Blog Sardinia

St Elias’ promontory or the Devil’ saddle, as the locals call it, is probably the most iconic natural site of Cagliari and you would surely find its view and its legend very fascinating.

Strangely enough, although it is very popular and any good guide book would tell you about its myth, no many people do actually visit this natural bulwark.
In reality, all you need is an expert guide to lead you through the resistant bushes of its Mediterranean vegetation and to help you find the hidden ruins of historic buildings and ancient cisterns withouht getting stuck or fall down a cliff…

I was very enthusiastic then, when I was asked to be the translator for a group taking an excursion up there with a specialist guide. There I was then, shorts, hat, sun cream, trainers and water. Ready to go.

The Devil'Saddle by Blog-Sardinia

Our starting point was nearby the little Cala Mosca beach. We easily followed our guide up to the top of the saddle and then down through a different path. It took us about two hours. The tour focused on both the historical and botanical aspects of the promontory. We stopped to look at and smell several scented officinal herbs, learning about the properties of Thyme, Spurge, Helycrism and many others. I was surprised to listen about the ways these herbs were used to cure and heal from ancient times to now-days. 

Hidden in the middle of the luxuriant vegetation, we discovered two ancient Punic and Roman cisterns,  a Pisan lighthouse, a Spanish Tower & the ruins of the ancient church of St. Elias, from which the promontory takes is name from.

Azure Orchid - Blog Sardinia

Once reached the top of “Saddle” the view was breathtaking, stretching from the sea, to Cagliari and its many hills, to the town’s lake and its salt mines. It was only then, that I fully realised how crucial had to be to dominate this promontory for the many people who have lived and invaded Sardinia…

The best period to visit St. Elia’s promontory is from November to January and in the Spring when its vegetation is blooming and beautiful narcissus and wild orchids appear. You can still visit during the rest of the year and at early or late hours of the day in the summer. Some itineraries can include a visit of the little coves and swimming stop.

A licensed guide is recommended to undertake and fully enjoy the tour. Let us know if you want to know more or book an excursion through an English Speaking guide.

Ciao
Manu

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

It was Easter Monday and we left Cagliari to Stintino for a couple of days visit of the Asinara Island and Castelsardo. Unfortunately, despite having had an amazing April the weather changed and the rain decided to come down..

It normally takes about three hours to get to Stintino but it took an extra 30 minutes for us, as we travelled with two young kids. We stopped in Sardara on the way, to pick our friends up. It was a shame that we did not have time to visit this really pretty village or to take a SPA in its famous historic venue – we had our Easter Monday lunch booked at the Farmhouse we chose for the overnight in Stintino. We stopped again at the Tramatza Autogrill for a coffee and a quick wee and off we went.

"Agriturismo Palmas"

Stintino is pretty easy to reach although the “Palmas” Agriturismo (farmhouse) was not so well indicated and we had to call them up for extra directions. At the end we found it. It is at the top of a hill two kms before the village. We could admire the coastline from there but the day was so grey that cows and horses wandering around the Agriturismo seemed a much more interesting attraction to have a look at.

We were hungry and decided to eat before even checking in. The dining area was welcoming and pretty crowded with locals. We were given a nice table. Drinks and starters (mushrooms, cards, cheeses and hams) came soon after. If you have eaten in an Agriturismo before, you would know that you do not pick from a menu but you are given what is available on the day. In this case we had two kind of pasta, “Malloreddusu” and delicious ravioli filled with ricotta cheese, then roasted suckling piglet & lamb, potatos, crudities, Sardinian sweets, liquors. Everything was so tasty and freshly made and we were stuffed by the end.

Stintino - Pelosa Beach by Blog-Sardinia

It was about 4 PM by the time we finished lunch and decided to check-in, before visiting Stintino. We went for a walk to the popular beach of la Pelosa, the pride of Stintino. It only took us 10 minutes to reach it by car. It was incredible, despite the gloomy day the sea still looked cobalt blue. A Spanish Tower on a close islet made the place even more charming. We were not lucky though, it started to rain cats and dogs and we had rush to the cars.

