What to see in Sardinia in 7 days

Sardinia is an island that seems to stand the test of time, a place where nature and history intertwine to create a unique setting for a getaway. If you have a week to explore it, an adventure awaits you, full of landscapes that range from beaches with crystal clear waters to mysterious mountains and villages full of traditions. Get ready to discover old nuragic ruins enjoy the local cuisine and dive into the blue depths of the Mediterranean Sea.

We will take advantage of every moment in this paradisiacal enclave, balancing rest and adventure. We will share with you practical tips to get the most out of your stay, from how to get around to where to find the best dishes. Get in the car or rent a motorcycle and follow us on this route through Sardinia!

How to get to Sardinia

There are two options to reach this island paradise: boat o aircraft. This time we decided to forget about the plane, neither the prices of the flights nor the car rentals worked out for us, so we went directly to look for the best car rentals in the area. best ferry options to reach this Mediterranean island. 

Travel to Sardinia by Ferry

As we told you before, the option we chose to arrive in Sardinia was by boat from Spain. We were comparing all the available options and finally we chose to depart from Barcelona because the dates were more convenient for us, even though the companies of ferries also usually offer departures from Valencia with arrivals in Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily.

In our case we left from Madrid, so the trip to Barcelona and the ferry ride was a bit of a chore, although we would definitely repeat the experience.

If you live near the Mediterranean coast is the most recommended option! A little further down we link you to a search engine to find the best ferry prices.

Tips for traveling by boat to Sardinia

The boat departures are usually at night in Spain and you arrive in Sardinia first thing in the morning of the following day, which means that in order to reach Sardinia you need to be in Sardinia early in the morning overnight stay on the ferry It is highly recommended to take a stateroom. We did not take it to save money and we regretted it because it cost us a lot of sleep. If you have been short-sighted with the times to buy the ticket and you decide to follow our steps we leave you some tips:

• As it was our first long ferry trip, we paid for the prank, the people who don't get it cabin We usually go super prepared to reserve a place in the public lounges of the ship. We saw people sleeping in the cafeteria area, in the corridors, in the children's playground...
• Take along a cushion, pillow and blanket Even though it is summer, between the sea and the air conditioning, it is very cold at night on the ferry.
• For dinner you can take advantage of any of the ship's restaurants or you can take food with you. If you choose to dine there, the prices are not too high but the quality of the food is not spectacular.

Here is the search engine for DirectFerries we use to find the best price on ferry travel.

Travel to Sardinia by plane

If Barcelona or Valencia are too far away, you can easily travel to Sardinia by bus or train flight from Madrid, Bilbao, Seville and many other airports. The only disadvantage of going by plane to Sardinia is that you will have to rent a vehicle there (essential).

Up to 30% on flights

Where to stay in Sardinia

If you still do not know which are the best places to stay on the island and make the most of your vacation, we leave you this article in which we tell you some of the best options to sleep in Sardinia according to our experience visiting each of these places.

• North zone. With the most touristic places and full of paradisiacal beaches.
• South zone. For family and relaxed tourism.
• East zone. Here you will find the famous Costa Smeralda.
• West Zone. The cheapest area to stay in Sardinia.

We, as we will tell you below, chose the northern zone because we found a very good value for money hotel that allowed us to be close to the best beaches on the island without having to drive too far.

Day 1: Isola Rossa

We started our adventure in Sardinia arriving at the village where our hotel was located, Isola Rossa. After an 8 hour overnight ferry ride, we arrived in Porto Torres Once there we started to disembark and drove an hour and a bit to the point on the island where we had decided to set up camp. It is not one of the most touristy areas of the island but for us it was a very charming place to arrive in the evening, have dinner and a drink after spending the day hiking.
Our choice for lodging was the Hotel Corallo with breakfast, one of the best in the area for value for money (we believe it has been closed 😢).

