Headed South to Sardinia

Originally when planning our two-week vacation for the fall school break, we thought of going to Italy (mainland), from Corsica but the forecast dissuaded us from realizing our ambition. Cloudy and rainy would have massively hampered our experience so we decided otherwise. Instead, we opted for Sardinia as the weather was to be more favorable and our appetite to discover something completely new excited us even more.

The Strait of Bonifacio is a 6.8 mile wide waterway separating Corsica from Sardinia and can be crossed by ferry in about 50-minutes. With Renny (our car), in tow we swiftly made the crossing on a Moby Lines ferry and docked in Santa Teresa Gallura, one of Sardinia’s north coast port destinations. The colorful town was our first taste of the island where beautiful blue water and even the coastline of Corsica were visible. The proximity between the two islands hints to their ties throughout history and part of that legacy is evident today (linguistically and culturally).

We split our time in Sardinia between the northeastern and northwestern coasts, starting with a couple of days just south of the city of Olbia. We were there primarily for the beaches which this time of year (late Oct/early Nov), were vastly empty. At Porto Istana Beach (a recommendation from our Airbnb host), the water was super clear and stretched towards the horizon where the massive rock sticking out from the sea (aka Tavolara Island), stared back at us. The girls enjoyed building sand castles and getting a feel for the water as the morning sunshine generated a late summer vibe. That afternoon, inspired by the scenic landscape, we made our way to Castello di Pedres, a 13th century fort with scenic vistas of the enveloping countryside.

The following day was a travel day as we traversed the island westward destined for Alghero where we spent the next three nights. The inescapable November rain had finally caught up with us which we didn’t mind as much as we spent part of the day on the road. It was a cautious and slower go due to the ferocity of the rain. An impromptu small detour to the town of Bosa gave us a much needed break for lunch. The hilltop town is set on the Temo River, a couple of miles inland, and appears to hug its overlooking citadel. Even in the rain the colorful buildings added a pop to Bosa’s charming aesthetic. We very much welcomed our warm lunch before facing the downpour once again. Alghero sits about an hour’s drive north of Bosa, and this stretch apparently defines one of the most scenic coastal roads in Sardinia. As fortune had it, the rain tapered off and the sun occasionally protruded through the hanging sheet of clouds, illuminating the landscape and the sea.

In the end, Alghero greeted us with sunshine. A walk to its historic center by the sea displayed mother nature’s awesome force, as we watched waves crash against the protective city walls nearby the Sulis Tower (the tower takes its name after Sardinian revolutionary Vicenzo Sulis, who was imprisoned in the tower for 22 years). Alghero’s history tells curious tales, particularly the one about its Catalan influence where even today the yellow and red flag and language of Catalonia are officially embedded into the city’s cultural identity. This can be attributed to 400+ years of Catalan rule over Alghero under the Crown of Aragon.

With two days left in Alghero of which one turned into a washout (due to rain), we took advantage of the contrasting sunny day to explore some of notable highlights on Sardinia’s northwestern coast. The morning saw us taking in the beauty of La Pelosa Beach in Stintino, a small town on the tip of the mainland. This beach is a top attraction and during high season visitors must book reservations to go. It became quickly apparent as to why this system is in place, the setting is simply stunning! One our favorite features beside the amazing shades of blue and the nearby archipelago, was the Aragonese tower standing as a reminder of the need for protection from unwanted visitors.

About an hour’s drive east following the coastline, stood another “not to be missed”, town of Castelsardo whose 12th century Doria Castle makes for unforgettable views (of the castle and from the castle itself), factoring in the majestic sea and mountainscapes. After lunch, our return to Alghero included two pit stops. The first was at the Nuraghe Palmavera, a megalithic and archeological site dating to the Bronze Age roughly 3,500 years ago. The Nuragic civilization was among one of the early groups to inhabit Sardinia and their footprint stands visible today with over 7,000 nuraghes strewn around the island. The site seemed to be in pretty good shape given its age and educated us about this remarkable civilization which was exclusive to Sardinia. The second pit stop was quite modern and different in nature, it was the imperial-like winery of Sella & Mosca with vast and impressive grounds. The winery boasts over 1,200 acres of vineyards and produces over 2 dozen types of wine, a large commercial winery with lots to choose from.

Sardinia offered us a mouthful of its flavors, from scenic coastlines to azure and inviting waters and magical mountainscapes. Its towns opened up the history books to narratives weaved together by various cultures and people who make the island as unique as it is today. Below are some of the things we loved about it and would highly recommend to anyone visiting the northern part of the island!

Favorite Highlights: Porto Istana Beach, the colorful and historic towns of Bosa and Castelsardo, the coastline stretch from Bosa to Alghero (plan to stop frequently to capture the views), La Pelosa Beach, and the Nuraghe Palmavera.

The following day saw our Sardinia part of the vacation come to an end, as the Moby Lines ferry chartered us back to Corsica en route to mainland France. Grazie e arrivederci, Sardinia!