Visit the city of Alghero

The historic city of Alghero is a must-see on any trip to Sardinia. It has a picturesque old town, brilliant fresh seafood restaurants and plenty of places to sit with a cold drink watching the sun go down. The town is not heavily reliant on tourism, meaning that it’s a great place to experience true Sardinian culture, though it does get busy during the summer months. A gently shelving sandy beach stretches the length of the bay, making it a great choice for those travelling with young family.

A family holiday in Torre del Porticciolo near Alghero, Sardinia, Italy by Dave Haygarth

Explore the coastline in a kayak

If you’d like to explore Sardinia’s beautiful coastline, hiring a kayak for the day is the best idea. This will give you the opportunity to paddle to the secluded beaches, as well as view the caves and sealife along the coast. Be sure to check out the idyllic Cala Luna, the setting of Madonna’s film Swept Away, which can only be accessed by boat. Kayaks are available for hire on the promenade in Cala Gonone.

Enjoy Laguna di Nora’s turtle sanctuary

Located on the south coast of Sardinia, the Laguna di Nora turtle sanctuary makes a great day out for the whole family. As well as the rescued sea turtles and aquarium, there are fascinating Roman ruins and a beautiful beach nearby.

Spend a day at Il Lazzaretto beach

There are many wonderful beaches in Sardinia, but the Il Lazzaretto beach is a favourite even amongst the locals. Located in the Porto Conte regional park, it is sheltered by a headland on which stands a beautiful 16th century tower. The soft white sands and crystal clear waters make it an ideal place for rest and recuperation. If you do fancy some further exploration, it’s just a short walk or drive from the prehistoric settlement of Nuraghe Palmavera.

Sample the local cuisine

We’re all familiar with the delights of Italian cuisine, and the food in Sardinia manages to encompass all of its delights whilst keeping a strong identity of its own. A Sardinian meal typically starts with antipasti, including proscuitto, cheeses, octopus, salami, olives, and marinated vegetables. The first course often comprises of sa fregula, a small round shaped pasta served in fish broth with clams, ravioli made with semolina or panadas, a round pie filled with vegetables, meat or eels. The second course will usually be a fish or meat dish. Traditional Sardinian meats are spit-roasted suckling pig, baby lamb, goat and rabbit. If you’re a bit more adventurous, you may want to try sa cordula, lamb intestines with peas plaited into a braid. Another specialty is sanguinaccio, a pig-blood sausage sweetened with currants and sugar. With such a plethora of wonderful food options available, visitors to Sardinia will never go hungry.

Pizza, Sardinia, Italy by Dave Haygarth

Conclusion

Sardinia is a beautiful island with plenty to offer travellers, so make sure you hire a car. It makes a wonderful holiday destination for those looking for a little bit of laid back luxury.

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Playa del Rincón de la Victoria, Costa del Sol, Spain by Cayetano

Whilst many people choose to holiday down on the coast itself, there are a growing number of visitors choosing to rent properties dotted around the hillside towns and rural areas of Montes de Malaga.   Set back from the coast the so called ‘white villages’ offer a glimpse of more traditional Spanish life, of how it used to be before mass tourism hit the Costas.   With breathtaking views from their mountainside perches, often as far as Morocco on a clear winter’s day, village life is peaceful and tranquil with only the ringing of the church bells to disturb your sunbathing.   Here you will still see the occasional donkey or vans traversing the villages selling fresh fish and vegetables and spend a lazy hour over a drink or two and watch the locals as they go about their daily business.

Choose from a cortijo, a small traditional farmhouse or rustic fincas, charming little cottages and rural country houses which have been lovingly restored and designed to provide a perfect holiday home with everything you could possibly need to enjoy your time in the sun.  Fully equipped, often with private pools and barbeques they are a great option for those of you who don’t like the rigidity of hotels or prefer a little more space and privacy.   Satellite televisions, wi-fi, every modern kitchen gadget and tasteful furnishings make these properties a home from home, some so luxurious that you will be reluctant to raise yourself from your sun lounger to venture outside your little haven.

Nerja, Costa del Sol, Spain by Miika Silfverberg

If you prefer to be amongst the action on the coast you will be able to choose from a wide range of apartments and villas, often set in complexes with every amenity you can think of from large swimming pools and gym complexes.  And for those of you who want the flexibility of being in your own property but don’t want the hassle of self catering, properties are available in serviced complexes which have restaurants available for breakfast, lunch and dinner and those all important pool side snacks.  Some of the larger complexes even boast sports centres complete with tennis courts, bowls and golf and evening entertainment too.

So if it is a self catering holiday you are searching for make sure to check out some of the properties available as holiday rentals on the Costa del Sol.

Sue Wright is an avid traveller and writer and has spent many years working with travel companies including Travel and Leisure Group.  She has spent the last eight years living and working in Cyprus.

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