Italy is a popular tourist destination. Comprised of 20 regions, each has distinctive characteristics drawn from the people who settled and developed each region’s culture. The island of Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian), the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, has magnificent coastlines, a hilly interior, deep valleys, and the nuraghi.
The Nuraghi in Sardinia
During the early Bronze Age, from around 2000 B.C., an ancient civilization settled on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. This ancient culture left their mark on the island with nuraghe (singular, nuraghe)—rock formations, carved granite rocks, stone staircases, necropolises, and sacred wells—found throughout the island. The formations are unique and are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These ancient relics, and much more make, Sardinia an ideal travel destination.
Travel to Sardinia
At about 120 miles west of Italy, Sardinia is easy to get to with five airports and six harbors where ferries dock on a regular basis. Getting around the island is also easy, with trains, motor coaches, and car rentals available; however, caution is advised when driving. The roads include many hairpin turns, construction zones, and very fast Italian drivers; and many gas stations close on Sunday.
Sardinia Accommodations, Food, and Drink
Accommodations range from five-star hotels to camp sites, with bed and breakfasts, agriturismos—working farms—and villas in between. Most facilities have restaurants or offer meals. A wide variety of seafood is available, and vegetables are usually fresh from the garden. Traditional Sardinian foods include malloreddus, small, ridged semolina dumplings flavored with saffron; roast suckling pig; fresh sheep’s cheese, and desserts made with almonds. Sardinia’s most popular bread is pane carasau, known as carta da musica because the thin crisp sheets resemble old music paper. Local wines are plentiful, but Carignano del Sulcis, available in red and white—and one of the first vines to grow on the island—is a favorite; and Liquore di Mirto, made from myrtle berries, is the typical liqueur.
Exploring Sardinia
The Sardinian coastline is breathtaking, with grottos, cliffs, rocky shores, vegetation, marshes, and silken sand beaches surrounding the island. On the north coast, known as Costa Smeralda, the northernmost town of Sardinia, Santa Teresa Gallura, has some of the island’s most beautiful beaches. About ten miles to the east is Archipelago della Maddalena, and a short ferry ride to Caprera, the final resting place of Giuseppe Garibaldi. Garibaldi fought for Italy’s independence, and is an Italian national hero.
Along the east coast, near the Gulf of Orosei, hiking enthusiast will find Gorroppu Gorge, known as the “Grand Canyon of Europe.” Those not as adventurous will enjoy the beautiful scenery while driving on SS125 (Orientale Sarda). Further south, along Costa Rei, the 120,000-acre Sette Fratelli Park, with its flora and fauna, and the 3,200-acre Molentargius Park, habitat to almost 200 species of birds, lead to the Sardinian capital of Cagliari.
West of Cagliari, along the southern coast, Grotte Is Zuddas displays unusual shaped stalactites and stalagmites; and up Costa Verde north to Alghero, Grotta di Nettuno is a short boat ride along the cliffs of Capo Caccia … or a 40-minute drive to the lighthouse and then down 656 steps.
Sardinia Festivals
Attend a festival to learn more about the culture of Sardinia. Regional festivals throughout the year showcase local food, wine, crafts, music, and entertainment; and numerous religious festivities are celebrated with costumed processions, dancing, singing, and traditional foods and ceremonies.
Read About Sardinia’s Green Train.
Sources
Around Sardinia by Jeff Matthews
UNESCA.org; World Heritage
360sardinia.net
Ferries Online: Sardinia
Janice Therese Mancuso - Author, journalist, and instructor, Janice Therese Mancuso is the founder of Thirty-One Days of Italians, a nationwide educational program ...