We were tired and disappointed, so we just entered a little shop to buy some groceries for our pick-nik to the Asinara Island the next day. The shop ripped us off. 25 euros for some ham, tomatos, bread & cheese slices and four cans of beer. Ridiculous!

Here we were again, at the Palmas. All rooms were on a detached new building, they were simple but spotless (although our materass was not comfortable at all). The staff was really kind and they agreed to add an extra bed for our child at no extra cost. We were not even charged for his meal.

We woke up pretty early the next day. When I opened the window I saw a cow staring at me from a close distance and maybe thinking I was invading its space. I was relieved to see that the weather was improving.

We knew we could not depart from Stintino on the touristic ferry as this did not reach the minimum number of passengers to depart, so we planned to reach Porto Torres and leave from there with the regular ferry service. The Agriturismo would not serve breakfast before 9 AM so we left early hoping to get a coffee and a pastry at the pier. It takes about 30 minutes to get to Porto Torres from Stintino but we did not find our ferry departure point so easily and we reached it just on time. What it looked to be the ticket office was closed and therefore we asked the ferry crew for advice. They told us to come on board, we would have paid there.

All fine then, but things looked really weird on the ferry. There were not many people at all. Ten minutes later the captain came to us to say that there was a forecast of strong winds for the afternoon. It was likely that the ferry would not come back later to pick us up. The ferry was too small and too flat and he did not feel like risking it. We would arrive at 10.30 and as we were travelling with kids he suggested we would come back with the same ferry at 11.00. We were otherwise going to be the only people on the island. Even the only hostel available for an overnight was closed, as the staff did not travel to the island because they had not bookings for the night. The captain had apparently called the ticket office to let everybody know… disaster! We were furious.

Asinara Island by Blog-Sardinia

I went outside for a walk, the sea was calm, the sky opened up and sun was shining – there was not any wind at all. The kids were having fun on the ferry but I thought that we had waisted our morning on a silly ferry for nothing. How could it be possible to use such a thing to cover a regular route on a normally rough stretch of sea? A mystery to me..
As we approached the island I felt like reaching a little paradise, so quiet, so lovely, so remote. Old fascinating buildings nicely reconverted for tourist purposes which we could not visit. We walked away from the harbour towards the beach through fields covered on lovely flowers and we were lucky enough to meet the symbol of this island: the small white donkeys. We came really close to them and took some pictures as they did not seem to care. And this was all we could see on the Asinara Park where for 30 minutes we were the only humans on land.

Back on the ferry, we had an early lunch with our expensive ham and sandwiches. By 12.30 we were in Porto Torres again..what next? Well, a coffee first, then we decided to go towards Castelsardo and visit the Elephant Rock, “la Roccia dell’Elefante”. The children got asleep as we travelled towards this site on the SS134 road.

Roccia dell'Elefante by Blog-Sardinia

The rock and its setting are both amazing. A big rock, elephant shaped by nature and standing on the border of the road that runs along a beautiful green valley. It looks exactly like an Elephant, amazing. But this is not all. The Elephant rock is also what Sardinians call a Domus the Janas ” a Fairy House. Inside, there are several little rooms with some graffiti that go back to the neuragic times. They had probably been used as a burial site thousands of years before Christ. We were intrigued and amazed.

We decided to go for a walk and visit Sedini and this was also an unexpected wonder. Sedini is a tiny village built on rocks with some houses actually digged inside the rocks. The most spectacular one is a very ancient Domus de Janas that goes back to 3000 years b.c. when it was probably a sacred and burial site. Over the last centuries was used as an animal stall, shop, party headquarters, house. Today it hosts a very fascinating museum.

Domus de Janas, Sedini by Blog-Sardinia

We were lucky enough to find it open as there was a group visiting (normally it needs to be pre-booked to visit). We explored it all with huge interest and surprise – we really loved it. We also went for a walk around the village and visited some of the pretty country churches around it. All worth it.

At night, Francesca prepared a delicious soup for us. We also ate some boiled meat and wild boar stew, salad, cheeses and homemade sweets. She ate the same with her family sitting on a table next to us and we had a long chat after dinner.
We slept beautifully that night. In the morning Francesca’s mother made us breakfast and later we visited the pretty church near the Agriturismo. Finally we left for Castelsardo.