What to see in Isola Rossa

The best way to see Isola Rossa is to wander around at your leisure, but we have marked the most important points in the area in the map below as well as our gastronomic recommendations:

• Viewing areas from which to contemplate the island that gives its name to the area:
  • Aragonese Tower
  • Lu Caloni
• Beach areas:
  • Spiaggia Longa
  • Spiaggia La Marinedda
• Recommended restaurants and bars in Isola Rossa:
  • Lo Spizzico
  • Ristorante Da Michele (Closed)
  • Lo Squalo Cocktail Bar & Restaurant
  • Dolci Gelati Gelateria

Where to park in Isola Rossa

If you do as we did, leaving Isola Rossa in the morning and returning in the evening, you shouldn't have any problem to park your car, but if you arrive in the middle of the day it might be a bit more difficult. We recommend you to try to leave your car at the end of the road Via Marinedda right next to the Corallo hotel that we have previously recommended.

If you are not lucky, another option would be to park in the areas marked on the map, even in the supermarket that is right at the traffic circle of the Via al Boschetto if you see that you have no other choice.

The best pizzas in Sardinia - Lo Spizzico

From our point of view, the best pizzas on the island. I do not think you are going to see them in any guide, we do not know if it is because of the days of not stopping between beaches, roads and routes through the villages of the island, but the food and drink tasted like glory. It is a very small establishment of local people, you can not even dine inside, you have to order to take away or sit at one of the tables that they have set up as a terrace. It was one of our best night plans, having dinner a Italian pizza with sea view and with a Ichnusa in hand.

Day 2: Maddalena Archipelago and Porto Cervo

What to see in the Maddalena Islands

On the second day, with our batteries recharged, we decided to go on a guided tour to the Maddalena Islands. The ship left the port of Palau So we had to get up early because Sardinia is not a small island and the distances are not as short as we would like to see the whole island in a week.

We hire this excursion to the Maddalena Archipelago which we will tell you about in detail below. We chose this option ahead of the rest because it was a little cheaper and it also included food (spoiler(it is not the best food in the world). There are other options that offer to take you to and from the hotel, which we were not going to take advantage of because we wanted to stay in the area and get to know the place. There are also boats that leave from different points: Olbia, Cannigione o PalauFind out which one suits you best!

We were with the boat from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm and we really made the most of the day:

• The journey begins with a forty minute walk that is worth it just for the views alone. Keep an eye out to see if you get to see the ancient fishermen's hermitage that we spotted from the boat in the second photo!
• The first stop is usually at the Corsara Cove from Spargi was our favorite because we were lucky enough to arrive when it was practically empty.

❤ Tip!
Get off the boat with the essentials, if you carry cases to wet your cell phones better, so you can swim to a small hidden cove that is separated by a rock. You have the directions on the map below 😎.

• You will then be taken to see the Budelli Island and its famous pink sand beach although you will not be able to go down. You can only take pictures from the boat because the beach itself is protected by UNESCO and swimming is not allowed so as not to deteriorate the pink color of the sand.
• After this dose of beach, it's time to go to the beach food on the ship We're not going to lie, it's nothing spectacular, but it feels good to eat some Italian pasta with seafood after a morning of sun and sand. You have the photo of the dishes in the third image below.
• The next stop will be at the Cavaliere Cove It reminded us a lot of Formentera, with very white sands and super clear waters, it is a joy to snorkel here.
• Finally you will have an hour free to visit the capital of the archipelago, La Maddalena. Here we recommend that you forget about the beach and take a walk around the village, get to know its streets and you won't have time for much more.

If you want to know more about the Maddalena archipelago or want to spend a few days there, go to our article on what to see in the Maddalena archipelago.

Porto Cervo - The Italian Marbella

After the day on the boat, we went back to the car and decided to change our clothes and go to Porto Cervo as it was only half an hour from Palau and otherwise we would not drive back to this area of the island just to see this site.

In Porto Cervo you can breathe luxury, we do not recommend you to eat or dine here because you will only pay more expensive for the same quality that you can find in any other point of the island but it is worth walking along the promenade (Porto Vecchio) contemplating the luxury yachts and cars parked in the area.

Otherwise, we recommend you to see the rest of the town from the Piazza and also to take a walk along the commercial areas although it is not the best place to go shopping.

