Top things to do

Perched high on the hillside near the Su Marmuri caves, this restaurant serves up delicious home cooking, with an emphasis on traditional mountain fare such as spit-roasted meats, grilled vegetables, pecorino cheese…

High above Ulassai, the mammoth Grotta di Su Marmuri is a 35m-high cave complex. Visits are by guided tour only (minimum of four people), which take you on a one-hour, 1km walk through an underground wonderland fest…

For fine dining with a gorgeous sea view, you can’t beat La Bitta, down by the beach in Porto Frailis. Dress up for exquisitely prepared seafood – think handmade fregola (couscous-like Sardinian pasta) with fresh cl…

What swims in the Med in the morning lands on plates by lunchtime at this ittiturismo, run by Tortolì’s fishing cooperative. The fixed-price menu includes copious seafood antipasti, followed by pasta, a main course,…

Accessible from the village of Osini, the Scala di San Giorgio is a vertical gully that takes its name from the 12th-century saint who is said to have divided the rock as he walked through the area proselytising in …

If you have a moment in Arbatax, head across the road from the port and behind the petrol station to the Rocce Rosse (red rocks). Like the ruins of some fairy-tale castle, these bizarre, weather-beaten rock formatio…

A family-run affair, Nascar stands head and shoulders above most places in town, with its romantic garden terrace, slick vaulted interior and faultless service. The food is superb, too, with antipasti, fresh pasta a…

Housed in the old railway station, the outstanding Stazione dell’Arte Maria Lai showcases the emotive works of the late artist Maria Lai. Born in Ulassai in 1919, Maria was one of Sardinia’s most important contempor…

Offering lovely sea views from its shady terrace below the spreading branches of an ancient olive tree, Bar L'Olivastro is a relaxed spot for a coffee and snack by day, or a cocktail by night. There is occasional li…

To reach this glorious pine-backed beach – in Lotzorai, about 6km north of Tortolì – follow signs for the three camping grounds that are clustered just behind it. Even in peak summer season, it doesn't get all that …