Castelsardo by Blog-Sardinia

Castlesardo is a medieval town built on a promontory. It is a bit of a hard work to get up to the top of the Castle by foot, so we looked for a free and nearby car park. We managed to get one at midway and we walked through the tiny narrow streets to reach the Castle. The view from there was great.

The entrance fee was very cheap. The castle is small and a museum of Sardinian traditional frail art-craft takes place there. I found it interesting, although I would have maybe liked to know more about the history of the castle itself. Lots of beautiful churches, the cathedral, traditional shops, and tiny restaurants are also around. It got very hot and although we were very temped to sit in a restaurant and have lunch taking advantage of one of the inviting and cheap set menus, at the end we decided to get a sandwich and drive to the closest beach for a bit of sunbath before heading back to Cagliari.

It was fun at the end!

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

Villasimius is a small town in South Sardinia which turns into one of the island main holiday destinations in the summer. It is not difficult to see why. Villasimius is located in a beautiful stretch of coast surrounded by many white sandy beaches but also by low rocky mountains with their perfumed wild vegetation. Within its territory also falls the protected sea park of Capo Carbonara.

You can reach Villasimius by public transport with coaches departing from Cagliari (Piazza Matteotti) or by car, off course.  A new fast road connecting Cagliari to Villasimius is under construction… still!. If you are a sightseeing lover though, and you are lucky to have a travel partner who does not mind to drive on bendy roads going up and down the cliffs (or you are travelling by coach), than you could enjoy a very fascinating and breathtaking view of this coastline and its thousands of blue, green and crystal nuances.

Why should you visit?

1) Villasimius is first of all a “real place”,  a small town with its own people, restaurants, bars, shops.  Although in the pick season it grows hugely in size and it is much livelier  with its disco clubs, you got everything you need in the low season as well, when it’s less crowded and more affordable.

2) A selection of equally beautiful sandy beaches of which some are very much organised and equipped with facilities and others a little bit wilder. I love the Spiaggia Notteri where the lake and the sea nearly merge and the beach is a narrow and long stretch of thin white sand. Porto Giunco is also gorgeous..but there are so many others:  Campu Longu, Spiaggia del Riso, Cala Caterina, Timiama, Simius, Capo Carbonara…

Remember not to take any pebbles away from the Spiaggia del Riso if you go there, please! Its name indeed comes from these gracious rice shaped and looking pebbles which are mostly gone, partially because tourists stole them as a souvenir..

3) Activities and things to do. Many. From boat excursions to the islands, to “pescaturismo” excursions, diving, and snorkelling but also trekking, horse riding and excursions to the mountains of Sette Fratelli ( “The Seven Brothers). Finally you can visit the small archaeological museum in Villasimius town and some archaeological ruins (in Cuccureddus & Notteri).  Also, remember that you are only 90 minutes drive from Cagliairi in you wanted to visit the capital.

4) A choice of hotels from two to five stars, camping’s, B&B, farmhouses and holiday villas. I must admit that prices go sometimes crazy during the pick season but if you can be flexible, considering that Sardinia is blessed with a very mild and sunny weather, you should be able to find something that suits your budget.

5) The food. Delicious and not to be missed are the first courses that include the traditional ” fregula” with seafood or meat, which is kind of a local cous cous but thinker compared to the Tunisian version. Then you got the “malloreddusu“, or the “Culungiones”, a sort of local ravioli filled with fresh cheese.

Second dishes can be either meat or fish based and very simply cooked. Roasted goat, piglet, lamb which are then laid on wooden trays covered with mirto leaves to give a very nice aroma. Seafood is grilled: sea brims, sea basses, eels and prawns. For the vegetarians, yes we know, Italy is normally a tough destination but depending on the season this area can offer delicious mushrooms, asparagus, aubergines, olives and cheeses.  Talking about cheeses, do not miss the “Sebada” the local dessert to go with the delicious honey..

Did I make you hungry? Ah, come and visit then

Ciao, Manu

It’s 10 AM , 14 degrees Celsius and a glorious day of sunshine.