Where to park in Porto Cervo

The best area for parking in a outdoor parking which is located at the entrance of the town. It is very cheap, like a blue zone, in fact if you arrive a little late you will probably not have to pay practically nothing. We leave here the location:

• 07021 Porto Cervo, Province of Sassari, Italy

Day 3: La Pelosa, Neptune's grotto and Alghero

Pelosa Beach - The least covered beach in the world

Undoubtedly one of the essential visits on a trip to the island of Sardinia is the Pelosa beach. However, we recommend more than ever get up early to arrive early to this beach because if you arrive late it will cost you a lot to park and even more to get a place on the sand. As you can see in the second picture, setting up the umbrella is not an easy task, to tell the truth, it is the most crowded beach we have ever seen.

But in the water things change. The scenery is spectacular, the whitest sand we have ever walked on and you can walk out to sea without being covered by the water. There are almost no waves, imagine the tranquility of this sea that was the first time we saw a typical bracelet stand in the water!

Online reservation for access to Pelosa beach

Recently, the municipality of Stintino has launched a platform for tourists who are interested in accessing the Pelosa beach, to book their place from this website.

Admission is for the whole day, the price is 3,5€. per adult and free for children under 12 years old. If you do not want to pay for access to the beach or you have run out of reservation, you can also park the car before reaching the main access and bathe in the same water of the Pelosa but from an area of stones easily accessible. As it covers very little it is still a comfortable bath, although when you get out of the water there is no sand where you can lie down.

Where to park near the Pelosa beach

If you have listened to us and have managed to get up early to get to the beach before 10:00 a.m., you will almost certainly be able to find a place at the beach by these streets. We did it this way and were able to no problem parking near one of the walkways that take you directly to the beach and from which there are spectacular views.

If you are unlucky or if the sheets stick to you, you can try to leave the car in one of the streets farther away or if not, you can always leave it at parking lots which is a little further on. Of course, it is a blue zone, the price is 2.5 € / hour and if you spend a minute you are forced to pay another whole hour.

❌ Care
The sand of the Pelosa is protected which means that it is forbidden to lie on it with a towel. Yes, it is not a joke, you will have to put a mat underneath to be able to lie down calmly. Recently the municipality of Stintino itself sells them on the beach. It seems silly but we saw people who were fined for lying on the sand on a wet towel.

Neptune's Grotto

Since we had already approached the Pelosa, we decided to go to the Neptune's grotto which falls a little further south. The visit consists of a guided tour through a subway cave quite interesting although if you have visited many more caves of this type perhaps you can save the trip and visit other areas of the island.

For us, the most beautiful part was the arrival to the caves, which can be accessed by almost 700 steps sculpted in a cliff. The descent we did it with great desire because the views are very nice but the truth is that the return with the sun at the top was a little heavy.

When you finish climbing all the steps you find the only bar in the area that is strategically placed so that you have to have at least one drink Ichnusa. We had a couple, although they were about three times the price of what they usually cost anywhere in the area.

As if you follow this guide you will not stop moving all over the island, we recommend that you hire an travel insurance. Even more so if you are thinking of renting a motorcycle. There should be no problem but it is worth covering your back for a few euros, you know that on vacation more than ever, time is money!

We usually take it out through IATI Seguros and now they give us a 5% discount on all insurances.

Cappo Caccia

Just outside Neptune's grotto you have the Cappo Caccia This is a place worth visiting to contemplate the views that the island offers us. As we show you in the picture, from this point you can see up to Alghero on a clear day, the image does not show the immensity of the viewpoint.

What to see in Alghero

As we have already told you, since Alghero was not too far away we decided to visit one of the most famous cities for vacationing in Sardinia. In fact it is one of the best choices for spend your summer vacations in Sardinia.

Algher o Alghero is famous for its red coral found all over its beaches and surroundings. You will notice with a quick visit to the city the amount of references, jewelry stores and even monuments related to red coral (take a look at the photo below).

