SARDINIA
Sardinia is an adventure. It doesn’t curry favor, it wants to be uncovered. Deep in the heart of the island lie waterfalls and picturesque mountain regions. The most beautiful beaches are only accessible by hiking down the steep cliffs. Yes, you have to want Sardinia, you have to get involved. You need time for it and should throw your ideas of (mainland) Italy overboard. Because Sardinia is different, no less rich in culture, no less rich in natural beauty, but rougher and perhaps also a little magical.
When we arrive, the north of the island is covered in fog. From Olbia, we drive south to Bari Sado, where we have rented a cottage in the middle of nowhere. On the drive there, sunshine, storms and rain alternate every quarter of an hour. This is how it will continue for the next few days. While we were still cursing the inconsistent weather at first, we soon learn to adapt our activities to the weather and realize that there are places in Sardinia that want to be explored in the rain. Other places call for sunshine.
The next morning, a short off-road tour takes us to the Piscine Naturali Di Monte Ferru. A beautiful area for hiking and relaxing. Here, a stream meanders through the rock, forming watercourses, steps, pools and small valleys. Nature shows itself to us in fresh, lush green. Oleander and wild herbs grow by the wayside. Lizards use the sun to warm their blood.
We spend the rest of the afternoon on a beach near our little house. We are familiar with the palm-lined dream beaches of Southeast Asia or the Seychelles. The beaches of Sardinia and the Mediterranean in general are hardly comparable. They are rockier and more barren. More bushes than palm trees. The water temperature is always slightly below our comfort zone and the sun is still an unreliable companion in May. Nevertheless, we will always find places by the water here in Sardinia that may not be able to compete with the brochure beaches of some long-distance destinations, but which offer peace and idyll in a variety of forms. Sometimes the land breaks up into rugged rock formations, sometimes crystal-clear water washes over fine sand. In the south, the beaches are crowded, on the Costa Smeralda in the north as well, in the east you can still find quiet spots. After a downpour, the sky and sea are a steely blue, in the clear afternoon heat they are a brilliant ultramarine.
The following days we explore different regions of Sardinia with Mr. Lux. Again and again we are drawn to unpaved gravel roads with deep, rain-washed potholes and stream crossings. Sardinia is considered one of the last paradises for off-road junkies. And indeed, many side roads are legally passable. From dusty dirt tracks to steep gravel passages and muddy trails, there is something for everyone.
Our first off-road day tour takes us along the southern west coast with steep climbs and a rock step that is almost impossible to master with our large pickup. Every centimeter counts – one of us points the way, the other steers. We shout and shout, give hand signals and swear. In the end, Mr. Lux makes it through the difficult bottleneck. We continue along narrow paths – the bushes scratch the paint on the left and right. At the end of the day, we are proud of the stage we have mastered. Mr. Lux has clearly suffered battle scars: the bumper scraped along the stone when overcoming the rock step and the thorny bushes have immortalized themselves in the metallic paint. But Mr. Lux is not an ice cream parlour vehicle – we bought him to take us everywhere.
Chris' Tip
If you are traveling with a roof tent, you may also be wondering whether you can go wild camping in Sardinia.
Clearly, wild camping is prohibited in Italy, including Sardinia. This is also strictly controlled in the high season. Even if there are some remote, quiet and suitable “wild” sites, think carefully about whether you want to take the risk. Sardinia’s nature is beautiful and uncontrolled off-road tourism does not help to improve it. There are some really great campsites, close to nature and within walking distance to the sea. One such site is Camping Coccorrocci on the east coast.
The next morning, we wake up to rain pattering against the window of our bedroom. The sky is all gray, low-hanging clouds, chilly 15° Celsius and no improvement in sight. Depressed, we have breakfast and think about what to do with the day. Museums or indoor activities are few and far between in Sardinia, and there’s not much going on on the quieter eastern side anyway. So we gas up Mr. Lux and head for the mountains around Tertenia, where a wind farm is waiting to be discovered.
