What to do in Sardinia | Sunrise Sardinia

Costa Smeralda

Costa Smeralda is the most scenic chapter of the island: Porto Cervo, crystal-clear bays, beach clubs and that refined idea of holiday that finds its most recognisable expression here. It is worth experiencing it without rushing, alternating its most famous beaches with the panoramic stretches of inland Gallura.

For those staying in the north-east, it is a natural stop, perfect to combine with Olbia and outings towards Palau. This is where the trip takes on a more glamorous tone, while always remaining immersed in a striking landscape.

Official Costa Smeralda website

Elegant and luminous Sardinian coastline

Clear sea and pale sand in northern Sardinia

Palau

Palau has a practical and Mediterranean charm: it is a harbour, a passage point and a departure place. From here, northern Sardinia becomes more mobile, more open and more nautical. It is a perfect base for those who want to alternate land and water without giving up restaurants, walks and sea views.

Palau also works extremely well as a connector: it links Costa Smeralda with the archipelago and opens the way to boat days and fast ferries.

La Maddalena

La Maddalena is the brightest and almost unreal side of this stretch of island. Crystal-clear water, granite profiles, Caprera and a landscape that changes with every bay. Here Sardinia becomes archipelago, wind, crossing and silence.

If the trip seeks the sea as a complete experience, La Maddalena is one of the stops to place at the top of the itinerary. It is also the right place for a boat excursion or for creating a day of pure nature.

La Maddalena National Park

Transparent water and granite coastline in Sardinia

San Teodoro

San Teodoro has a rare balance: iconic beaches, summer energy, ease of movement and an evening life that stays light. It works well both for those who want the sea at the centre of the trip and for those looking for a dynamic base from which to explore the north-east.

La Cinta and Cala Brandinchi shape the imagination, but the beauty of San Teodoro also lies in its overall rhythm: moving from beach to town centre, from aperitivo to evening walk, feels completely natural.

San Teodoro tourism

Posada

Posada is the Sardinia that slows down. The hilltop village, the castle, the plain opening towards the sea and a more intimate, more authentic, almost suspended feeling make it an ideal stop for those looking for an elegant but less exposed, more intimate and more narrative holiday.

Here the landscape is not only coastal: it is also historical, rural and visual. Posada works beautifully as a counterpoint to the more famous places of the north-east.

Sardinia Tourism · Posada

Olbia

Olbia is the most convenient gateway and often also one of the most underestimated. In reality, it is a smart base: well connected, close to the beaches, useful for moving towards Costa Smeralda, San Teodoro and Palau, while keeping its own urban identity.

Between harbour, centre and restaurants, Olbia allows you to experience Sardinia in a more fluid way: less fragmented and easier to enjoy well, especially on shorter stays.

Hello Olbia

Sassari

Sassari moves the trip towards a more urban and cultural register. It is a stop worth considering for those who want to alternate the coast with the historic fabric of northern Sardinia, between architecture, piazzas and a more local, less purely holiday-oriented dimension.

Sassari tourism

Alghero

Alghero has a very strong identity: walls by the sea, a Catalan imprint, scenic sunsets and a historic centre that works beautifully both for a short visit and for a slower stay. It is one of the cities that best expresses the sophisticated side of the west coast.

Alghero tourism

Bosa

Bosa changes the atmosphere once again: colourful houses, the river, the castle and an almost painterly dimension. It is the most romantic and distinctive stop in the group, perfect to present as a stylish detour rather than a simple excursion.

Sardinia Tourism · Bosa

Stintino

Stintino is the name to note down when the trip is meant to end with a famous, almost iconic stretch of sea. The area around La Pelosa remains one of the strongest images of Sardinia and works beautifully for a bright, essential and highly impactful end to the itinerary.

Visit Stintino

How to read this itinerary

If you are looking for the brightest side of Sardinia, stay with Olbia, Costa Smeralda, Palau and La Maddalena. If you want a holiday with more balance between beaches and quality of stay, San Teodoro and Posada work beautifully together. If you prefer to widen the trip westwards, Sassari, Alghero, Bosa and Stintino add character, variety and narrative depth.

.

What to do in Sardinia, between iconic sea views, villages and a slower rhythm