Blog Sardinia

Here we are, the three of us plus my cousin, who invited us to her summer house in Costa Rei, and her 3 months old baby girl, departing Cagliari with a C3 car.

Two pushchairs do not fit in the boot..should we have hired a bigger car??
First step: do we take the panoramic road, driving on the cliffs, facing blind bends and enjoying the stunning views, or should we take the new, fast road? As we are now family and we are not sure if babies can get car sick, we decide to go for the new road.

We left Cagliari towards Villassimius, but at the crucial point, Paolo started to cry,  we got anxious and confused so we turned into the wrong exit, which goes straight back to Cagliari! Impossible to turn back, we had to drive until we found an exit and start again!

That costed us 20 minutes, but eventually we got back on track. After Torre delle Stelle and just before Solans, we took the new 125 road and that was fine, although this eventually joint the old road and we drove for 20 minutes on the older and bendy road along the cost. Like in the old times, when I was the child, we stopped for a cry and a rest, fed Paolo, looked at the amazing endless sea. It took us ninety minutes to get to Monte Nai, the village where my cousin’s house is.

Monte Nai is a pretty summer village where many people from Cagliari and nearby villages have got their summer houses. There are grocery shops, a proper fish monger, some pizzerias, and a little square where people go out for a walk and a chat at night. The square was not as busy as it used to be, and it seemed that there is no more such a crazy night life as I remembered, with clubs and bars or shops open until late. We found it so calm, but just fine for us.

We staid in a beautiful villa with garden, as most of them are. It was hot but we slept on the ground floor where it was cooler. We would wake up early and have a nice cappuccino and a croissant at the local bar, then go to the beach by the ex Escargot Club. We had our parasols, but if we had not had them, there were some for hire together with deck-chairs in a beach further down.

The water was as crystal clean as I could recall and it was just beautiful. We did not stay too long because of the babies, so we went back to the villa for lunch, then had a nap. The day was so beautiful and hot that we went back to the beach at 7PM when it was warm but pleasant, and had a swim with the babies! We stayed until 8.30 in the evening then back. We went for a nice pizza later. Lovely!

Day after was a completely different story. It got very windy with the Maestrale wind, which I hate. Whenever it is windy in Sardinia and you want to go to the beach, you have to think as the Sardinians do.  First, what kind of wind is it? Where does it come from? Once you know that, you have to choose a beach or better a bay, where having taken into consideration the direction of the wind and the position of the beach, it is less likely that the wind will blow the sand. For us, that day, there was only one choice, Cala Pira – 15 minutes drive away going south.

This spot, was once totally wild and known only by the locals. Not that day. The wind was so exceptionally strong, that it was really crowded and unpleasant anyway. As if this was not enough, there was a ban to park nearby the beach. We should have had parked and walked 15 minutes to get there, with prams, babies, bags and parasols, which you can not hire in Cala Pira. Luckily my cousin dropped us nearby, and then he went to park. After only an hour, we left. We had lunch and relaxed in the villa before driving back to Cagliari. Not the best day, but we were still sad to leave such a beautiful spot!

So, yes, Costa Rei is beautiful and a good place for families, but forget about wild beaches and mind the bends!

Manuela

Do not expect to reach it too easily though…you need to make a little bit of an effort to get to this paradise, located in an area of Sardinia called Ogliastra and considered as “the island in the island” for the difficult accessibility (although nowdays this was very much improved) and unspoilt beauty of its coastline and mountains.

The nearest airport is Arbatax, which is very close but very little so unless you are lucky to get a flight for it, you will have to fly to Cagliari or Olbia and drive from there. It may look like easy at first but Sardinian roads are always a surprise and the 160 Kms that divide Olbia from Tortoli can easily turn in 4 hours journey on a very bendy road. Great to take pictures of this fab coastline but your kids may not like it! On the other side, there is now a brand-new fast road that from Cagliari goes very near to Tortoli ( and to Tortoli itself once completed). We used it two summers ago and we got to Tortoli in 90 minutes. If you are planning to reach Sardinia form Italy mainland, you could also take a boat to Arbatax’s pier.

Well, once you have reached Tortoli.. relax. Take your time and enjoy the beautiful beaches. One of the local and my favorite beach  is “la spiaggia di Orri” very well known for the gold sparkling effects of its sand and its crystal waters.

Very famous are also the red rocks of Arbatax, which did not do much to me but are still something you have to see if you are around. Going further north do not miss Santa Maria Navarrese beach, which is also stunning. Going South, Barisardo is one of the best.

Apart from the coast, the woods and the wine of the inside area are also a must see and must taste! The Cannonau of Jerzu is one of my favorite wines (very good with red meats and very strong..) and places like Ulassai with its beautiful waterfalls are great to see in the springtime. So here you are, ready to go?

The Costa Verde, is on the south-east side of Sardinia. My favorite place here is Piscinas, located at about 25 KM from Arbus. What it is so special about it are the huge dunes of unbelievable thin amber sand that dominate this side of the coast, together with the usual stunning crystal waters of the sea. It is such a powerful and spectacular view that made Piscinas one of the Unesco world heritage sites. It is not so easy to get here (do not worry, we will give you directions!) which means no crowds (yes!) but also not bars or toilets..

