Italy's Wild Island of Granite and Turquoise
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, an autonomous region of Italy known for its white-sand coves, clear turquoise water, granite headlands and a culture that feels distinct from the mainland. It covers about 24,000 square kilometres, with a long coastline, an inland of cork oak, holm oak and shepherd country, and a population that still speaks Sardinian alongside Italian. Its beaches are among the most admired in Europe, from the pink-tinged sand of Budelli to the dramatic limestone cove of Cala Goloritze.
History runs deep. The Nuragic civilisation raised thousands of stone towers called nuraghi across the island, and Su Nuraxi di Barumini, the best-known complex, was inscribed by UNESCO in 1997. Later came Phoenician, Roman, Pisan, Catalan and Savoyard influences, still visible in the cities of Cagliari, with its hilltop Castello quarter, and Alghero, whose old town retains Catalan echoes in dialect and architecture. This mix gives Sardinia a depth that beach-led islands rarely match.
Costa Smeralda, La Maddalena and Sardinian Flavours
The Costa Smeralda, developed from the 1960s on the north-east coast, is the island's glamorous shoreline, with Porto Cervo's marina, pale granite coves and a long tradition of yacht-led summers. Nearby, the La Maddalena archipelago, a national park, offers boat days among small islands and clear shallow bays. On the west coast, Alghero and the dramatic cliffs of Capo Caccia suit those who prefer sunset terraces, while the south offers wide sands near Villasimius and the lively capital, Cagliari.
Sardinian cuisine is generous and individual: culurgiones, ravioli-like pasta with potato and mint, porceddu roast suckling pig, paper-thin pane carasau bread, bottarga, fresh seafood and pecorino cheeses, paired with Vermentino and Cannonau wines. Travellers who know Corsica just across the Strait of Bonifacio will recognise the sea but find a different culture. A hotel group could offer everything from design-led beach resorts to rural agriturismi, and the neighbouring Elba and Sicily make rewarding additions.
Read the full Sardinia guide on Visit Travel Group, or see VisitSardinia.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.