Sardinia
Sardinia
A first beach trip to Sardinia for UK travellers: which airport to fly into, where to base yourself for the beaches you actually came for, real car-hire and transfer costs in pounds, and whether the Costa Smeralda is worth it.
In short
Sardinia at a glance
Sardinia is the closest thing the Mediterranean has to a Caribbean beach — white sand, water that's genuinely turquoise, two and a half hours from the UK. The catch is that it's a big island with three airports a long way apart, so the trip lives or dies on flying into the right one. Fly into Olbia for the famous Costa Smeralda north-east, Cagliari for the southern beaches and the capital, or Alghero for the cheaper, Catalan-flavoured north-west. You will want a hire car for all but the most resort-bound trip — the best beaches are coves the bus doesn't reach. Allow a week to do one coast properly, not the whole island.
Sardinia trades on one thing above all: water the colour of a swimming pool, lapping white sand that wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean — and it’s only two and a half hours from the UK. The catch is geography. This is the Mediterranean’s second-largest island, with three airports a long way apart, so the single most important decision is flying into the right one. Olbia opens up the famous Costa Smeralda and the north-east coves; Cagliari serves the southern beaches around Villasimius and Chia plus the capital; Alghero is your way into the cheaper, Catalan-flavoured north-west, where La Pelosa and the pink-stone town of Bosa sit within a day’s drive.
The second thing to get right is the car. Sardinia’s best beaches are coves signposted off the coast road, not stops a bus rolls past, so a hire car is close to essential — and because UK and Italian holidaymakers all want one in August, fleets book out and prices roughly double. Reserve months ahead. The third is restraint: don’t try to lap the whole island in a week. Cagliari to the Costa Smeralda is about three hours of slow coastal driving, so pick one coast, base yourself there, and let the beaches come to you.
As for the Costa Smeralda everyone’s heard of — the scenery earns its reputation, but Porto Cervo is built for superyacht money. Stay a few minutes outside it, in Cannigione or Baja Sardinia, and you get the same turquoise sea at a normal hotel rate. Walk through Porto Cervo’s marina once to see how the other half holidays, then go back to your own stretch of sand.
The route
A week built around one coast rather than a frantic island loop. This version flies into Olbia for the north-east, but the same shape works from Cagliari (swap in Villasimius, Chia and a day in the capital) or Alghero (La Pelosa, Bosa and Neptune's Grotto). Drive times are real road estimates, not motorway dreams — Sardinian coastal roads are slow.
-
Days 1–2
Olbia & the Costa Smeralda fringe
Pick up the hire car at Olbia airport and base yourself just outside the millionaire core — Cannigione or Baja Sardinia rather than Porto Cervo itself. Ease in at Spiaggia del Principe and the coves around Capriccioli. Walk Porto Cervo once to see what the fuss is, then leave before the marina prices ruin your week.
-
Day 3
La Maddalena archipelago
Drive to Palau (about 30 minutes) and take the ferry to La Maddalena, then over the causeway to Caprera. This is the postcard Sardinia — Spiaggia Rosa is off-limits but the beaches around Cala Coticcio rival anything on the mainland coast. A boat tour from Palau is the lazy alternative.
-
Days 4–5
San Teodoro & the central east coast
Move south about an hour to San Teodoro, a more down-to-earth base with shallow family beaches like La Cinta. Use it to reach Tavolara island and the long sandy stretches that the Costa Smeralda crowds don't bother driving to.
-
Days 6–7
The wild Baunei coast
If you've got the legs for it, push south to Cala Gonone (around 2 hours) for a boat day along the Golfo di Orosei — Cala Mariolu and Cala Goloritzé are the wildest, clearest water on the island. Book the Cala Goloritzé entry (about £6) on the Heart of Sardinia app before you go.
Where to base yourself
Pick one or two bases rather than moving every night.
Costa Smeralda fringe (Cannigione / Baja Sardinia)
£££ premiumThe Emerald Coast scenery without Porto Cervo's superyacht pricing. You're 15–20 minutes from the famous coves but paying a normal hotel rate, with Palau and the La Maddalena ferry close by. Best base if the turquoise-water photos are why you're coming.
Best for: Costa Smeralda beaches, La Maddalena, first-timers
San Teodoro
££ mid-rangeA laid-back resort town on the central east coast with long shallow beaches like La Cinta and far better value than the Costa Smeralda. Good for families and anyone who wants restaurants and a bit of evening life within walking distance of the sand.
Best for: Families, walkable evenings, mid-budget beaches
Alghero (old town)
££ mid-rangeThe most characterful town base on the island — a walled Catalan-Sardinian old town you can enjoy without a car, with Neptune's Grotto, the pink-tinged Bosa and the white sand of La Pelosa all within a day's drive. Fly into Alghero for this side.
Best for: Town atmosphere, north-west beaches, no-car days
Villasimius / Chia (the south)
££ mid-rangePair with a Cagliari flight: white sand and lagoon-clear water at Villasimius to the east, the dune-backed beaches of Chia to the west, with the capital's old town and nightlife as a base or a day out. The south is hotter and busier in peak but cheaper to reach.
Best for: Southern beaches, pairing with Cagliari city
Getting around Sardinia
A hire car is close to essential: Sardinia's best beaches are coves signposted off the coast road, and public buses (ARST) are sparse and slow between resorts. Reserve the car well ahead — August demand from UK and Italian holidaymakers books fleets out and roughly doubles prices, and Costa Smeralda beach car parks fill by mid-morning in peak season. The three airports are far apart (Cagliari to the Costa Smeralda is around 3 hours), so fly into the one nearest your chosen coast rather than driving across the island. If you're staying put in Alghero or Cagliari town, you can manage car-free for a few days and pick the car up only for beach days.
Book the essentials
Where to stay
Tours & tickets
Airport transfers
Car hire
Stay connected
Sardinia FAQs
Which Sardinia airport should I fly into?
Do you need a car in Sardinia?
Is the Costa Smeralda worth it?
When is the best time to visit Sardinia?
Ready to book?
Compare car hire