Sardinia

We visited Sardinia in September 2025 after taking the ferry (with car) from Civitavecchia (70km from Rome) to Olbia, northeastern Sardinia.

We then spent a week touring the northern region of the island from Olbia to Santa Teresa Gallura, including a day on the nearby island of La Maddalena.

The coastal region had many beautiful beaches and the islands in the Maddalena archipelago reminded us so much of the Barrier Reef in the Whitsunday Passage. We were based in a resort in Baja Sardinia and spent day trips visiting towns in the region. We drove from the resort to Cagliari (3 hour 20 minutes), the capital of Sardinia in the south and spent 3 hours in the city prior to boarding our car ferry to Palermo, Sicily. We were very impressed with the city’s historic centre and look forward to discovering the many other recommended regions on the island in future visits. Costa Smeralda, located in northeastern Sardinia is a premier 20km long coastal destination famed for its emerald waters, white sand beaches and ultra luxury tourism. It is a premier playground for the rich and famous centred around the town of Porto Cervo and is known as one of Europe’s most expensive, glamorous, and exclusive destinations. Corsica, a French dependent island and territory is only 50 minutes by ferry from Santa Teresa Gallura to Bonifacio.

Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and an autonomous region of Italy. It is located 200km west of the Italian peninsula. It has nearly 2,000 km’s of coastline and is renowned for its stunning turquoise beaches, mountainous interior and distinct, ancient culture. It has a population of 1.6 million, experiencing a steady decline due to one of Italy’s lowest fertility rates and emigration. As of 2025, there are approximately 52,000 foreign residents in Sardinia representing about 3.3% of the island’s total population.

Sardinia has a classic Mediterranean climate with long, hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Coastal areas are sunny and warmer, with summer highs averaging 25°C - 35°C and winter lows rarely dropping below 10°C. The best time to visit is between May to October. The island has experienced record-breaking international tourism growth in 2025 with 2.855 million international arrivals representing roughly 56% of total visitors. In May 2026, Delta Airlines introduced direct flights from New York to Olbia, which will significantly increase foreign tourist arrivals. In addition, several new flights introduced in 2026 from European destinations (France, Spain and Turkey) to Sardinia, will add to tourism numbers.