Blog Sardinia

Your tickets & accommodation are booked and you wander…what now? Hiring a car or try the “green way” and travel by public transport?

Grab a map of Sardinia then and let’s have a look at this.

First of all, remember that whenever you are boarding a public bus or a train in Sardinia, you have to validate your ticket onboard otherwise you risk a fine, even if you have got your ticket! Rarely tickets can be bought on board (unless the coach company is private) but at ticket offices or at newsagent shops called “edicole”.

If you are arriving in Olbia airport or pier, you are at pretty easy reach of all destinations in North-West Sardinia, included the so famous and VIP part of Sardinia called la Costa Smeralda “the Emerald Coast”, with the glamorous Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo, Cannigione and so on. If you staying there, you are not probably after public transport, so I will not spend too much time with these.

Olbia airport is only four Kms from the town and you should be able to get a taxi for about 15 euro or, the town bus, which takes about 15 minutes journey and it is pretty cheap.

The public ARST coaches are available to reach the main Sardinian towns (www.arst-sardegna.it) together with some private coach companies that specialise in specific routes reaching the “Gallura” area in North-Sardinia (mob. 078954203) and the area of Ogliastra – Dorgali & Nuoro.. (mob. 0784295030). The same coach companies serve Olbia main pier (Isola Bianca) and the smaller piers of Golfo Aranci at 20 Kms from Olbia and Palau at 40 Kms.

Which are the easiest places to reach and see?

Going North, as we said, you can reach Palau in about 1 hour and from there you can get a ferry to the beautiful natural park of “la Maddalena”

Another park nearby Olbia (12 kms) is the one of Tavolara. The ferry departs from Porto San Paolo which is connected to Olbia by ARST coaches.

If you are after a bit of culture & countryside walking, from Olbia you can also reach Tempio Pausania by ARST coaches in about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Around Arzachena and Olbia there are lots of archaeological sites as well (Tombs of the Giants, Nuraghes, ancient wells) which are not always so easy to reach by public transport. Having said that, the church and the Nuraghe of “Cabu Abbas” are both within walking distance from the town of Olbia, so you might want to go for that, otherwise you can consider bike hiring, long walks, taxis, or even asking the local tourist offices about organised excursions to those places (eg. Coddu Vecchiu, Li llolghi in Arzachena).

Going South, you can reach St. Teodoro, Budoni, Orosei and Dorgali by both ARST and private coaches (not far from Cala Gonone) in about 2.30 hours. Other destinations in this area may be reached going through Nuoro and getting a coach from there (Cala Gonone, Oliena, Mamoiada, Orgosolo).Going further down from Olbia you can also get to the beautiful and a bit cut-off Tortoli in about 4 hours.

Once again, the little green train is a good excursion to take, although it only works from mid June to September. You can catch it in Palau or Arbatax.

Talking about Arbatax, this pier, together with the small airport of Tortoli, could be an ideal arriving point to explore both the amazing coastline and mountains of this mostly unknown & unspoilt but equally beautiful area of Sardinia.
The airport of Tortoli is very near the town and the amazing golden beach of Orri. There are several companies that offer both excursions of the gulf and of the mountains. You are also not far from Jerzu, which produces one of the most famous Sardinian red wines… that you can thoughtfully enjoy, as you are not driving!

Cheers
Manuela

As you can imagine there are many different itineraries and excursions that you could take by public transport, this is just a guideline on places you could reach without too many difficulties. Again, bear in mind that Sardinia is not a small island and our public transport is pretty SLOW, so if you are thinking to tour the whole island in two weeks…forget it!

Many of you will be landing in Alghero – Fertilia airport. This is at 15 kms from the town of Alghero, which can be reached by taxi or local bus.
Outside the airport there are a number of public and private coaches that can take you to the cities of Cagliari, Sassari, Nuoro, Oristano and Porto Torres pier. I would suggest you to check timings first : www.arst-sardegna.it; 078430325; 079281728. One of the routes also reaches Alghero rail Station (rail service: www.ferroviesardegna.it).

If you are arriving by ferry in Porto Torres instead, a train will be departing from there to Cagliari in conjunction with the ferry arrival. It is really at walking distance from the pier. The route crosses the whole island up to Cagliari. It stops in many towns (not Alghero) and it takes about 4 hours..! (www.ferroviesardegna.it)

The pier is also served by the ARST Coaches (public) that connect this to Sassari and other Sardinian towns, plus some private coaches that connect Porto Torres to Bosa, Alghero, Santa Teresa di Gallura and others (www.arst-sardegna.it & 079262039, 079281728). You can also reach Sassari by taxi for about €25.

For those of you who are touring both Corsica and Sardinia, you will embark or disembark in Santa Teresa di Gallura. Both taxis and local coaches serve this pier. From Santa Teresa as well you get a number of regional and private coaches to Nuoro, Porto Torres pier, Alghero, Tempio and other towns.

