Northeastern Sardinia
Rising from the sapphire sea like some kind of giant sea creature, this rocky island is a sight to behold. The main draw is splashing about in the…
Must-see attractions in Northeastern Sardinia
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Northeastern Sardinia
Giuseppe Garibaldi, professional revolutionary and all-round Italian hero, bought half of Caprera in 1855 (he got the rest 10 years later). He made it his…
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Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Northeastern Sardinia
Established in 1996, Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena consists of seven main islands and several smaller granite islets off Sardinia's…
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Olbia
Architect Vanni Macciocco designed Olbia’s strikingly contemporary museum near the port. The museum spells out local history in artefacts, from Roman…
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Museo Etnografico ‘Olivia Carta Cannas’
Northeastern Sardinia
Aggius is famous for its carpets, with a tradition dating back to the 1900s, when 4000 looms were busy in the area. This excellent museum showcases a fine…
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Costa Smeralda
Dotted with granite boulders and backed by fragrant macchia, this gorgeous half-moon bay has water that goes through the entire spectrum of blues and is…
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Santa Teresa di Gallura
The 'just like the Caribbean' comments come thick and fast when it comes to this bay – a glorious sweep of pale sand lapped by shallow, crystal-clear…
Northeastern Sardinia
A few kilometres northwest of Aggius towards Trinita d’Agultu, you reach the Valle della Luna. It’s a surreal and evocative landscape, where huge granite…
Northeastern Sardinia
This small island near the northwestern corner of the Maddalena archipelago is best known for its Spiaggia Rosa (Pink Beach), so-called because of the…
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Northeastern Sardinia
Some 17km southeast of Tempio, the jagged summit of Monte Limbara (1359m) dominates the gritty landscape. The easiest way to reach it is to drive. From…
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Olbia
Spread across 60 hectares, Tenute Olbios estate whisks visitors through the winemaking process in 1½-hour guided tours (€10), which head down to the…
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Olivastri Millenari di Santo Baltolu
Northeastern Sardinia
Signposted as 'olivastri millenari', this delightful off-the-beaten-track nature reserve shelters a group of wild olive trees that have been growing for…
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Costa Smeralda
This necropolis is a curious site made up of four interlocking megalithic burial grounds, possibly dating to 3500 BC. Archaeologists believe that VIPs…
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Northeastern Sardinia
The Museo Etnografico Galluras celebrates local rural traditions with a collection of agrarian tools and a reconstructed village house. Rooms showcasing…
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Costa Smeralda
Taking the Arzachena–Luogosanto road south, you can follow signs to one of the most important tombe dei giganti in Sardinia. The most visible part of it…
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Northeastern Sardinia
Signposted 2km north of Tempio Pausania along the SS133, this nuraghe is more substantial than the many other ruins that dot the surrounding countryside…
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Costa Smeralda
Accessible via a 2km track from the Nuraghe di Albucciu ticket office, this temple dating back to 1500 BC is one of only a few of its kind in Sardinia…
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Costa Smeralda
Covering an area of several square kilometres, the partially excavated nuraghic ruins of La Prisgiona are among the most extensive in northeastern…
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Northeastern Sardinia
This modest 17th-century church, presiding over Piazza del Purgatorio, has an intriguing history. The story goes that a member of the noble Misorro family…
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Palau
This weather-beaten granite sculpture sits on a high point 6km east of Palau. The Roccia dell’Orso (Bear Rock) looks considerably less bearlike up close,…
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Northeastern Sardinia
The most exciting part of a visit to Isola Santa Maria is the journey across the crystal-clear aquamarine waters that lap its southern shores – known as…
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Northeastern Sardinia
Rising up behind the port are the craggy heights of Capo Figari (342m), which is now a minor nature reserve. Trails crisscross the macchia and lead up to…
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Palau
Standing sentinel on a rocky crag, this sturdy 19th-century bastion was built to help defend the north coast and Arcipelago di La Maddalena from invasion …
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Costa Smeralda
Also known as Portu Li Coggi, this magnificent crescent of white sand is bound by unspoiled macchia and startlingly clear blue waters. Apparently it's the…
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Olbia
Considered to be Gallura’s most important medieval monument, this Romanesque granite church was built in the late 11th and early 12th centuries on what…
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Porto Cervo
Perched above Porto Cervo is Michele Busiri Vici’s surreal white church with a funnel-shaped bell tower. The church hosts classical-music concerts in the…
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Isola Maddalena
About 1km out of town, on the road to Cala Spalmatore, this museum exhibits finds from a 1st-century shipwreck. The two modest rooms are presided over by…
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Costa Smeralda
This is the nearest nuraghe to town, and certainly the easiest to find, on the main Olbia road, about 3km south of Arzachena. It’s unusual for several…
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Northeastern Sardinia
Since Roman days Tempio has been known for its mineral-rich springs, said to have a curative effect on all who drink from them. Locals still come to fill…
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Porto Cervo
The place to be seen is the Piazzetta, a small square at the centre of a web of discreet shopping alleys. From the piazza, stairs lead to the Sottopiazza…
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Costa Smeralda
This tomba di gigante is quite striking. The central east-facing stele, part of which was snapped off and later restored, dominates the surrounding…
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Northeastern Sardinia
For a sinister peek at Aggius’ past, stop by the new Museo del Banditismo. Housed in the former magistrate’s court, the museum zooms in on banditry in…
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San Teodoro
Nestled amid fragrant macchia and wind-eroded granite formations, and backing onto La Cinta beach, this lagoon attracts ramblers and birdwatchers. Keep an…
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Northeastern Sardinia
Tempio is replete with churches, and an indication of the town’s former importance lies in the presence of the 17th-century Convento degli Scolopi. It’s…
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Porto Cervo
Visit this gallery for temporary exhibitions showcasing works by contemporary artists, such as a recent one featuring Israeli sculptor Arik Levy. The…
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Northeastern Sardinia
Since NATO bid Isola Santo Stefano farewell in 2008, it has once again become a green, tranquil escape. Hikers can visit the fort used by Napoleon during…
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Santa Teresa di Gallura
The 16th-century Torre di Longonsardo is in a magnificent position, overlooking the natural deep port on one side and the entrance to the town's idyllic …
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Costa Smeralda
Less busy than some, this curving sandy bay has remarkably clear water and is named after the rosemary bushes that grow in such abundance. Look beyond the…
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Spiaggia del Grande & Piccolo Pevero
Costa Smeralda
This twinset of stunning bays, 3km south of Porto Cervo, fulfil the Sardinian paradise dream with their floury sands and dazzlingly blue, shallow water…
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Costa Smeralda
Though busy in peak season, this beach is a beauty – a long arc of pale, fine sand and crystal-clear water. It's close to the neo-Moorish fantasy that is…
