Sardinia had been on our travel bucketlist for a long time.

We are italian and this is totally embarassing but… We had never been to Sardinia until now. Therefore, after seeing for the thousandth time photos of the beautiful blue sea and white beaches, we immediately booked our flight.

We stayed less than a week only and we traveled around the northern part of the island. After that, we cannot wait to be back and discover the south too!

If you’re lucky enough to be planning a trip to Sardinia, in this guide we will outline what to do in our Sardinia 5 days itinerary.


Best time of the year to visit Sardinia

June and September are the perfect months to visit the island. The weather is hot enough to take a dip in the blue sea but not too hot for trekking and, most of all, the beaches are not to busy. We went early June and it was perfect!

How to get around Sardinia

A roadtrip around the island is the best way to visit Sardinia. Public transport here is limited, so you should hire a car cause it would be hard to do everything on this itinerary without it!

SPIAGGIA DELLE VACCHE

First stop is an hidden gem near San Teodoro, a little bay with torquoise water, white sand and granite rocks. A dream!

Why is it called “Spiaggia delle Vacche”? Apparently in the past this little bay was popular by cows, who spent their days here relaxing in the sun.

We were lucky enough to have the beach all to ourselves for all the morning. It’s not so easy to reach this little cove, therefore it hardly gets crowded.

How to get there? Take SS 125 and set Cala Girgolu on maps, when there park your car in the parking lot. After that, walk across the village and then follow the path between wood and cliffs.

The hike is quite easy and if you are tired you can stop in the amazing little bays on the path.

Don’t forget to bring food and water with you, Spiaggia delle Vacche is super wild, no shops or restaurant there. You’re going to love it!

ARCIPELAGO DELLA MADDALENA

Looking at pictures of Arcipelago della Maddalena made us choose north Sardinia instead of South. We can say that this arcipelago has the most beautiful sea that we’ve ever seen!

We recommend to stay at least two days. As a matter of fact they are not enough, wish we could have stayed the whole week there!

How to get there:

You should drive to Palau and take the Ferry Palau-La Maddalena with your car (is less expensive than you think). You can check fares and times here

There are tons of things to do here, and we couldn’t do everything so we’re definitely planning to go back. In conclusion, let us show you our highlights!

CALA COTICCIO

No needs of introduction for Cala Coticcio, right? It really is the most beautiful beach that we have ever seen, his beauty was totally beyond our expectations!

For this reason we’re sure that Cala Coticcio is on most people bucket list, but there are a few things to know before you get there.

This truly amazing place is located on Caprera island, and it is a natural reserve.

Firstly, get ready for a 45 minutes trek to get to the beach, and remember that is mandatory to go to Cala Coticcio with a guide. This is not because the trek is too hard or dangerous, but in order to reduce human impact and protect the environment.

The park offers some free guides too, check the official website to see the latest news.

Let’s try to travel consciously!

SPARGI

Among the islands of the Maddalena Archipelago, there is an uncontaminated paradise made of sandy bays, rugged granite, crystal clear water and pristine nature.

In other words, if you are looking for a wild and quiet place Spargi is perfect for you! The island is completely unspoilt and uninhabited, no houses, no hotels, no restaurants. Just imagine that the inland is almost impenetrable.

Spargi is only reachable by boats. We booked our taxi boat, choose the beach of our dreams and just spent the day chilling on the beach and climbing on the rocks.

If you want to visit more islands and different beaches you can rent a boat or book a tour, there are plenty of options there.

ISOLA DI GIARDINELLI

Isola di Giardinelli is a tiny island linked to La Maddalena by a little bridge.

The most famous spot of Giardinelli is Capocchia du Purpu for sure, but do not stop there. This little island is quite wild too, lush vegetations, weird granite rocks and plenty of beaches will stole your hearts for sure!

VALLE DELLA LUNA

Well, make yourselves comfortable, this is a magic place!

Valle della Luna is one of the symbols of the long and breathtaking Santa Teresa Gallura coastline.

This little valley is located in the western part of the promontory of Capo Testa, and is made by impressive granite rocks shaped by the force of the weather over the years.

Therefore, here you’ll find beautiful little coves, turquoise and crystal clear waters, weird rocks and a dense Mediterranean scrub.

What is curious about this place is that, since the late 1960s, the valley has been chosen as a home by a group of hippies and naturists, who have helped to keep it unspoilt. A few people still lives here, in deep nature and far away from cities and noises.

But why is it called “Valle della Luna”? It is because of the unusual white colour of the rocks in the moonlight. Well, it seems next time we should go after the sunset, then!

BOSA

To be totally honest, Bosa wasn’t on our initial itinerary because of the distance, but in the end we decided to go there anyway. Good choice!

This little town is known as one of Italy’s most picturesque village, and it is a cool place indeed.

Bosa is super scenic with his colorful buildings, a hilltop castle and a river flowing right through the village.

We wandered through the streets of Bosa stopping every 5 seconds to take pictures of the unique views of the village.

In addition, a couple of kilometres from the city center you can find Bosa Marina, what a better way to end the day with a pizza and a cold beer on the beach?