Sardinia

Here in Italy we are in the period of rientro (reentry). This is the nostalgic, somewhat sad period after the long August holiday when everyone gets back to work, the kids go back to school, and life returns to its normal pre-summer rhythm. But, before we delve too deeply into the hustle and bustle of normal life let’s hold onto summer for a little bit longer and do a vacation recap.

This year we finally made it to Sardinia! I say finally because it is one of those places that you constantly hear about when living in Italy. There are many people who make the trip to the island yearly for their summer vacation. Whenever I heard about it and saw the shockingly beautiful pictures (the beaches could easily be mistaken as the Caribbean), I thought that’s the vacation spot for me.

I have to say, it lived up to the expectations. The beaches are incredible and plentiful! There are beaches of all different sizes from small, intimate coves to wide, sparkling beaches. The similarity between them all is the stunning, clear, 10 different shades of blue water! It really was some of the most beautiful water I have ever seen.

We spent most of our days at the beach and then we spent the nights enjoying the nightlife, cocktails, local wine and food of which there was not shortage.

We set up our home base for the trip in the town of Alghero on the west side of the island. From there we were easily able to explore all of the northwest corner of Sardinia. (TIP: Rent a car. It will make it much easier to explore the island and to reach some of the smaller, more out of the way beaches and towns.)

Here are some of my favorite spots we visited in Sardinia and places I would highly recommend you check out if you find yourself on this beautiful island:

Photo by Greg Smookler

Photo by Greg Smookler

Best Beach: La Pelosa

This is not new information. Upon telling people we were going to Sardinia the next words out of their mouths were usually – you have to go to La Pelosa. There is a reason. This beach situated at the top, northwest corner of the island is a must see. The sand is white and the shallow water stretches out for meters from the shore making it good for non-swimmers and swimmers alike. Even if you do not go in the water (I don’t know how you could resist but then again not everyone is a fish like me) just looking at it as it changes from a transparent blue close to the shore, to an aqua color and then to a rich deep blue is mesmerizing. In case you get bored of just staring at the water – there is also snorkeling, a small island you can swim to or a much bigger one, Asinara, you can kayak to or take a boat to where there used to be a prison but now it is only inhabited by albino donkeys!

Runner Up: Le Bombarde Beach

Photo by Greg Smookler

Best Non Beach Related Activity: Neptune’s Grotto

If you need a break from the beach, Neptune’s Grotto is worth checking out. It is jam packed with stalactites and stalagmites some of which date back over a million years! It truly is like entering another world. Absolutely worth the 600 hundred stairs you have to walk down to reach it – not to mention the same 600 stairs you have to walk back up to get to your car.

Runner Up: Castelsardo – a beautiful hillside town with stunning 360 degree views

Photo by Greg Smookler

Photo by Greg Smookler

Best Place for a Cocktail at Sunset: Buena Vista Bar

This is where you could find us each evening around 7:30. This little, hole in the wall cocktail bar sits atop the old wall of the historical city center of Alghero facing the sea. It is run by a husband and wife team who makes some of the best cocktails we have ever had in Italy. The spritz aperol was probably the favorite of our group (cold and refreshing) although I would have to put in a strong vote for the Mojito (fresh and generous on the rum). The outdoor seating at the bar affords you the best view as the sun sets behind the cliffs to the north and the sky follows suit and turns different shades of pink.

Runner Up: Bar Quintillion

Photo by Greg Smookler

Best Place for Porceddu: Trattoria Cavour

Porceddu is the Sardinian version of porchetta or spit-roasted suckling pig. It was fantastic! The meat was tender and moist and the skin (which I typically do not eat but could not get enough of) was satisfyingly crunchy and tasty. We were stupid and only ordered 2 portions for the 3 of us to share and when we asked for another portion they had already finished the pig. Get there early so this doesn’t happen to you. Still having a bit of appetite since we couldn’t get our third helping of pig, we tried the typical Sardinian dessert Seadas a pastry filled with Pecorino cheese (sheep’s milk cheese) which is fried and then topped with honey. Oh yum! What a perfect balance of salty, creamy, crunchy, and sweet.

Best Place for Local Salumi (sliced meats) and Cheese: Il Tunnel dei Sapori

This little shop situated in a residential neighborhood is worth seeking out. When you walk in your eyes are immediately drawn to the shelves on the walls which are filled with local products including a wide selection of wine. Once you make your way to the back of the shop you see the mother lode – a case full of cheese and meats. We had a bottle of wine and a selection of local cheese and salumi. Our favorite cheese by far was the fresh, smoked ricotta which had a distinctive smoky taste reminiscent of smoked salmon. Our favorite salumi was the salsiccia secca (dried sausage = salami) tasty, salty and perfect with the white wine. After already making our way through our first round of meat and cheese, the owner came into the shop and started offering us tastes of almost everything else available in the case. We finished the meal with local cookies dunked in sweet wine (the grown-ups version of milk and cookies).

Photo by Greg Smookler

Best Place for a Huge, Super Fresh, Sardinian Fish Feast: Mabrouk

We ate at a few different seafood restaurants in Sardinia and this was by far was my favorite. They have a set menu and all of the food is served family style – two things that always get points in my book. We had 4 antipasti to begin, 3 first courses (two pasta dishes and 1 risotto), and 3 second courses including a beautiful, roasted whole fish. Wine, water and dessert was also included but we were already stuffed after the first courses so needless to say we did not partake in the desserts even though they looked homemade and delicious. If you go to this restaurant, I highly recommend you ask to have only the antipasti and the second course and skip the pasta which was the most lackluster part of the meal. It will be cheaper this way and then you will also have space left to try the desserts. Also, make sure to reserve. The place was packed. 

Photo by Andrea Guccini

Overall, the vacation was fantastic and relaxing and, as always, I cannot wait to go back. Most people when they come to Italy do not think about venturing out to the islands but I would highly recommend it. What could be better after exploring the hectic, crowded cities of the main land then to wrap up your vacation with a few days or a week on this relaxing, gorgeous island?