Explore Sardinia

Sardinia is one of the most stunning natural landscapes I have experienced.

A desert mountainous island brimmed by glistening emerald waters. The island is situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, about 8 hours by ferry and less by plane from Italy's mainland.

We caught the overnight ferry (Direct Ferries) from Genoa to Olbia. We saved a night's accommodation and didn’t waste our day with travel.

Tip: Book a cabin so you can sleep.

Sardinia is by no means a small island, so unless you are spending a few weeks there I would recommend visiting only a couple of areas. We stayed for 8 nights splitting our time between two locations Palau and Cala Gonone. I would recommend hiring a car to explore the island and its many hidden beaches, there also no many buses or taxis.

When we arrived we caught a bus from the Olbia Port to the Olbia airport to picked up the hire car. I read so many reviews on different car rental companies and found some really scary reviews. We went with Sardinia rent a car as it was the only company that seemed to have good reviews and we didn’t have any issues with them.

Palau

Situated at the northern end of the island, Palau is a very quiet town, it is mainly a port town for boats heading to the mainland but it is one of the closet towns to visit the famous Maddalena Islands. Palau is also significantly cheaper than Costa Smeralda, which is where all the superyachts dock.

If you plan on seeing the Maddalena islands I would recommend heading to the marina a day or two earlier, there you will find many different sale kiosks. We decided on a catamaran day trip as it had only took a small group of people and supplied lunch and wine! ($80 each). These islands were so stunning boasting every shade of blue imaginable surrounded by limestone cliffs.

Accommodation:

Although our Airbnb was on the smaller side it was perfect for what we wanted, close to the marina and the main town. The lovely owner really helped make our stay special by supplying us with fresh local Italian coffee, local wine, fruit and snacks. It was one of the best Airbnb experiences we have had.

https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/12151527?guests=1&adults=1

Cala Gonone

Cala Gonone, known as Sardinia's secret seaside, due to the fact that the beach was only accessible via the water. Although now there are a few options to explore the hidden coves along the cliffs. You can join a day tour on a large boat, hire a driver on a smaller boat, or hire your own boat to explore. The benefit of hiring your own boat is you can anchor at which ever beach you like for as long as you want. One thing to keep in mind is someone on the boat must be a strong swimmer because you have to anchor the boat 150m offshore and swim back to the beach.

Tip: Bring money with you in the boat as you have to pay 2 euros for a beach pass which the man who helps pull your boat to shore will be collecting.