeys.

Stintino tourist office, Via Sassari 121, Stintino. tel. +39-079-520-081, www.infostintino.com.
Asinara National Park. Tel. 079-503-388, www.parcoasinara.org.
Tours of Asinara, book via Mare & Natura, Via Sassari 77, Stintino, tel. +39-079-520-097, www.mareanatura.it, $62 (€41).

Where to stay

Cala Rosa Club Hotel. Loc. Olive del Mercante, Stintino. tel. +39-079-520-005, www.calarosa.it. Half-board for two (call for rates without meals) $165–$345 (€110–€230)—from €90 online.
Hotel Restaurant Silvestrino. Via Sassari, Stintino. tel. +39-079-523-007, www.silvestrino.it. Doubles $105–$240 (€70–€160).
More hotels at Booking.com and Venere.com.

Where to eat

Hotel Restaurant Silvestrino. Via Sassari, Stintino. tel. +39-079-523-007, www.silvestrino.it. Meals from $68 (€45).

ANCIENT SITES

Roman / Phoenician sites

Antas Punic-Roman Temple. South of Fluminimaggiore. tel. +39-0781-580-990, www.startuno.it. $4.50 (€3).
Naxos. TK

Nuraghic / Bronze Age / Stone Age sites

Nuraghe Su Nuraxi. Just east of Barumini. UNESCO site; biggest nuraghic complex in Sardegna. tel. +39-070-936-8128. whc.unesco.org/en/list/833. $10 (€7).
Nuraghe Mannu, of the road to Dorgali, Cala Gonone. tel. +39-349-442-5552, www.ghivine.com. $4.50 (€3).

HIKES & OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE INLAND BARBAGIA REGION

Tiscali. Hike into moutains to ruins of ancient site in cave. Start at Loc. Su Gologone, east of Oliena (near Gulf of Orosei). tel. +39-349-442-5552, www.ghivine.com. $7.50 (€5).
Giara Gesturi. High plain with cork trees and minature horses; near Costa Verde. Several entrances; that above the town of Gesturi is easiest. tel. +39-349-075-8602. $3.40 (€3).
- Horseback rides on the Giara Gesturi. Gianni Orrù, just beyond the parking lot at the park entrance above Gesturi. tel. +39-348-772-6154 or 011-39-333-174-8406. $10 (€7) for 30 minutes, $18 (€12) per hour.

Where to eat

After Tiscali hike: Ristorante Su Gologone, Loc. Su Gologone, just east of Oliena. tel. +39-0784-287-512, www.sugologone.it. Meals from $60 (€40).
After Giara dei Gesturi and Nuraghe Su Nuraxi: Sa Lolla. Via Cavour 49, Barumini. tel. +39-070-936-8419, www.salolla.wells.it. Four-course lunch menu turistico $20 (€13).

ALGHERO

» Medieval fishing port city on the northwestern coast, famous for its beauty, coral jewelry, and fact that the local culture, language, and cuisine are not Sardo by rather Catalan (locally, city called Barceloneta, which means "Little Barcelona").

Alghero tourist office, Piazza Porta Terra 9, Alghero. tel. +39-079-979-054, comune.alghero.ss.it.

Where to Stay

Find hotels at Booking.com and Venere.com.

Where to eat

Al Tuguri. Via Maiorca 113, Alghero. tel. +39-079-976-772, www.altuguri.it. Meals from $75 (€50)

Sardegna Tips

Getting There: Ferries from the mainland take 10 hours or more and cost about the same as a 90-minute flight, either connecting via Rome on your Alitalia flight, or using a no-frills airline (Ryanair, Air One, Meridiana, easyJet, etc.).

The fastest way to see all your options for flying to Sardegan is to go directly to the websites of Sardegna's major airports:

• Cagliari airport on the south coast - Aeroporto Cagliari-Elmas (www.sogaer.it)
• Alghero airport on the northwest coast - Aeroporto di Alghero (www.aeroportodialghero.it)
• Olbia airport on the northeast coast - Aeroporto Olbia Costa Smeralda (www.geasar.it)
Getting around: Trains aren't as widespread in Sardegna as they are in the rest of Italy; buses are slow, infrequent, and inconvenient. Definitely rent a car.