Cagliari Old Town - Blog-Sardinia

My starting point is Piazza Matteotti, the square in Via Roma located just in front of the main coach and train station and not far from hotels and B&Bs. There is a Tourist Info Point here if you need help.  It does seem close at first and I walk all around it to find a  little entrance door. A kind lady welcomes me and gives me a map of the city and some info on the museums.

We got to cross the street to get  to the “Largo Carlo Felice”  and then climb up to Castello, one of the historic borrows of Cagliari, the others being  Stampace, La Marina and Villanova. We watch out carefully when crossing the street . Here in Italy the green light for pedestrians lasts only about 5 seconds and it goes into orange when you are still in the middle of the street!

We climb all the way up reaching Pizza Yenne, which is a lovely square with bars where you can have a coffee and it is always very crowded with people in the evenings. Up here, there should be a little train that takes you for a sightseeing tour of the old town. Not there yet but we decide to wait. After twenty minutes and not sign of it, a cab driver tells us that he does not think it works in February. There is the sightseeing bus at the stop though. This takes you through the highlights of Cagliari including its salted lake (famous for the charming Pink Flamingoes), the beach and other areas that can not be reached by foot. The driver tells us it works every day if it is sunny so indeed nearly every day..! Very appealing route but I want to focus in the old town today, so I decide to proceed by foot crossing piazza Yenne to get to a tiny little historic square called “Santa Chiara” , also setting of the town old fish market. From there you walk through an archway and reach the public lifts that take you up to “Casteddu” (Castello or “the Castle”).

Here we are, we go up the hill to reach the “Torre dell’Elefante” (The Elephant Tower). You will get why is called like that as soon as you are in front of this beautiful white tower . We climb half way up for some lovely views of the city but my mum suffers from vertigo so we do not pay tickets to go all the way up and missed one of the most beautiful views of the city..

Lets’ go down then,  from here everything is at easy reach and I love to explore the very narrow streets, although I am a bit crossed to see so many ugly graffiti on the walls. Through this lovely maze we get to the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. The cathedral is tiny but a gem that and has to be seen (and if you are here at Christmas time, do not miss the midnight mass!).

Cathedral of Cagliari Old Town - Blog-Sardinia

Going further down you can reach Piazza Arsenale where the main museums are located. This time we go to the Bastione of St Remy though, hoping to have a coffee there. The coffee shop shuts on a Wednesday though ..ah! Does not matter, this is one of the best panoramic spots in Cagliari let’s enjoy the view of the city, the gulf,  the sea, the hills, the lake salt-mine the mix of colourful old and modern roofs. There are only a few people relaxing on the benches and enjoying the beautiful day.

By 12PM it is 22 degrees Celsius. Not bad for the beginning of February! We could climb down the stairs of the Bastione into Via Manno, one of the shopping streets, but we go instead through little charming alleys that get us nearly near Piazza Yenne again.

From there we walk down via Azuni and then right to Via San Efisio hoping to be able to see the interiors of the little church of St Efisio, the patron of Cagliari. No chance though, not open to the tourists today it seems, we got to come back at mass time, 5PM . This is Italy, churches are first of all for pray.

We walk back and we bump into the Church of Santa Restituta, dedicated to an African martyr. The crypt is open and free, let’s go.  Walking down the stairs we understand that this is a real natural grotto that was turned into a church by the locals. Shapes and statues are carved into the stones and several little corridors and little rooms open up. Water drops from the ceiling. Fascinating..

It is nearly 1 PM and our stomachs are rambling… I know where to go…to la Marina borough. Let’s climb further down for a nice Bottarga pasta

Ciao

Manuela

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

On a very hot day of August during our holidays in Sardinia, we decided to take a boat excursion to the archipelago of Maddalena, a group of small islands in the very north end of Sardinia. We bought some fair priced tickets and got to sit on the outdoor side of the boat with a great panoramic view (although we did not think to bring our hats – a bit of a mistake on such a sunny day..).

At 8.45 we left the natural fiord of Santa Teresa di Gallura, which the locals believe was formed during the last glaciation.  Armed with a camera, we started sailing an amazing cobalt blue sea.

After leaving Porto Quarto behind, we reached the far north of Sardinia and on our left hand side we could clearly see the island of Corse (Corsica). The so called Bocche di Bonifacio (Mouths of Bonifacio) decided not to confirm their reputation of terrible agitated waters, so that within a little half an hour we reached the first island: Budelli.