What is worth visiting in this side of North-Sardinia then:

The famous Alghero. This is not very big and you can walk pretty much everywhere if you are not staying far from the historic town. Otherwise, the local buses are available and with these you can also reach the town beach.

Bosa: a lovely medieval town dominated by a castle and surrounded by wild mountains and beautiful sea. Lots to see in terms of nature, traditions, art-crafts and festivals that take place here. Also, do not forget that the “little green train” departs from here and could take you on a fabulous excursion of this area up to Macomer and back. Bosa is not so crowded as Alghero in the pick season, so it could also be a base where you could stay on your holidays.

Also from Alghero or Sassari you can board a train connecting you with the “little green train” for a very green excursion! You could go up to to Tempio and further to Palau where you could board a ferry for the Park of la Maddalena island (but in this case you would need to book an overnight in the area). Also bear in mind that the touristic route of the Green Train (trenino verde) is only seasonal and times tend to change from year to year. It normally runs from mid June to mid-end September.

The natural Park of the Asinara island, at only 29 kms from Porto Torres. This is very famous for its typical and cute white donkeys. It can be reached by the ARST coaches that drive you to the pier of Porto Torres or Stintino. Nowadays you buy your ferry tickets on place and once arrived in the island you can tour it by public transport or you can hire a bike.

Stintino beach “la Pelosa” and its little tower on the islet are also worth visiting.

Castlesardo is another little gemm. A really pretty medieval town overlooking the Gulf of Asinara. Again you can get there by train or coach from Sassari in about two hours, if you get the direct train/bus.

Tempio Pausania. It can be also reached by the ARST coaches and it is worth going there to attend its traditional carnival, which is supposed to be one of the bests on the islands. The journey takes about 80 minutes from Sassari.

This is all for the time being – next chapter will be about the North – East Sardinia…

Ciao, Manu

What kind of things could you do and see if you were visiting Sardinia by public transport then?  I guess many and the itineraries could be as complicated and creative as you wish, although travelling times are longer and maybe frustrating especially if it is hot. But, yes, it could be done as long as you organise it well and are prepared to consider your journey as part of your holiday experience.  So, here is an overview:

Reaching Cagliari town:

Cagliari’s airport  is in Elmas at about 10 kms from Cagliari city centre. The airport is serviced by shuttle buses reaching Cagliari main square, Piazza Matteotti,  in about 15 minutes from 8:45 – 23.30.  From Piazza Matteotti square, depending on where you are staying, you could walk, get another bus or a cab. The alternative is to catch a cab from the airport to the hotel, which should cost you around € 20. Cagliari’s pier is not far from many hotels of the city but a cab will probably be the best choice if you got lots of suitcases.

Sightseeing Cagliari:

Local buses are available and pretty cheap to reach the town centre, the parks (Monte Urpinu, Monte Claro) and the Poetto beach. It must be said that these are often late on schedule though (Italian style!). From Piazza Matteotti you can walk nearly everywhere within the Old Town (Castello, Marina, Stampace, Villanova). Be prepared for some fun exercise as Cagliari is built on hills!

A little tourist  train tours the Old Town Centre (seasonal) and a small open Sightseeing  Coach will get you to the areas that are more difficult to reach by foot (the Salt Mines, Poetto Beach, Bonaria Church..).

If you are a little bit more adventurous, you can hire a bike and visit Cagliari in the greenest way, although there are not yet cycling ways in Cagliari. Extra care is recommended in the busiest roads but you should be fine in the Old Town as cars are not allowed (Castello).

Excursions:

There are both a rail station and a coach station (ARST) that connect the town to the rest of the island. These are located in Piazza Matteotti and you can reach many historic and archaeological sites from them even as a day excursion:

Barumini: the so famous Unesco site consisting in the main Sardinian Nuraghe fortress. It can be reached by ARST coaches in about 90 minutes.

Laconi: a mountain destination for those who like culture (you can visit Menhirs and Tombe dei Giganti) woods and trekking. Only 83 kms but 2 hours journey by direct coach or rail.

Mandas: in this village you can board the “little green train” (seasonal) for a beautiful excursion that goes up to Arbatax through lovely mountain scenery and tiny villages. You should get a train to Mandas from Monserrato nearby Cagliari(and to Monserrato by coach from Cagliari). The Green train works normally from mid June-September.

Nora archaeological site and lagoon. You will have to get to Pula with the ARST coaches and from there get the local bus to the site, which is 2 kms away.

San Sperate village and its famous wall paintings are about 25 minutes from Cagliari by direct ARST coach. You can easily do this in half a day. Not to be missed by the Street Art lovers!

St. Antioco and S. Pietro islands: well, it is a shame that these are so cut off from the rest of Sardinia as there is a lot to do, see and eat …! Superb beaches, very important archaeological sites (Catacombs, Tophet Museum, Ipogeo Museum).  If you get the right connection, it can be done in a day. Get a train to Carbonia via Villamassargia and from Carbonia catch a coach to S. Antioco (about 90-120 minutes each way).

