Sardinia holidays

From impossibly pretty beaches to Spanish-stamped sites, holidays to Sardinia show you Italy from a different angle.

Italy – but not as you know it

The island of Sardinia’s plotted just 120 miles west of the Italian mainland, but it’s far from a carbon copy of its boot-shaped counterpart. The pace of life is a lot slower here. Big cities are swapped out for big beaches, and a lot of the architecture looks like it’s been plucked straight from Spain. Even the language is different to what you’d expect – Sardinian, or Sardo as it’s known locally, is as widely spoken as Italian.

Best for beaches

When it comes to beaches, Sardinia’s got more than a few aces up its sleeve, which isn’t surprising for an island with almost 2,000 miles of coastline. You won’t have to try hard to snap an Insta-worthy photo around here. Pack your snorkelling gear, too – the sea’s famed for its turquoise colour and glass-like clarity. And there are so many coves on the north coast alone that if you were to visit a different one every day, it’d take you about two-and-a-half months to tick them all off.

Spanish ties

Sardinia’s got a lot in common with Spain, especially over in Alghero, on the north-west coast. The city was colonised by the Spanish for more than 400 years, so there are influences everywhere you look – street signs and menus are written in Catalan as well as Italian, and the landmark cathedral wouldn’t look out of place in Barcelona.

First-rate food

Italy’s a foodie’s heaven – and Sardinia’s cut from the same cloth. The island’s just as passionate about food as its bigger neighbour, so you won’t have to look far to find restaurants with menus full of authentic local fare, like spit-roasted suckling pig and seafood pasta dishes. Don’t pass on the island’s home-produced wine, either – Cannonau is a must-try if you’re a fan of a good glass of red.