Sardegna's wild beauty

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Sardinia is the Emerald Coast. But Sardinia is multifaceted: 1,896 km of coastline, nearby islets, cities and medieval villages, monuments of the Nuragic civilization, stone oak forests, lagoons with rare species of birds, caves, waterfalls and mountains. We suggest exploring this region, moving clockwise.

Orozea Bay

The perfect embodiment of the wild nature of Sardinia: high cliffs above crystal clear water, caves and grottoes, hidden from the general public sand and pebble bays. And further from the coast are mountains, fields, canyons and ancient forests. All this creates unique conditions for recreation. The best way to explore this beauty is by speedboat or boat, which can be taken from Cala Gonone (Dorgali) and set off to meet the spectacular scenery.

The calling card of the area is the picturesque Cala Luna beach, 800 meters long. There are six spacious caves lined up on the shore - pavilions created by nature itself. Here you will find shade on a hot day, have a picnic and comfortably watch the sunset.

Kala-Holoritse beach is love at first sight: stone cliffs rise up, natural arches and bridges stretch over the water, nearby are mountains covered with evergreen stone oaks. But the gaze is fixed on the 143-meter high peaked Mount Karoddi. It seems impregnable, but it has several climbing routes. The beach acquired its current appearance after a landslide in 1962. Mountain springs enter the sea here, so the water near the shores of Cala Holoritse is cooler than elsewhere in Sardinia.

Villasimius

The popular resort of Villasimius in the southeast of the island is known above all for the Capo Carbonara nature reserve and the sea with a thousand shades of blue. The resort has dozens of beaches - one better than the other. Fully equipped and wild. Many - with silky white sand, a gentle descent into the sea and azure water. But there are also rocky ones, with boulders and depth near the shore. Punta Molentis is a two-sided beach: rocky on one side, sandy on the other. These are great places for those who dream of swimming and sunbathing on vacation, being at sea from dawn to the appearance of the moon track.

© Jürgen Scheeff / Unsplash

Villasimius has an old fortress with an observation tower. And the local port can accommodate 840 yachts up to 65 meters long at the same time.

A treasure for divers is the reserve of Capo Carbonara, whose waters offer an encounter with groupers, sea bream, snappers, barracudas, octopuses, clams and dolphins.

We also advise you to visit the Sea Museum "Casa Todde", which has more than seven hundred exhibits, and the collection is constantly replenished. You will see antique compasses, rudders, bathyscaphe helmet, pelorus, a variety of ship's gauges, barometers and hygrometers, a 1916 diving suit, binoculars, model ships and furniture.

Later, you arrive in the main city of Sardinia - Cagliari, where the sights of a colorful history await you: from Phoenicia and Carthage to the Duchy of Savoy. 45 km south of Cagliari is Pula and Santa Margherita, with its most famous resort, Forte Village, kilometers of beaches, open-air bars and artisan workshops. In the archaeological park of Pula, you will see the ruins of the city of Nora, founded by the Nuragians in the 8th century BC and later conquered by the Romans. The city is located on the coast and partly in the sea. Roman mosaics are preserved under water and can be seen while snorkeling. And on the surface there are temples, villas, baths and the Roman theater, where concerts and performances are held in the open air even today.

Kia

15 km from Nora is the resort town of Kia, famous for its equipped beaches, dunes, pine forests, mountains, boulders and archaeological sites. There are plenty of leisure activities here: sailing, surfing, swimming and triathlon competitions, golf on a 27-hole championship course. A horseback ride takes you to the 150-year-old Cape Spartivento Lighthouse, now a full-service hotel, or to Cala Cipolla Beach, popular with surfers. Pines and juniper create shade here even on a hot day.

The most beautiful and most comfortable beach of Kei is the sandy Su Judeu beach: long, with white sand, surrounded by high dunes covered with ancient juniper trees. This is an incredible place for a relaxing vacation with children: here you can swim to your heart's content, simply and with a mask, relax in beach clubs and bars, see flamingos. Panoramas of the entire bay, its beaches and islands open from the nearby lighthouse. The islets of Sant'Antioco and San Pietro to the west of the main island can be reached by boat. The only town of San Pietro, Carloforte, is considered one of the most charming in Italy. On Sant Antioco, in turn, you can visit wineries and taste local wine.

Porto Flavia

One of the most unusual places in the entire Mediterranean is located in the south-west of Sardinia and it is the mine of Porto Flavia - a miracle created a century ago for the extraction of minerals in the city of Iglesias.

©Jürgen Scheeff / Unsplash

Behind the facades there are man-made tunnels, warehouses, a conveyor, which used to bring the ore directly onto the ships, which greatly reduced the cost of the process. The reserves were exhausted after the Second World War, and the mining complex ceased its activities. Today, the galleries with the equipment, after careful restoration, are open to tourists who want to get to know the history of Iglesias. But the most impressive thing against the background of the blue sea is the medieval-style pine facade. The nearby beach offers a panoramic view of the snow-white Pan di Zuccero rock, the highest in the Mediterranean.