Tharros archaeological site. Well, this is a bit more challenging as there is not direct transport. Your first step then is to get to Oristano by train (80 minutes) or by coach (2 hours). From Oristano to Tharros there are 35 Kms to go and the only bus connection you will get operates in July and August.

Villasimius beaches:  by ARST direct coaches Villasimius is about 90 minutes. A shuttle bus takes you daily from the Village to the beach (summer months only).

Timings and routes do change also according to the season so I preferred not to indicate any. Best way to get the right information on timings is to ask at the stations in advance of your journey either in person (better) or by phone as the ARST and Rail websites are all in Italian at the moment and do not seem to work a great deal..

That’s all for now, next chapter will be about the North-West Sardinia.

Ciao, Manu

Also, If you are staying in Cagliari you could spend the night at the Apartment Mara

The answer, most of the times, is yes.
If you are going to Sardinia for a short city break of two or three days in Cagliari or Alghero, then you probably do not need it.
The airports are not too far from the towns and you can easily get a cab from there. You can visit the city centre by foot and you can reach the local beaches by bus, even if the public transport can be a little bit slow…
If you are planning a tour of different areas of Sardinia also taking many day excursions or visiting the most secluded areas of the island, then you really need to hire a car.
Top tips:
1) Sardinian drivers are very “creative”, as Luca says, so be careful

2) Directions are not always good, so check your route on recent maps before you start going.

Ciao

Manu

As usual this map starts from Cagliari’s train station.

To go to Carloforte a ferry is needed and you can catch one from Portovesme or from Calasetta. These are directions to Portovesme, it should take more or less one hour and a half. The ferry takes another 45 mins.

From Cagliari take to SS130 for Elmas or airport but keep going till the end to Iglesias (do not enter Iglesias) and further. Then SS 126 for a while, turn right to follow SP 82 to Portovesme.

The map shows you the way.

Driving to Tharros is quite an easy task.

Either if you’re coming from north or south in the main road SS 131 you have to leave it at Oristano.

In both cases you can leave the 131 slightly earlier (see flags on the map) and go through some small villages, or you can leave it at Oristano exit.

When you are in Oristano (in the case you are coming from south) drive through the city and go towards Donigala Fenugheddu or Cabras or S. Giovanni di Sinis. Turn left before reaching Donigala Fenugheddu in Via Torre Grande. Most probably you will already find borders or directions for Tharros ruins or S. Giovanni di Sinis.

Carry on following that road and after few Kms you’ll arrive. Anyway have a look at the map and if you need drop us a line.

If you want, you can visit the small village of S. Salvatore, a very charateristic village where in the sixties many western movies where shot. And if it happens to be there in september do not miss ” La Corsa degli Scalzi” a religious event where people run barefooted carrying the saint image.

First time I arrived in Alghero I had few problems finding the office where I had rented a car and arriving in Cagliari (where I’m from).

On the way back I nearly missed my flight because I had to refill petrol and I couldn’t find any petrol station nearby. So I am writing this post in order to help you to avoid few little annoying things.

First of all, when you rent the car, ask where is the pick up point, because in Alghero and in Cagliari many agencies are outside the airport (pretty hidden actually). Wherever your agency is, if you are not traveling alone, it’s faster if one of you goes to pick up the keys and the others wait for your luggage.

That time I had to queue for one hour…Anyway, finally I got my car and I was driving to Cagliari when I got lost few times, so here is a map.

If you are going anywhere in Sardinia apart from Alghero or Bosa, follow the blue line to SS131 (Carlo Felice) otherwise follow the red line.

For ss131 follow directions to Sassari, and make sure you do not miss the “Sassari 4 Corsie” (I have marked it with a pin). When you arrive at the SS131 take for Cagliari if you want to go south.

Coming back to the airport from south on the SS131 there are directions to Alghero airport advising to wheel before Sassari. IGNORE them and arrive to Sassari, then follow directions for Alghero. If you have to refill do it just before leaving the SS131. There’s just one petrol station close to the airport and it might be closed.

Here’s is map with some driving directions to get to the market. I will assume your starting point is the train station or the harbor. Once you know where it is you can work out your own itinerary. Also, I am suggesting the easiest way and not the fastest, that is reserved for Cagliaritani!

I normally warn everybody against the traffic in Cagliari, what I say is that we are very creative drivers!………

Good luck!!

• Let’s say that you are in Piazza Matteotti, where the main harbour and train station are.

1. Take Via Roma (south east) on the sea side of the road (You should have the harbor just on your right),
2. this road makes a 45° right turn and immediately there’s a traffic light.
3. Turn left and you are in Viale Colombo, keep going and you’ll find another traffic light.
4. Go straight following the road (is quite a big one).
5. After going up and down again the road turns left (at this point you should have a stadium on the left)
6. At the roundabout take the second exit and go straigh.
7. The road will turn to left but you have to go up to the right.
8. Keep following that road till the end.

I just realized that is much easier doing it than explaining it!! It should take 15 mins.