White sand, clear turquoise sea and luxurious trees swaying within the wind. That may sound like an outline of the Maldives – but it surely's actually what I experienced on a recent trip to Italy.
Sardinia, the second largest Mediterranean island after Sicily, is typically known as “the Maldives of Europe” for the great thing about its beaches – two of which appear on “The 50 best beaches on the earth“2024 list selected by more than 1,000 travel professionals.
Like the Maldives, parts of Sardinia also have a reputation for being expensive. Those with big pockets go for it Costa Smeralda – or Emerald Coast – known for its yacht-loving jet set, upscale golf resorts and designer shops.
The luxury hotel company Belmond opened the renovated Romazzino in Porto Cervo together with colleagues in August LVMH The Cheval Blanc brand wants to open a hotel in 2026. Hotels from the Rocco Forte Group and Mandarin Oriental are also scheduled to open in the same year.
But it is possible to experience Sardinia's beautiful coastline without spending a fortune, as I discovered on a recent vacation. Airfare obviously affects the cost of travel, but I spent $1,500 for a week on the island, including flights from London.
First, I was happy to travel in the fall when prices are cheaper. Schools in the UK start at the beginning of September and I assumed the weather would still be nice.
I was also happy with mid-range accommodations and wanted to stay somewhere that included some meals to make budgeting easier. It was also important to me to be close to local restaurants as they are often cheaper than those in touristy places.
Searching online, I discovered that holiday company Neilson operates a resort on the north-east coast of Sardinia far away from the Costa Smeralda. I stayed at a Neilson-run hotel in Greece a few years ago and was impressed by the service and food, as well as the activities such as kayaking and yoga.
Neilson's Bay dei Mori Beach Club is a 40-minute drive from Olbia Airport and sits next to the sand dunes of a pretty beach. I found a deal for 849 British pounds ($1,102) per person for a week, based on the assumption of two people sharing a room and traveling in late September.
The price included return flights from London Stansted Airport, transfers, daily breakfast and lunch and four dinners and on-site activities such as tennis training, guided cycling tours, yoga classes and windsurfing. The hotel's website showed bright, pine-lined sandy beaches and rooms in one-story buildings set in simple gardens.
I was sold and booked a trip with my friend Sinead.
The first morning I went to a yoga class that took place on a wooden fitness deck near the beach. I then sunbathed for several hours and took part in a water aerobics class in the hotel pool.
In the afternoon Sinead and I took part in a guided mountain bike tour, choosing the beginner level 'green' level which took us on a 9km circular route. Avid cyclists can use the winding roads in the hills for intermediate or advanced routes. We stopped for a lemon granita Shardana Restaurant surrounded by trees overlooking the white sandy Baia Sant'Anna beach.
Our days continued to be a mix of activity and relaxation, often starting with yoga followed by a weightlifting class or bike ride in the afternoon.
A highlight was a stand-up paddleboard “safari” where I, together with other guests, paddled around a peninsula to the 4km long white sand beach of Budoni Bay, which offers stunning views of the mountainous Isola Tavolara. The resort also offers sailing courses for all levels, with a race at the top of the week.
On evenings when food was not included we went to the village of Tanaunella for dinner. At L'Hotel Pedra NieddaI enjoyed Malloreddus alla Campidanese, a Sardinian pasta with sausage sauce, for 12 euros ($13), while the family-run Pizzeria da Paolo offered a wide variety of pizzas for under 10 euros. At Restaurant La VolpeI treated myself to a tuna steak with anchovy mayonnaise for 25 euros.
The rest of our budget went towards alcoholic drinks and coffee in local bars, and one day we rented a car (around 120 euros, including delivery, collection and petrol) to drive south to the Gulf of Orosei and Gennargentu, a national park with spectacular views cliffs and a series of white sandy beaches.
The coastal town of Cala Gonone offers boat trips to the Grotte del Bue Marino caves, which I think are very popular in the summer. Instead, we drove along the coast to Cala Fuili Bay, where a small, white pebble beach is lined with cliffs popular with climbers. There we climbed down steep steps to find a spot among the sunbathers.
Like many destinations, Sardinia strives to reduce overtourism and has done so Limits introduced depends on how many people can visit certain beaches in high season. At La Pelosa At beaches along the northeast coast, individuals are required to position mats under their towels to forestall sand from getting stuck on them and being faraway from the beach.
My hotel is a low-rise resort set back from the shore, with marked paths through the sand dunes to avoid damage – and the beach never felt crowded.
It was the best off-season escape.
image credit : www.cnbc.com