This area of Sardinia used to be full of mines, then dismissed, which have being turned into fascinating geo-mineral parks open to visitors in recent times. If you visit Montevecchio, you will have the chance to explore the mines galleries and some of the historic villas that were built by the owners of the mines. Montevecchio is surrunded by woods and if you love trekking you may be lucky and see a some of the beautiful Sardinian deers or wild boars!

Other interesting places to visit are Ingortosu (ex miners village), Fluminimaggiore & Gonnosfanadiga (archeaology) and Guspini. There are many activities that you can take in the Costa Verde: trekking, horse riding, snorkeling, diving, excursions by Quad..and apparently you can take a tour on carriages pulled by donkeys (never tried this last one but let us know if you do!!).

If you want to spend some days in Arbus try clicking on our Hotel category on the right.

Enjoy!

Manuela

PS. Be aware that there are two places called Picinas in Sardinia!

Again, a piece of paradise on earth.. a place of rock and crystal water

Cala Gonone is a little fishermen village located in the Gulf of Orosei. It looks over a stretch of cost where you will find some of the most beautiful beaches in the med. Some are wilder, such as Cala Luna & Cala Mariolu, others also suitable for families such Palmasera, or even Centrale. The nearest airport is Olbia.

Apart from the incredible beaches, it is also a great destination for those who love trekking or even free climbing and bungee jumping (not my case!). Su Gorroppu, S’Abba Durche, Cala Fuili – Cala Luna are all enchanting and very popular itineraries for the trekking lovers.

Finally, you can take a boat excursion to the grottoes of del Bue Marino or visit some of the nearby archaeological sites like Tiscali (yep…this is where your broadband name comes from!). To visit the Bue Marino’s grottoes you will need to visit the information point in Cala Gonone’s pier.

Actually I forgot the food! Superb! Do not miss the local gnocchi: “anzellottos”

Manu
Now, I can not wait to go there again !

The Cape of Saint Elia lays in the center of the Gulf of Cagliari and it consists in limestone rocks that were once covered by the sea (that is why there are so many fossils!). Despite the wind that constantly blows on these dry rocks, a wild & strong vegetation flourishes here. It is a very particular mix of Mediterranean vegetation with evergreen bushes.

The cape is formed by two hills (Saint Ignazio and Saint Elia) which look of a different colour every season depending on the flowers that bloom on that period. From November to January you get romantic light blue and purple and in spring an amazing bright red. Many other flowers and “officinali plants” (herbs and plants that have a beneficial influence on human body) grow there as well.

For its strategic location, with spectacular views on the south coast, the cape has always been a natural defense point and a safe place where to live. Defensive towers and underground tunnels were built over the centuries and in use until to the Second World War.

Today you can, as I do, have lovely walks around this not very visited area of Cagliari enjoying great views and breath some marine fresh air! Definitely worth it!

Massimo

It only takes about an hour to drive from Cagliari to another not very well known but beautiful spot of Sardinia: the peninsula of Sinis, located in the Oristano Gulf on the west coast.

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Since I was a teenager Alghero was one of the top favourite places to go for my summer holidays, main reasons being its fabulous night life, good camping sites and lots of nice beaches nearby…(Le Bombarde was my favourite one).

But now that I am older and wiser… Read the rest of this entry »

Which is the best part of Sardinia Manuela?

I have been asked this question so many times and here is my answer for you: Sardinia is all beautiful from north to south. Where you go depends on what you are looking for, but if you are looking for the unusual and the most authentic side of Sardinia, then you have to aim for its rocky heart.

From the villages of Oliena and Orgosolo with those beautiful and controversial Murales (graffiti) to Mamoiada and its mysterious carnival masks; from the spectacular views of the “supramonte” of Oliena down to the woods of Gavoi, Tonara, Fonni. And if you still miss Sardinia’s blue waters among all this green, head for Tortoli and visit its golden beaches, or go all the way up to the Gulf of Orosei stopping every now and then to enjoy its paradise bays. Read the rest of this entry »

Canoeing in Nora’s lagoon is certainly one of those experiences that I will never forget and I will surely repeat..

It is such a relaxing feeling to visit the lagoon, especially first in the morning, when the waters are so calm, smooth and still fresh. It is so peaceful that you can only hear little crickets and birds singing, few fishes jumping and the noise of the oars sinking in the water. The canoe slides silently, nearly by itself, while you wonder….how could I possibly live anywhere else? This is life! There is a beautiful small aquarium and a sea rescue centre that you can see here. Injured turtles and fishes are taken care of until they are well and ready to go back to the sea. Some of them suffered very much, but despite this they are exceptionally friendly and seem to enjoy visitors! I was particularly impressed by the skates. Read the rest of this entry »

In Cagliari there is a very characteristic market. The part that I prefer is the fish market, with its kiosks and fishermen screaming to attract my attention and to promote their products. But the real reason why I like it, is because without even thinking, I know that it is probably the most alive and authentic spot of Cagliari. You can feel it. All my senses tell me that I’m home. There I can really taste, see, and touch my home town, but mostly I can hear and ..smell it. If you go to Cagliari don’t miss the opportunity to see one of the biggest fish markets in Italy.

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