Travel guide – sardinia
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Overview
D H Lawrence passed through Sardinia in 1921 remarking on its geographic location as a place 'lost between Europe and Africa and belonging nowhere'. It is off the beaten track, but therein perhaps lies its appeal. The island's beaches are some of the cleanest and least crowded in Italy. The capital is Cagliari, a good base from which to explore other parts of the island. The National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari contains prehistoric tombs and other significant artefacts from the Punic and Roman periods. The resort of Costa Smeralda is a place of luxury and opulence, not suited to budget tourists, although interesting as a short stop. The Spanish tinted port of Alghero is the favoured package destination, especially among British holidaymakers. The inland town of Nuoro is a good station from which to explore the Gennargentu mountain range and enjoy the traditional village festivals. The Sardinian landscape is peppered with constructions from the ancient Nuragic civilisation. These stone structures are unique to Sardinia and are must-see sites. They are however not easily accessible as they lie in isolated spots throughout the island.
The flourishing fishing port of Alghero, situated on the northwest coast, is Sardinia’s tourist centre. It consists of a picturesque and well-preserved old town enclosed in a stout girdle of walls, outside of which the new town sports a grid of parallel streets filled with hotels and restaurants. A favoured package tour destination, Alghero offers beautiful beaches and year-round holiday amenities together with numerous places of interest to visit. The town is very Spanish in flavour having been invaded by Pedro IV of Aragon in 1354. The narrow cobbled streets of the old town are lined with flamboyant churches and wrought-iron balconies, boutiques and cafes, as well as the workshops of craftsmen working the famed coral of Alghero. The local cuisine hints of Spain too, and the town is renowned for its excellent seafood. Authentic Spanish paellas, lobster alla Catalana and tasty fish soups abound, with delicious sea urchins on sale from stallholders in the port. Around the town the coast offers many secluded bays, small inlets bordered by pine forests and high, jagged cliffs washed by the emerald green sea. Inland luxuriant vineyards produce some of the most aromatic wines on the island. Nightlife is sedate, tending more to sipping cocktails on a sidewalk café and watching the sunset from the seafront than frenetic nightclubbing.
Things to do and see in or around Alghero
Neptunes Grotto
A popular sightseeing expedition from Alghero is a boat ride to Neptune's Grotto, an impressive deep marine cave in the sheer cliffs at Capo Caccia. The boat ride takes 45 minutes past the bay of Porto Conte. At the cave visitors can take a 45-minute tour entering through the long snaking passage that delves into the rock, to view dramatically lit, fantastic stalagmites and stalactites. The cave can also be reached by bus from the main terminal in Alghero, or by car, which on arrival necessitates climbing down 650 steps to the cave entrance.
Daily 9am to 7pm (April to September); 10am to 5pm (October); 9am to 2pm (November to March)
Cagliari is Sardinia's capital and biggest town, with a busy industrial port. Despite its size the old centre is charmingly compact, contained within the city walls and Pisan fortifications. The main attractions are the National Archaeological Museum, which contains prehistoric tombs and other significant artefacts from the Punic and Roman periods, the impressive cathedral, and a smattering of Roman ruins. The suburb of Poetto has a four-mile (6km) stretch of sandy beach with some small bars nearby. The famous nuraghe of Su Nuraxi near Barumini are within easy reach of the town.
Things to do and see in or around Cagliari
The Citadel of Museums
Sardinia's history and culture is conveniently packaged in the Citadel of Museums complex in the centre of the capital, Cagliari. Here is sited the National Archaeological Museum, the National Picture Gallery, the Cardu Siamese Museum and a collection of anatomical waxes by Florentine sculptor, Clemente Susini, all administered by the University. The Archaeological Museum houses artefacts from all the ancient cultures of the island, including ceramics from Phoenician tombs, Punic jewellery and Nuragic bronzes. The Picture Gallery contains a collection of contemporary art and sculpture, while the Siamese museum exhibits fascinating items from the east. The unique Collection of Waxes consists of 23 models of parts of the human body created by Clemente Susini, from waxes, resin, tallow, pitch and balsam.
