“From the lush landscapes to the faultless food, you'll never be short of things to do - or eat - on an Italian escape,” says tour guide Lorne Blyth.
22.03.2024 - 10:31 / lonelyplanet.com
Ferries and resorts fill up during summer when crowds reach Sardinia to make the most of its dreamy coastline. But turquoise waters are just part of the allure. Ancient traditions blend with diverse landscapes on Italy’s second island, where stretches of fine sand and soaring cliffs surround a mountainous interior covered in Mediterranean scrub.
Whether you are planning a road trip, a through-hike or a tour in search of the hidden coves that dot the rugged coast, here are some things you should keep in mind before visiting Sardinia.
Stretching for approximately 270km north to south, Sardinia may appear small on the map, but you’ll soon realize that covering each province could take weeks if you want to see all that this island has to offer. From exploring the ruins left behind by the ancient Nuragic civilization to diving into marine reserves dotting the coast and visiting wineries in the hilly interior, you’ll feel rushed if you plan to squeeze everything in just a few days.
Take at least a full week to travel beyond the highlights and make sure to organize each leg of your itinerary in advance if you are visiting in the high season, as many of the most popular destinations are likely to be fully booked months in advance.
Plan your itinerary with this list of the top things to do in Sardinia.
Traveling to Sardinia in July and August means facing the infamous Italian peak holiday season – this is not just the hottest time of the year, but also the period in which the great majority of Italians take their annual holidays and flock to the coast. Crowds are to be expected, and everything becomes pricier in the middle of summer, from ferry tickets to hotels and car rentals.
Visiting before or after the summer will make your trip to Sardinia much more enjoyable. The island is sunny for much of the year, and the swimming season can start as early as April and runs until October. By avoiding peak summer months, you’ll also have access to affordable accommodation and the chance to move around spontaneously, without too much planning.
The heat is not to be taken lightly. Global warming is hitting Sardinia especially hard and record temperatures have been registered year after year – in late July of 2023, the eastern coast of the island surpassed 48°C (118°F), with a high risk of forest fires affecting much of the dry interior.
July and August are the warmest months. If you are visiting during this time of the year, it’s best to avoid hiking or cycling in the middle of the day. Needless to say, always carry plenty of water.
Sardinia is well connected to mainland Italy and many European destinations, thanks to three airports – Cagliari, Olbia and Alghero – located on three corners of the island. Cagliari, Sardinia’s
“From the lush landscapes to the faultless food, you'll never be short of things to do - or eat - on an Italian escape,” says tour guide Lorne Blyth.
Ripley, Steve Zaillian’s eight-episode adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, takes its protagonist on a jet-setting tour of Italy. After the titular con man (Andrew Scott) is hired by a wealthy New York socialite to bring his son Dickie Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn) back from Europe, Tom finds himself immersed in a precarious game of cat and mouse with the Italian police when he takes on Dickie’s identity to access his money. The story takes Tom from Manhattan to Italy, where he spends time in Atrani, Rome, Naples, San Remo, Palermo, and Venice. The series shot in many of the real places, including the real seaside town that takes over for the novel’s fictional setting of Mongibello.
Rock House, a relatively new Turks and Caicos resort located on Providenciales' north coast, isn't the first Caribbean property to draw inspiration from the Mediterranean. Nor is it the only one to ever serve up Italian-inspired cuisine.
Italy became the latest EU country to launch a Digital Nomad visa, giving remote workers the perfect opportunity to combine work with more pleasure while traveling around the country. As of 4 April, a new law now allows people without an EU passport (or any other visa) to legally stay in the country and work long-term.
Norwegian Cruise Line is canceling over a dozen cruises 2025. The cruise line is nixing multiple voyages throughout next year, Norwegian confirmed toTravel + Leisure on Friday. «The recent 2025 itinerary cancelations are a result of varied events including the ongoing situation in the Red Sea and Israel, modified dry dock schedules for ship enhancements, a full ship charter, and lastly, to accommodate the demand for shorter close-to-home voyages to the Bahamas,» a spokesperson for the cruise line told T+L.
Florence has been a key destination on Italian itineraries since the Grand Tour days, when British and German aristocrats traveled through the peninsula to enrich their cultural baggage and gain status. While much has changed since the 17th and 18th centuries, the Tuscan capital remains a major draw, as proven by the thousands of people who reach the city every day.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
This is part of Off Season Italy, a collection of guides highlighting the year-round appeal of Italy's most popular destinations, courtesy of our favorite local tastemakers. Read more here.
The delights of Italy are universal: clinking Negronis in Rome, spinning a Riva through Venice’s Grand Canal, island-hopping off the shores of Sicily, all interlaced with hefty doses of wine, mozzarella, and art. It’s this limitless allure that has travelers from all over the world descend on the boot with near insatiable fervency, and often all at the same time—at least that’s how it can feel when trying to claim an inch of the Amalfi’s rocky beachfront in July. But in arriving en masse, travelers risk muting the very thing they come to enjoy: the essence of the place, as conjured by the lifestyle that Italians pull off with aplomb.