Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Alghero - Oliena - Cannigione
100% customisable for you
Your week-long sojourn to Sardinia begins today. Glide through security, sink into the airport lounge, and fuel up on nibbles and refreshments before boarding your flight. Olbia is only a two-and-a-half-hour hop away – just enough time to ease into holiday mode.
After clearing customs, collect your hire car and head across the island to Alghero. Nestled on the northwest coast of the island, the stunning seaside city is an easy drive of just under two hours. Still, there’s no rush, so why not stretch your legs en route in charming Tempio Pausania and/or Sassari? All cobbled lanes and sleepy piazzas, they’re perfect for a post-flight pick-me-up.
Your beautiful hotel for the next two nights is a stone’s throw from Alghero’ historic centre. Unpack and kick back, before making a beeline for the hotel restaurant, where superb Sardinian flavours (and a glass of chilled Vermentino) await.
Prepare to discover a Sardinian town unlike any other. Shaped by nearly 400 years of Catalan rule, Alghero has its own rhythm, its own flavour… even its own melodic tongue: Algherese Catalan. Still spoken by around a fifth of residents, especially the town’s elders, the centuries-old dialect drifts through markets and piazzas like an echo of another era. Bilingual street signs in Catalan and Italian, along with local specialities like Paella and Aragosta alla catalana (Catalan-style lobster), add even more Spanish soul to the mix. No wonder this deliciously different seafront town is nicknamed Barceloneta – ‘Little Barcelona’.
Wander the fortified historic centre, a maze of golden-stone lanes that open onto the sea; visit the Alghero Cathedral and its striking Gothic bell tower; and duck into the Church of San Francesco with its honey-coloured cloister. Nearby, the tiled dome of San Michele gleams above the rooftops – one of the city’s most recognisable photo spots.
Continue along the bastions towards the Espero Reial Tower and the lively squares lined with gelaterias and wine bars. Or, if the call of the Mediterranean is too strong to resist, we can arrange for you to enjoy a leisurely day sailing the coast aboard a catamaran.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast – toasted Pa Punyat, the region’s speciality sourdough, topped with Pecorino Sardo and a drizzle of honey, perhaps – before heading to Oliena. The two-hour drive carries you deep into Sardinia’s heart, and the journey is half the joy.
You could stop en route at the Church of San Pietro di Sorres in the Valle dei Nuraghi – all black and white stripes, it’s quite the stunner. But if you stop just once, make it artsy Nuoro. Sardinia’s cultural hub, the hilltop city boasts some of the island’s foremost museums, from archaeology to modern art, and is well worth breaking your journey for.
Arrive in Oliena and settle into your home for the next two nights: a peaceful hotel wrapped in olive groves and vineyards. As the light softens, head outside for a Sardinian aperitif and let the countryside’s calm ease you into your new surroundings. With cicadas the nearest thing to noise pollution, relaxing has never been easier.
This morning, set off with a private guide into the Lanaitto Valley. With its limestone ridges, ancient woodlands, canyons and caves, this is a spellbinding realm where nature rules, eagles soar and wild sheep and boar roam unchecked. Visit Sos Carros, a prehistoric village dating back to the Bronze Age, and the Sa Oche cave, an extraordinary labyrinth of tunnels and pools carved by water over millennia. Next, you’ll head to the Su Gologone karstic spring: an ethereal oasis where crystalline water bursts from the limestone at an astonishing 500 litres per second.
Later, swap wild beauty for bold creativity in Orgosolo, a village famed for its 400-plus murals. Conveying powerful messages of local struggles and global conflicts, the politically charged paintings first began appearing in 1969, and have spread across houses, shops and alleyways ever since. Banksy would approve.
Fancy something different? Today’s other options include a wine cellar visit (with tastings, naturally), or a guided hike to Cala Luna.
Once breakfast is behind you, it’s time to swap mountain air for a soft sea breeze as you journey up the island’s eastern edge to the glamorous Costa Smeralda.
Your gem of a hotel sits right beside the famously emerald-turquoise waters, giving you a front-row seat to Sardinia’s most spectacular stretch of coast. Spend the afternoon beach-blissed and barefoot, mooching between sun-loungers and shoreline. Then, come nightfall, head out for an unforgettable meal overlooking the sea. From Olbia mussels (sucked straight from the shell – you don’t want disapproving looks!) and freshly grilled fish to hearty homemade Puligioni (ricotta-filled ravioli) and porcetto (spit-roast suckling pig), the food here is to die for. Still, the choice of restaurants can be overwhelming – so just let our Concierge know what you’re craving, and they’ll book a top trattoria to suit.
For your final full day, head out by Zodiac to explore Sardinia’s answer to the Maldives: the idyllic Maddalena Islands. A protected national park, the archipelago’s seven main islands and 55 tiny isolotti form one of the Mediterranean’s last true paradises. Think: white-sand crescents, rose-tinted shallows, brilliant turquoise lagoons and granite boulders shaped by time and tides.
Heaven for water babies, your adventure includes swimming stops and visits to the islands of Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, Caprera and Maddalena. With luck, you may spot seals, dolphins and turtles, but these waters brim with history, too. Napoleon suffered his first defeat here in 1793, while Giuseppe Garibaldi, incarcerated on Caprera in 1849, loved his ‘prison’ so much he returned after his release and lived out his days here. After today, you’ll understand why.
Prefer to stay high and dry? We can arrange a private tour of the picturesque Gallura region instead.
Sadly, even the best adventures end eventually, but with the airport only a short 40-minute hop away, you still have time for one last dip in those crystalline waters. Then it’s back to Olbia to drop off the car and catch your two-and-a-half-hour flight back to the UK – sun-kissed, salted and already plotting your return.
Everything in this itinerary is entirely customisable, down to the smallest details. Here are some more suggestions of what could be included
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
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Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
