Northeastern Sardinia
Rising from the sapphire sea like some kind of giant sea creature, this rocky island is a sight to behold. The main draw is splashing about in the…
Must-see attractions in Northeastern Sardinia
Northeastern Sardinia
Giuseppe Garibaldi, professional revolutionary and all-round Italian hero, bought half of Caprera in 1855 (he got the rest 10 years later). He made it his…
Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Northeastern Sardinia
Established in 1996, Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena consists of seven main islands and several smaller granite islets off Sardinia's…
Olbia
Architect Vanni Macciocco designed Olbia’s strikingly contemporary museum near the port. The museum spells out local history in artefacts, from Roman…
Museo Etnografico ‘Olivia Carta Cannas’
Northeastern Sardinia
Aggius is famous for its carpets, with a tradition dating back to the 1900s, when 4000 looms were busy in the area. This excellent museum showcases a fine…
Costa Smeralda
Dotted with granite boulders and backed by fragrant macchia, this gorgeous half-moon bay has water that goes through the entire spectrum of blues and is…
Santa Teresa di Gallura
The 'just like the Caribbean' comments come thick and fast when it comes to this bay – a glorious sweep of pale sand lapped by shallow, crystal-clear…
Northeastern Sardinia
A few kilometres northwest of Aggius towards Trinita d’Agultu, you reach the Valle della Luna. It’s a surreal and evocative landscape, where huge granite…
Northeastern Sardinia
This small island near the northwestern corner of the Maddalena archipelago is best known for its Spiaggia Rosa (Pink Beach), so-called because of the…
Olivastri Millenari di Santo Baltolu
Northeastern Sardinia
Signposted as 'olivastri millenari', this delightful off-the-beaten-track nature reserve shelters a group of wild olive trees that have been growing for…
Northeastern Sardinia
The most exciting part of a visit to Isola Santa Maria is the journey across the crystal-clear aquamarine waters that lap its southern shores – known as…
Costa Smeralda
Also known as Portu Li Coggi, this magnificent crescent of white sand is bound by unspoiled macchia and startlingly clear blue waters. Apparently it's the…
Spiaggia del Grande & Piccolo Pevero
Costa Smeralda
This twinset of stunning bays, 3km south of Porto Cervo, fulfil the Sardinian paradise dream with their floury sands and dazzlingly blue, shallow water…
Costa Smeralda
Though busy in peak season, this beach is a beauty – a long arc of pale, fine sand and crystal-clear water. It's close to the neo-Moorish fantasy that is…
Northeastern Sardinia
West of Isola Maddalena, Isola Spargi is necklaced by sandy coves and inlets. One of the best is Cala Corsara, where the sea is topaz blue.
Northeastern Sardinia
Some 17km southeast of Tempio, the jagged summit of Monte Limbara (1359m) dominates the gritty landscape. The easiest way to reach it is to drive. From…
Olbia
Spread across 60 hectares, Tenute Olbios estate whisks visitors through the winemaking process in 1½-hour guided tours (€10), which head down to the…
Northeastern Sardinia
The Museo Etnografico Galluras celebrates local rural traditions with a collection of agrarian tools and a reconstructed village house. Rooms showcasing…
Costa Smeralda
Taking the Arzachena–Luogosanto road south, you can follow signs to one of the most important tombe dei giganti in Sardinia. The most visible part of it…
Northeastern Sardinia
Signposted 2km north of Tempio Pausania along the SS133, this nuraghe is more substantial than the many other ruins that dot the surrounding countryside…
Costa Smeralda
Accessible via a 2km track from the Nuraghe di Albucciu ticket office, this temple dating back to 1500 BC is one of only a few of its kind in Sardinia…
Costa Smeralda
Covering an area of several square kilometres, the partially excavated nuraghic ruins of La Prisgiona are among the most extensive in northeastern…
Palau
This weather-beaten granite sculpture sits on a high point 6km east of Palau. The Roccia dell’Orso (Bear Rock) looks considerably less bearlike up close,…
Northeastern Sardinia
Rising up behind the port are the craggy heights of Capo Figari (342m), which is now a minor nature reserve. Trails crisscross the macchia and lead up to…
Palau
Standing sentinel on a rocky crag, this sturdy 19th-century bastion was built to help defend the north coast and Arcipelago di La Maddalena from invasion …
Porto Cervo
Perched above Porto Cervo is Michele Busiri Vici’s surreal white church with a funnel-shaped bell tower. The church hosts classical-music concerts in the…
Northeastern Sardinia
Since Roman days Tempio has been known for its mineral-rich springs, said to have a curative effect on all who drink from them. Locals still come to fill…
Porto Cervo
The place to be seen is the Piazzetta, a small square at the centre of a web of discreet shopping alleys. From the piazza, stairs lead to the Sottopiazza…
Northeastern Sardinia
For a sinister peek at Aggius’ past, stop by the new Museo del Banditismo. Housed in the former magistrate’s court, the museum zooms in on banditry in…
San Teodoro
Nestled amid fragrant macchia and wind-eroded granite formations, and backing onto La Cinta beach, this lagoon attracts ramblers and birdwatchers. Keep an…
Northeastern Sardinia
Since NATO bid Isola Santo Stefano farewell in 2008, it has once again become a green, tranquil escape. Hikers can visit the fort used by Napoleon during…
Costa Smeralda
Less busy than some, this curving sandy bay has remarkably clear water and is named after the rosemary bushes that grow in such abundance. Look beyond the…
Northeastern Sardinia
The northwesternmost island in the archipelago, Isola Razzoli is a popular destination for boat tours, which ply the waters of its fjord-like Cala Lunga.
Northeastern Sardinia
You can find out about local winemaking and taste some of the area’s Vermentino at the modern Museo del Vino right at the top of town.
Northeastern Sardinia
This cantina 1.5km east of town is the perfect place to stock up on the local DOCG Vermentino di Gallura.
Costa Smeralda
This necropolis is a curious site made up of four interlocking megalithic burial grounds, possibly dating to 3500 BC. Archaeologists believe that VIPs…
Northeastern Sardinia
This modest 17th-century church, presiding over Piazza del Purgatorio, has an intriguing history. The story goes that a member of the noble Misorro family…
Olbia
Considered to be Gallura’s most important medieval monument, this Romanesque granite church was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries on what…
Costa Smeralda
This is the nearest nuraghe to town, and certainly the easiest to find, on the main Olbia road, about 3km south of Arzachena. It’s unusual for several…
Costa Smeralda
This tomba di gigante is quite striking. The central east-facing stele, part of which was snapped off and later restored, dominates the surrounding…