We drive higher and higher along washed-out gravel paths. A shepherd follows us in his antique Fiat Punto – we are at a loss as to how this little car masters these tracks. Water runs over the road again and again. The higher we get, the sparser the vegetation becomes. At some point, fog and clouds surround us. The rain has softened to a gentle drizzle. Cows and goats cross our paths and we have to make our way with honking and shouting. At some point, the shepherd’s Fiat Punto takes a different fork in the road. He will be the last person we see until the end of the tour.
After so many days in the countryside, the obligatory visit to the capital in the south of Sardinia is on the agenda. Cruise ships are docked in the port of Cagliari, crowds of people jostle on the main traffic arteries and the central parking lot is pretty full. Compared to the small towns and villages in eastern Sardinia, Cagliari feels like a real city. The crumbling amphitheater bears witness to the presence of the Romans. The botanical garden has unfortunately closed on the day of our visit. Instead, we explore the charming city center, get lost for a moment and then suddenly find ourselves on the Bastione di Saint Remy, a spacious square with a nice view over the city, which no longer looks so nice from here. Rather a bit dingy, average, a bit too dominated by the port and its industry.
So back into the alleyways, past the Torre dell’Elefante and along the pedestrian zone. Here, colorful rosewood trees bloom in a vibrant purple. They are the only splashes of color in the city, which makes them all the more impressive. Without realizing it, we have reached the parking lot where Mr Lux is waiting for us to continue our journey. We look at each other for a moment: We’ve seen enough of Cagliari. We want to get back to nature, maybe check out another beach in the south.
We find an easily accessible sandy beach near Villasimius. It is therefore very crowded here. Teenagers pose in bikinis, families queue at the only snack bar – beer for the fathers, ice cream for the children. The mothers pay. The garbage cans are overflowing, the wobbly beach tables are sticky. Perhaps we should have followed one of the narrow paths that led off the main road every few kilometers. Perhaps we should have parked the car in the shade of a rosewood tree and made our way through overgrown paths. Maybe then we would have actually found a piece of paradise all to ourselves, a small beach, secluded and protected by rugged rocks.
Just like the days before, we realize once again: Sardinia only gives you ordinariness, you have to fight for paradise.
And that’s exactly what we do before the sun goes down. A short detour takes us to an abandoned mining area that was buried by a landslide a few years ago. Half-destroyed houses now protrude from the rocks. The tires grind loudly as Mr. Lux digs his way over gravel, stones and crushed rock. It is spooky here, as deserted and destroyed as this place presents itself to us. Before darkness falls, we make our way home.
After more than a week in Sardinia, our time is gradually coming to an end. We want to go on one last tour into the hinterland, be outdoors, enjoy the sun and finally see a nuraghe. These stone towers, which are up to 4,000 years old, can only be found in Sardinia. To this day, archaeologists still disagree on what they were once built for: as tombs, defensive towers or places of worship? They remain a mystery – like so many things here.
From an old monastery, we follow a very steep path to a pine forest. Mr. Lux rolls smoothly uphill at a crawl. After a while, we reach a resting area in the middle of the forest. A stream babbles past us, two huts offer travelers shelter in the bad weather. An idyllic place for a picnic. One last Sardinian cheese, Italian olives and fresh bread. A simple meal, sparse yet tasty. Reduced to the essentials. Another analogy to Sardinia.
We reflect on the last few days. We are certainly richer in impressions than before. It’s not the Caribbean-like beaches that Sardinia is advertised for in many a travel brochure that have captivated us. Instead, we were captivated by Sardinia’s rugged wildness.
And then it arrives, the day of our departure. We wash the dust and mud off Mr. Lux in the morning sun. As we run our fingers over the scratches in the paint, we will remember Sardinia. The island that gives nothing away. The island that wants to be conquered.
The door of our little house slams shut and, as always, the way back is a long one. We cross a mountain range and enjoy one last view. The vastness ahead of us is naked rock, barren shrubland and a cloud-covered hill. After sun comes rain. After the deserted hinterland comes Olbia. After the island, the mainland.
When we leave the ferry in Genoa the next morning and try to escape the city’s heavy rush hour traffic, the last few days feel like a dream. Sardinia is not Italy. Sardinia is a world of its own.
