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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Sicilian rich history is confirmed by a series of preserved monuments from ancient times. Here you can find about half of all such monuments from all over Italy. If you add a beautiful piece of nature to it, then you can certainly count with a perfect sightseeing holiday.

Sicily is a popular destination always well prepared for the tourists. You can get there by all possible means of transport. There are two main airports in Palermo and in Catania or you can use the ferry which take your car or bus over the Strait of Messina. Very interesting is getting there by train, when the whole train get on board of the ferry.

The entire island is covered by dozens of known and lesser-known resorts. Hotels offer a wide range of additional services that are at a very high level. Local people highly appreciate tourists, as they are in fact the main source of income.

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Each corner of the island has its own charm and has something interesting. The main season lasts from early May to late October, an ideal time for swimming and diving. The sea here is similar to that in Italy, however, is considerably cleaner. For travelling across the island you can use some of the car or scooter rental services (about 40 euros / day).

If you wish to discover southwest side of the island, then the town of Campobello di Mazzaro is the right place for do so. A few kilometers away you will find the ancient quarries. The stones from here were used for building an important ancient city of Selinunte.

The best starting point for discovering the beauty of the north-eastern parts of the island is the town of San Saba, which lies near Messina. Not far away is worth visiting Capo d’Orlando and Brolo, lying opposite Aeolin Islands. Popular tourist resorts are attractive mainly because of the beautiful countryside and many historical treasures.

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Where you definitely need to go and what should you know?
Taking a train to Giardini Naxos is a real experience. It lies in the middle of the bay, surrounded by steep cliffs.

Another interesting tip is traveling to the shrine in Tindari. Ancient sanctuary, situated on the hill above a large sandy beach, was considered a miracle. It contains one of many Byzantine Black Madonnas in Southern Italy. Tindari is also a place of rich archaeological excavations. You will find here the Greek theater and gymnasium, situated between the grassy slopes falling into the sea.

Up to Etna, the queen of volcanoes!
The highest active volcano in Europe has its place in the eastern part of the island. Nearly circular base has a diameter of an incredible 40 kilometres. There are two routes leading to the top – south (from Rifugio Sapienza at an altitude of 1900 m) and the North. For quite a big amount of money you can rent a jeep or go to the summit with a guide. Very nice walk is also to the craters of Monti Silvestri, where you find many souvenir shops. Absolutely unique view of Mount Etna offers a town of Taormina.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Richard Leeming

Sicily is rich in all aspects of life
One of the most beautiful places in Sicily is considered the Valley of the Temples located near the ancient city of Agrigento. It is famous for the remains of seven Doric temples, built on a rocky ridge at the coast. In addition to historical sites, this location boasts beautiful sandy beaches, inviting to romantic evening strolls.

Sicily also has its own capital – Palermo, which is absolutely different from any other city in Europe, and according to me it is also the craziest city in Europe. The streets are full of hustle and bustle, and with the name of Palermo many of us imagine Sicilian Mafia. Despite all of this, the city has an irresistible charm and in any case worth a visit. Among the most beautiful sights in town is the Palatinate Chapel in the Royal Palace and the Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. Very romantic is the ruin of the monastery of San Giovanni degli Eremiti. The local archaeological museum is one of the most important in Italy.

Not far from Palermo, in a small provincial town of Monreale, stands one of the most beautiful sights of the old Norman kingdom – Cathedral of Monreale. It was built in the 12th century by the most powerful Norman King William II as a symbol of his enormous power.

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Do not forget to visit medieval town of Cefalu, which is situated on the north part of the island.

The last stop on our journey through the ancient cities of Sicily, is Syracuse, formerly one of the most powerful in the Mediterranean. Besides its medieval square attracts visitors mainly for the remnants of the ancient city (theater, amphitheatre, remains of temples). Notable is the archaeological museum with unique finds from around the island, or underground catacombs.

Is it enough, or did I miss something? If you are curious about other great destinations in this island, just go through our tips in the section of the Most beautiful places in Sicily.

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In the city you can walk through the narrow cobbled streets full of stairs and steps. Portoferraio is also known for its numerous old churches. Since the city was reconstructed in 1548 in a military style, its main attractions are fortresses Stella, Falcone and Bastion della Linguella. Another interesting sights are the Church of Reverend Mercy and Napoleon’s museum. In the old city there is also one the residences of Napoleon. If you rent a car or a motorcycle in Portoferraio, you can take a circuit around the island and visit some of the most interesting places, including hidden and remote beaches. Portoferraio has good ferry connections with Livorno, Piombino and with many other islands of the Tuscan archipelago.

In the area of ​​Portoferraio there are one of the most popular beaches for scuba diving. However the whole island of Elba is actually a paradise for divers. Therefore you can find almost everywhere a dive shop, where you can add an oxygen or rent diving equipment. Even if you have no experience with diving and would like to try it, you can subscribe to any of the courses in the local diving schools. The local beach has a gentle declivity towards the sea, which is especially appreciated by families with small children and less able-bodied swimmers. Swimming is allowed in the crystal clear water of the Ligurian Sea.

You can try out a variety of water sports such as windsurfing, paragliding, water skiing, scooters and pedal boats. The port city of Portoferraio is also an ideal place for sailing, there are regularly held international sailing races.

Not surprisingly, Portoferraio fascinated visitors since the Middle Ages, however the increasing number of tourists is the only disadvantage of this great island.

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The town of Monreale has today around 25 thousand inhabitants. Thanks to its location near the Sicilian capital city, Monreale has almost become one of the turbulent suburbs of Palermo. But if you visit this site, you should definitely visit The Cathedral of Monreale, which is thanks to its mosaics one of the greatest treasures of this Italian island.

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The Cathedral of Monreale is a kind of monument to Arab, Norman and Byzantine art and architecture. Its construction began in 1172 at the instigation of King William II, who wanted to use the cathedral as his tomb, after his death. Therefore, a court architects tried to overcome other royal temples. Not only the building itself, but also the decor was influenced by French, Islamic and Byzantine designs. The cathedral is a massive three-nave building, 102 meters long. However, it looks quite modest from the outside. West facade is, except of the portal to the ornate gates, very curt. Cathedral is in addition covered by a largely urban area with an adjacent monastery.

You can see the beautiful bronze door from 1186, which are decorated with 42 biblical scenes. There are features of a lion and a griffon here, which were symbols of the Norman royal family. On the left side of the church you can see another bronze door from the year 1179, which are mainly influenced by Byzantine art. But the main attraction is the cathedral’s interior.

So if you’re interested in art and history, the Cathedral of Monreale should really be included on the your must-see list.

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