As we didn't have much time, we decided to take a quick walk around the most important areas of the city that we leave you marked on the map below, as well as where you can park or have a drink on the promenade. We visited:

• Historical center with its many towers. You will see them scattered throughout the city.
• Alghero Cathedral. Visible in the second photo below.
• Piazza del Duomo. It is not the one in Milan but it has a lot of charm.
• The towers and the wall near the port.
• The museum It is not an essential visit but it is curious, you can also see any of the coral stores that are along the main streets.
• The catapult of Alghero.

Where to eat in Alghero

One of the places that most attracted our attention for lunch or dinner in Alghero was the restaurant at l'Alghero.a piadina del Pozzo. In case you don't know, the piadinas are a typical Italian food, very widespread in the islands, consisting of a kind of mixture between a Mexican pancake and an Italian pizza. The dish consists of a flat bread dough filled with typical Italian ingredients. For example we tried the prosciutto, mushrooms and cheese, they are delicious!

Day 4: Cagliari

On the fourth day of the trip, we planned to take a short drive to Cagliari the capital of the island, and to make a tour to tell us about the history and culture of the city and the island in general. The truth is that we found it super interesting and it is certainly one of the best tours we have done because the guide not only focused on historical aspects but also told us many stories, explained the origin of their flag and helped us to soak up the Sardinian culture. The truth is that we left with a very good taste in our mouths.

What to see in Cagliari

As you can imagine, the capital of the island is a fairly large city compared to other towns in the area. Although many people choose it as a place to sleep to spend their vacations in Sardinia, we do not recommend it if you arrive by ferry to the island as you will have a long trip from Porto Torres, however, if you come by plane it can be a perfect choice to stay. Anyway, its visit is totally worthwhile and in fact here you can find the cheapest hotelsHere are our must-see places in the area:

• Yenne Square
• Strolling through the old town of Cagliari, is an area of slopes, also known as the Castello district where you will find many viewpoints from which to contemplate the whole city.
• Cagliari is surrounded by a wall that you can walk through to reach two famous locations:
  • The Bastion of Santa Cruz 
  • The Elephant Tower
• In addition, it is highly recommended to go to Piazza Carlo Alberto and go inside to see the Santa Maria Cathedral The visit is free of charge.

Where to park in Cagliari

The parking in Cagliari is complicated so we opted to go for a shot and park in an area at the entrance of the city from which you had to walk about 10 minutes to reach the historic center. We leave you the location on the map in orange as usual.

Is it worth going to the beach in Cagliari?

From our point of view there are too many spectacular beaches on the island of Sardinia to choose to go to the beach in Cagliari. It is not that the beaches of the city are bad, what happens is that the rest of the beaches of the island are incredible. That is why it is highly recommended that you always rent a vehicle or take your own by ferry as we did. This will allow you to experience Sardinia to the fullest.

Day 5: Spiaggia del Principe

Prince's beach

On the fifth day we were quite tired from driving around the island and decided to take a relaxing day, get up late, go to a nice beach and spend the day there quietly. We chose to visit the Spiaggia del principe or Playa del Príncipe and it was a great success.

It is a charming place, not too crowded for high season. We liked it so much that we stayed until watch the sunset from the beach when there was no one left. If when you get to the beach you see that there are a lot of people, do not worry, because the Emerald Coast is full of paradisiacal beaches, you can visit any of the area and you will not be disappointed. Here is a link to our post with some of the best beaches in the area. best beaches of the Costa Smeraldafrom our point of view.

Where to park in Spiaggia del Principe

To park your car, you can leave it in a parking which is right on the entrance road to the urbanization that leads to the beach. We prefer to save it and leave it on the road just before reaching the urbanization. We leave you the exact point where we left it, people park next to the road:

• Location

Day 6: Li Cossi beach, Santa Teresa di Gallura and Capo Testa

Li Cossi Beach - Costa Paradiso

On the sixth day we decided to approach the Li Cossi Beach famous for its turquoise water greenish. This happens because of a type of algae that grows around the area. We are quite fond of diving and snorkeling so we really enjoy this beach because on the rocks surrounding it you can see a multitude of seaweed marine fauna of the environment.