Info about our trip
Looking back, we underestimated Sardinia. Although it is only about the size of Israel, you should plan more time for the routes due to its rough roads, winding roads and mountains. What’s more, there’s always a reason to stop somewhere and be amazed. You will therefore make slower progress than you might have planned. Ten days should be the absolute minimum amount of time you bring with you. Two to three weeks is better. Because of our baby, who was 8 months old at the time, we opted for stationary accommodation from which we always went on day trips. We advise you to spend your stay in at least two accommodations (on the west and east side of the island) – or you can do a round trip. This way, you can see more of Sardinia and avoid the same itineraries over and over again.
In general, we didn’t find Sardinia to be more expensive than the mainland, but of course this depends primarily on which region you are traveling in. Camping and self-catering away from the tourist areas naturally reduce the costs. If you stay near the Costa Smeralda and go to a restaurant in the evening, you will pay accordingly.
We were in Sardinia at the end of May and were surprised that the prices for rooms and small villas (like the one we had) were comparatively cheap. We paid around 70 euros per night for our two-bedroom cottage with a huge garden and pool.
As an island, Sardinia naturally offers a wide variety of fish and seafood. You can also eat numerous types of pasta and, of course, freshly baked pizza everywhere. A specialty for the region where we were mainly traveling are dumplings called Culurgiones d’Ogliastra. To be honest: nothing special, but definitely delicious. We also tried various types of Sardinian cheese, all of which were rather mild.
In the supermarkets you will find a nice selection of regional products, especially at the fresh produce counter. In the southwest of Sardinia there is more nature than villages, so don’t expect a dense network of shopping options here. Restaurants often have an extended break in the afternoon.
We booked our cottage directly on the All4Sardinia website. This local provider had also advertised its offer on the usual booking portals, but it was a little cheaper on its own website. Make sure you research beforehand what exactly you want to do in Sardinia and then choose the region where you want to stay. As we were there with our own vehicle and wanted nature and peace and quiet, we opted for an idyllically situated cottage instead of a city apartment. To get as many different insights into Sardinia as possible, we advise you to split your stay between two or three accommodations in different regions of Sardinia.
Sardinia is a decelerated and relaxed travel destination. You might be out and about one day and only meet a handful of people. On other days, you might think you’re alone on a remote off-road route until a group of enduro riders suddenly appears around the corner. So if you go out into nature, make sure that you can reach someone in an emergency or that someone is always informed about your tour plans.
We don’t consider crime to be a problem at all in Sardinia (even if you might hear odd horror stories from the old days … 😉
We got to know the Italians as very child-friendly people. Whether we were in a restaurant or queuing at the supermarket checkout, our then 8-month-old son was always given a smile and his occasional nagging was met with humor without exception.
As far as the child-friendliness of the facilities in restaurants and other stores is concerned, we had very different experiences. From chic restaurants that had no baby changing facilities at all to fully equipped baby changing rooms in Sardinia’s hinterland. Be prepared for anything.
To really explore Sardinia, you need a car or motorcycle. Okay, with enough time you can of course also hike or cycle around the island, but as a traveler with limited time you won’t get to the really beautiful corners of the island otherwise.
We saw a lot of motorhomes and motorcycle tour groups, occasionally also off-roaders, but of course you can easily arrive by plane and rent a car locally (which might even be cheaper than coming from Germany and taking the ferry). On the whole, road traffic is very relaxed and rather leisurely. The main roads are in good condition and traffic density is low, even in the cities.
Off-road driving: Alongside Albania and Romania, Sardinia is probably one of the last real off-road destinations in Europe. There are numerous paths that you can drive on legally and without a guilty conscience. If you stick to the paths and trails, this is not at the expense of people or nature. The difficulty of these off-road passages depends on the weather. In dry conditions, you will find easy panoramic routes, challenging climbs and rarely a truly difficult section. When it rains and is muddy, the routes become more challenging.
We used the Trackbook Sardinia, which is probably no longer available. However, you will find good alternatives. If you are not an absolute off-road pro, we definitely recommend such an off-road travel guide. Many paths seem suitable, but then become narrower and narrower and end at an obstacle that cannot be overcome. It is not always so easy to turn back. Knowing that someone else has already mastered this route gives you the necessary security and confidence in the vehicle.