YOUR SARDINIA TRAVEL GUIDE
Sardinia has it all: a proud and unique local identity, a rich cuisine, stunning beaches, and dramatic natural scenery both above ground and deep beneath the limestone surface. Whether you are seeking a mix of adventure, romance, or a family holiday – Sardinia will not disappoint. Follow this guide for everything you need to know to plan the perfect Sardinian holiday…
We stayed in Baja Sardinia, which is at the north of the island and one of the most famous seaside towns thanks to it’s beautiful beaches and venues that liven up the summer nights.
Baja Sardinia is a 45 minute drive from Olbia airport and a beautiful drive at that. It almost feels like you’re driving through Palm Springs with its stunning yet peculiar landscape (think granite rocks, mountains, cultivated fields, bougainvillea, cactus and desert areas). It’s best to have a hire car for the time you stay so you can explore the island.
Photo: Laura’s gorgeous Airbnb. 
Photo: Grand Smeraldo Hotel Beach
WHERE TO STAY
- We stayed in Baja Sardinia at Grand Hotel Smeraldo Beach. This stunning hotel is on the beach and just 200 metres away from Baja Sardinia main square.
- We also stayed at this cute Airbnb which was such a memorable experience. This bed and breakfast was a gem, the quintessential Airbnb experience and much better than the photos display. A short walk to the beach, the B&B was minutes from restaurants and nightlife. The host (Laura) and daughter provided a generous and delicious breakfast each morning which included homemade cakes and pastries, croissants, cold meats, cheeses, fresh coffee and every juice you could imagine.
Photos: Jerry’s Beach and Bar 
WHERE TO WINE & DINE
- Porto Cervo is home to many of the beautiful restaurants, so we drove here most evenings for dinner (only a 20 minute drive from the hotel). However Baja Sardinia was also the perfect dining spot. It had a great atmosphere, multiple beach front restaurants and amazing seafood (and gelato). Some of our favourite restaurants are listed below…
- Agriturismo La Colti ‘The best meal in Sardinia’ – At this farm-to-table restaurant, everything is organic and prepared in true Sardinian style. Don’t miss the house-made pastas, ravioli with almonds, or suckling pig cooked in front of you. For only 35 euro per person, this dining experience was the highlight of everyone’s trip. Book in advance.
- Jerry’s Beach and Bar, Cala Juncu – one of the best meals and experiences of the trip as well. And there is a beautiful private beach about a 15 minute walk away – make a day trip of it.
- Ristorante il Guscio ‘The legedary Guscio’ – The Guscio Restaurant is the legendary restaurant of Baja Sardinia. Really modern, delicious fresh food (especially the walnut pesto!) and the pizzas are amazing out of the wood fired pizza oven. This gem of a restaurant is very popular so make sure to go around 8pm to avoid waiting in line.
- Ristorante Pedrinelli – so beautiful for dinner! Lovely ambiance and the restaurant and food were delicious. Perfect for a large group and the service was impeccable.
- For the best pizza and pasta, you cannot go wrong with this little gem on the beachfront… Pizzeria Spaghetteria Bar Sole Mare. For a group of 10, we had pizzas, pastas, mussels, entrees, wine, so much food for less than 20 euro per head.
BEACHES YOU MUST VISIT
- We would recommend hiring a boat for the day and stopping off at all of the beautiful beaches. There are so many along the coastline! Boats at Baja Sardinia can be pre-booked the day before and costs around 100-200 euro for 4-6 people.
- Make sure you visit the following two beaches (you will need to drive there)… Spiaggia Del Principe is a paradise spot in Costa Smeralda and one of the best beaches on the entire island. The car park is 5 euros and you take a short walk through the bush to get to it. The sand is fantastic, the water is crystal clear and beautiful and the beach is generally big enough so that it doesn’t get too crowded.
- And Capriccioli, Costa Smeralda is another hidden gem and another one of the most beautiful beaches of Costa Smeralda. The water has the most unreal tones of azure blue and its perfect for swimming and snorkeling.
- Hire a boat and sail around La Maddalena – this was one of our favourite days in Sardinia. The most amazing water we have ever seen in our lives. We hired a beautiful yacht and sailed around the seas all day stopping off at all the beautiful beaches. Luca, our captain, put on a huge Sardinian lunch for us including an antipasto platter and homemade Sardinian pasta accompanied with a beautiful glass of rose.
- Visit La Maddalena town as well, gorgeous little town, cute restaurants and little shops. Very insta worthy!
CLUBS IN SARDINIA
- Phi Beach – is amazing for sunset drinks and turns into a club at night. Its expensive but so worth it. You can even hire a little boat and dock it outside the club in the evening for sunset drinks, its a great atmosphere.
- Ritual Club – really cool club in a castle at the top of a hill, there are so many little caves and different nooks in the club you get lost!
- Billionaire Porto Cervo – one of Summer’s favourite night spots for the rich and famous. It was a bit pretentious but so worth going!
SOME BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY RENTALS IN SARDINIA…
Luxurious Dream Villa with Direct Access to Sea
Torre delle Stelle
Sleeps: 11 – $823.25 per night
Dream House in Porto Rafael | Sardinia
Punta Sardegna
Sleeps: 9 – $799.27 per night
Beachfront Villa
Villasimius, Sardinia, Italy
Sleeps 10: $2,480 – $3,308 / night
Villa Yakamoz
Olbia Area, Sardinia, Italy
Sleeps 10: $2,809 – $4,624 / night
Villa Felix
Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy
Sleeps 13: $5,292 – $9,921 / night
Villa Hibiscus
Palau
Sleeps 10: $329.30 per night
For any further recommendations, please feel free to reach out to us at hello@therhapsody.com.au and we would be happy to answer any questions to help with your travels to Sardinia!
The Rhapsody xx