The access to the beach is not complicated but it is necessary to walk a little We recommend not to go too heavy on a dirt road and go up and down some stairs, so we do not recommend to go too heavy.

Where to park to go to Li Cosi beach

For parking, as always there is the option of paid parking but we managed to leave the car on the streets of the urbanization Costa Paradiso. It was not difficult to find a place if you do not arrive too late.

Santa Teresa di Gallura, the most beautiful seaside village

The people of St. Theresa We liked it very much, it is another good option to set up camp if you are looking for places to stay on the island.

The streets were full of people and there was a spectacular atmosphere. We recommend strolling along via XX Settembre and visiting its stores and stores. For dinner, we sat down in a local located on the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, one of the most famous squares of this town, Il Baretto and we had a typical Sardinian charcuterie platter that was very good.

The picture of the sunset is from the Torre di Longonsardo o Torre Spagnola This can be a good option to see the sunset if you don't have time to get to Capo Testa (as we did).

How to park in Santa Teresa di Gallura

We parked without any problem on the Piazza Villamarina where there were plenty of parking spaces available.

Capo Testa, the best views of Corsica from Sardinia

If you go with time, one of the best sunsets of the island can be seen from the Capo Testa where you will find a viewpoint from which you will be able to see the island of Corsica.

Day 7: Castelsardo and Elephant Rock

What to see in Castelsardo

On the last day we went to visit some of the things we had left on the way due to lack of time during the rest of the week. We arrived at Castelsardo first thing in the morning and went to see the views of the town from a beach named Pedraladda.

Afterwards we went to the village and had a quick visit. The truth is that if it is a very hot day it is not the most advisable but we did not want to leave without seeing this part of the island. What you cannot miss is the Castello dei Doria and the Saint Anthony Abbott Cathedral. Once you have seen these monuments we recommend that you get lost in the streets of the village and sit down for a drink in any bar upstairs.

If you are thinking of staying in the northern part of the island, Castelsardo can be a very economical option and very well communicated with the rest of the places we have recommended in this travel guide. It is also a very good option if you are interested in visit the Maddalena archipelago because from the village there are direct boats to the island. They also make some guided tours by the town that we believe may be of interest.

🥵 ¡Beware of heat!
As you can see in the photo the whole village is a slope so we recommend you to be careful depending on the weather.

What is Elephant Rock

The elephant rock falls on the way to Castelsardo and is a natural formation that is worth approaching to photograph. As you can see it is a huge elephant-shaped rock which is located right next to the road. You can leave your car in a parking which is less than 200 meters walking distance from the stone to get a closer look.

It is not an essential stop in Sardinia but as we were passing by we decided to stop. Although if you are too close to the rock you lose the "elephant" effect.

How to get to Elephant Rock

You can reach the rock without getting lost, just take the SS134 road on the way to Castelsardo and you will see signs that will guide you to the rock. Anyway you can always look for Roccia dell'Elefante in google maps and it will show you the exact point.

Extra day: Cala Gonone, Cala Luna and Cala Goloritze.

Visit to the national park of the Gulf of Orosei

Another must for your vacations in Sardinia is the visit to the most famous coves of the Gulf of Orosei. We could not visit them the first time we were on the island because they were three hours drive from Isola Rossa and we did not have time. We took the opportunity to see them on our second trip to the island and we recommend you to go there if you can because they are one of the most beautiful places on the island most spectacular beaches we have seen, we will tell you all the details at our post.

It is an area that is not well connected with the rest of the island, so if you do not want to make a long car trip plus a good walk we leave you here some of them excursions that we believe may be worthwhile to see this area:

• Motorboat cruise in the Gulf of Oroseiwhich includes Cala Gonone, Cala Luna and others.
• Cruise along the Baunei coastlineincluding Cala Goloritze and the Fico cave.
• Excursion of snorkeling in the Gulf of Oroseiincluding Cala Gonone and Cala Sisine.

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement What to see in Sardinia in 7 days you can visit our posts about Sardinia.