Must-see attractions in Northeastern Sardinia

  • Landscape of the crystal clear waters of the main beach in Tavolara Island.

    Isola Tavolara

    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…

  • Compendio Garibaldino

    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…

  • Museo Archeologico

    Olbia

    Architect Vanni Macciocco designed Olbia’s strikingly contemporary museum near the port. The museum spells out local history in artefacts, from Roman…

  • 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…

  • Spiaggia Capriccioli

    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…

  • Spiaggia Rena Bianca

    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…

  • Rocky shore in Valle della Luna near Capo Testa, near Santa Teresa di Gallura, Sardinia.

    Valle della Luna

    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…

  • Pink sand beach on Budelli Island

    Isola Budelli

    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…

  • Monte Limbara

    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…

  • Tenute Olbios

    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…

  • 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…

  • Li Muri

    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…

  • Museo Etnografico Galluras

    Northeastern Sardinia

    The Museo Etnografico Galluras celebrates local rural traditions with a collection of agrarian tools and a reconstructed village house. Rooms showcasing…

  • Coddu Ecchju

    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…

  • Nuraghe Maiori

    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…

  • Tempio di Malchittu

    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…

  • La Prisgiona

    Costa Smeralda

    Covering an area of several square kilometres, the partially excavated nuraghic ruins of La Prisgiona are among the most extensive in northeastern…

  • Chiesa del Purgatorio

    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…

  • Roccia dell’Orso

    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,…

  • Isola Santa Maria

    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…

  • Capo Figari

    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…

  • Fortezza di Monte Altura

    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 …

  • Spiaggia del Principe

    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…

  • Chiesa di San Simplicio

    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…

  • Chiesa di Stella Maris

    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…

  • Museo Archeologico Navale

    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…

  • Nuraghe di Albucciu

    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…

  • Fonti di Rinaggiu

    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…

  • Piazzetta

    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…

  • Li Lolghi

    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…

  • Museo del Banditismo

    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…

  • Stagno San Teodoro

    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…

  • Convento degli Scolopi

    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…

  • Louise Alexander Gallery

    Porto Cervo

    Visit this gallery for temporary exhibitions showcasing works by contemporary artists, such as a recent one featuring Israeli sculptor Arik Levy. The…

  • Isola Santo Stefano

    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…

  • Torre di Longonsardo

    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 …

  • Spiaggia Romazzino

    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…

  • 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…

  • Spiaggia Liscia Ruia

    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…

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