Holiday in Sardinia

What makes Sardinia special as a destination?

Sardinia is a world of its own — the second-largest Mediterranean island combines turquoise bays that overshadow any Caribbean beach with a millennia-old culture that continues to thrive in mysterious stone towers, archaic festivals, and a distinct language. The Costa Smeralda in the northeast is the glamorous showcase: Emerald green waters, granite rocks, and exclusive marinas between Porto Cervo and Baja Sardinia have attracted international celebrities since the 1960s. However, the true beauty of Sardinia lies away from the jet set: The La Maddalena Archipelago, with its seven main islands and countless rocky islets, offers some of the most beautiful bathing spots in Europe, Cala Goloritze on the east coast has been designated a natural monument, and the endless sandy beach of Is Arutas consists of millions of years old quartz grains that shimmer like rice grains. Sardinia's interior is rugged and wild: The Su Gorropu gorge is considered the Grand Canyon of Europe, the Gennargentu mountain range reaches almost 2,000 meters, and in the mountain villages of Barbagia, shepherds live according to traditions that have hardly changed since the Bronze Age. All over the island, around 7,000 Nuraghes — prehistoric tower structures from the Bronze Age — testify to a mysterious civilization that existed nowhere else in the world. The capital Cagliari in the south surprises with a lively old town on the hill, flamingos in the salt lagoons right in front of the city, and the expansive city beach Pötto. Culinary offerings range from Porceddu (suckling pig on a spit) to Fregola with seafood to Pecorino Sardo, which has been aged here for thousands of years.