Telephone: (070) 662 837. Archaeological Museum: (070) 655 911; Picture Gallery: (070) 674 054; Collection of Waxes: (070) 664 783 ; Archaeological Museum: 9am to 7.30pm (closed Mondays); Picture Gallery: 8.30am to 7.30pm (11.30pm in summer); Collection of Waxes: Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 5pm to 9pm
Nuraghe
The mysterious Nuragic people who arrived in Sardinia around 1500 BC festooned the island with about 30,000 circular fortified structures. Today about 7,000 of these remain standing to be marvelled at by tourists. The complex of Nuraghe in Barumini has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List and is the finest and most complete example of this prehistoric architecture. The Barumini site can be reached from Oristano or Cagliari on route 131 and turning off onto route 197. Other well-preserved nuraghe can be seen at Sant Antine. At Nora on the very southern tip of the island are the remains of an extensive Nuragic village including an amphitheatre, forum, baths, temple and Kasbah. Other good Nuragic sites are near Villanovaforru, Alghero, and Abbasanta.
Most Nuraghe are closed afternoons and Sundays
Trenino Verde
Sardinia has an unforgettable coastline, but the interior of the island is equally beautiful. A fun way to explore it is aboard the Trenino Verde (Little Green Train), a vintage steam locomotive that puffs its way through forests, over bridges and through tunnels into some of the island's most scenic mountain areas. The narrow gauge train tracks were laid in 1888 to serve the more isolated areas of Sardinia, and the picturesque restored train and locomotive is just as old. The train runs on scheduled routes, connecting Nuoro and Bosa, Sassari and Alghero, Sassari and Palau, and Cagliari and Arbatax. Most popular is the Cagliari to Arbatax route, which departs each morning at 6.45am.
Telephone: (079) 245 740 (schedules and routes) ; Daily between 30 June and 1 September
The jet-set strip of Sardinia, Costa Smeralda is a six-mile (10km) stretch of coastline between the gulfs of Cugnana and Arzachena on the island's northeast coast, which has become a developer's paradise. Legend has it that a fabulously wealthy consortium of businessmen first exploited this beautiful wild coastal strip in the 1960s, backed by the Aga Khan. Today the local villages and towns have become discreet up-market resorts crammed with private villas, luxurious holiday villages, contrived Mediterranean-style shopping malls, low-rise high-priced hotels and huge yachting marinas packed with gleaming yachts. Main town of the area is Porto Cervo, a crime and litter-free playground of the rich with its ranks of pale pink and red villas climbing the hill from the busy marina. The other favourite retreat for celebrities is the town of Porto Rotondo, situated on a natural cove about 10 miles (16km) from Olbia, site of the international airport. The town offers a wealth of beaches, nightclubs, bars and restaurants, most clustered around its Piazza San Marco, and the marina. The main attractions of the Costa Smeralda are the numerous sequestered beaches, none signposted, which can be discovered simply by following a dirt track down towards the sea. Among the most scenic are Cappriccioli, Rena Bianca and Liscia Ruja, all south of Porto Cervo.
Things to do and see in or around Costa Smeralda
Garibaldis House
Famous revolutionary, Giuseppe Garibaldi, lived the last third of his life on the woody, undeveloped island of Caprera, a short ferry-ride from Palau on Sardinia. The trip to view Garibaldi’s house and museum is very popular in season, with visitors queuing to catch one of the regular ferries to Caprera. Garibaldi came to live in Caprera in 1855 after a 20-year exile from Italy. He led his famous 1,000 Red Shirts on his campaign to conquer Sicily and Naples from here in 1861. The elegant homestead has been preserved as he left it. Tours of the property end with his tomb in the garden.
Tuesday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 1pm
Climate
Sardinia has a typically Mediterranean climate, but the south is generally much drier than the north western region, which receives a lot of rain in winter. The wettest months are November and December, while July and August are the hottest and the driest with an average of about 95°F (35°C) and sometimes reaching 104°F (40°C). In winter temperatures average about 50°F (10°C) along the coast.
Health
There are no specific health risks associated with travel to Italy. EU citizens can make use of Italy's health services provided they have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Cases of the
N1 bird flu were found in swans in southern Italy and Sicily, but there is a low risk of human infection; as a precaution all close contact with wild, caged and domestic birds should be avoided, and poultry and egg dishes should be cooked thoroughly.
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