Budelli is very famous for its beautiful pink sand, although there is not so much of it left anymore due to tourists who over the years have stolen it as souvenir. For this reason, local authorities have decided to make this little island a National Park and it is now forbidden to anchor. Sadly, you can only see it  from a distance. Very close by, there are some ponds of water about twelve meters deep and you can see the sand at the bottom of these as if you were looking through a clean transparent glass. The colours are the most amazing: from pure crystal to turquoise going through a thousand of beautiful nuances.

Totally amazed we left Budelli and soon after we got to Santa Maria Island, which is also surrounded by a beautiful beach and very clean waters.

The boat approached the flat stones and through a footbridge we walked down for a refreshing swim and a stroll on the beach.  After the short relaxing break we washed our feet from the beautiful sand and we got back on board. By then, it was nearly lunch time and we got hungrier and hungrier as a lovely smell of tomato sauce emerged from the kitchens. Lunch was served on board: a generous plate of pasta with crab sauce or just plain pasta for the young children, a thick slice of local cheese and fresh bread which nicely filled our stomachs.

We were nearly in Spargi, another gem of the Archipelago. Once again our eyes enjoyed the extreme beauty of nature: crystal waters, white beaches, flat, pointed rocks that nature itself shaped in so many crazy and amazing forms. Like Budelli, the beauty of Spargi is breathtaking, so unforgettable and just not possible to put down into words. We spent a little time here, swimming and sunbathing before leaving for the island of Maddalena itself.

La Maddalena is bigger than all the other islands we visited: there is a little harbour, a pretty town and many shops to go. We got a couple of hours to spend sightseeing with a good ice cream in our hand and our camera always ready.

It was soon time to go back to Santa Teresa but this time, on the way back, the “Bocche di Bonifacio” decided to fulfil their terrible reputation making us shake: those who are not normally seasick had great fun, the others suffered a bit. It was about 5.00 PM when we got back. The day went by so quickly..yep! just as it always happens when you have fun!

Loved it!  - Valeria

PS: although this excursion departed from Santa Maria Teresa, there are similar services starting from Palau as well, which is located on Sardinia mainland, just opposite to the Maddalena Island.

Blog-Sardinia

I must admit that when I heard the price first (70 Euro per person..) I though it was maybe a bit pricy but by the end of a superb day,  I  had changed my mind completely.

We bought tickets at the Nonno Pio booth in Cala Gonone harbour and left at around nine AM.  The boat is a real fishermen boat and it can only fit about 15-20 people, which is great, as you get to know and chat with the others. We gently sailed towards Cala Goritze and on the way the crew recovered the fishing nets left on the previous day. We could closely see many kinds of fishes and we were told what they were and how you could cook them…

The coast is amazing there and the knowledgeable crew told us so many interesting stories and intriguing legends about the different sites. They dropped us in the gorgeous Cala Mariolu beach, with its incredible clear waters and superb beach made of very tiny, white and smooth stones. We could spend two hours in this little paradise. Nonno’s Pio crew were great, they even had some parasols that everybody could borrow for the beach.

When they picked us back, it was lunch time..and a great lunch. We ate what they had just fished in the morning – they grilled it in front of us! We also had a lovely squid pasta, salad, local wine, coffee, fruits, Sardinian sweets and MIRTO off course.

Afterwards, we were given the choice of stopping at another bay, the beautiful Cala Biriola or visiting the Fig Grotto. Although the temptation of a nap on the beach after lunch was great, we decided to visit the Grotto and walk a little bit. This was also very good. It was cool in the Grotto and this gave us a break from the heat. The Grotto was very fascinating and the guides extremely knowledgeable and entertaining.

At the end of the visit, Nonno Pio’ staff were already there to collect us with a flipper boat. We could join the others, who had chosen the beach option, and depart for the famous Cala Luna, which unfortunately was very busy being July. It was good that we arrived there by the late afternoon though, so that most of the crowd were leaving ..We staid there for another 90 minutes and then back to Cala Gonone at around seven  and we said goodbye to Nonno Pio crew: our new heros!

Thanks guys – really enjoyed that!

Manu

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