Sardinia Highway Journey Itinerary: 14 Days of Epic Island Exploration

Sardinia delivers among the best Mediterranean street journeys in Europe. This two-week itinerary covers every coast of the island, hitting celebrated seashores, historic cities, and genuine inland gems.

The information follows sights, routes, and contains native journey practices. Begin and finish factors could be both Olbia (north) or Cagliari (south), each with main airports and ferry connections.

Should you’re already on the Italian mainland, an amazing possibility is to take the ferry to the island. This typically makes extra sense than flying, as you possibly can convey your automobile too, which is what we did. That means, we may convey all the things we wanted, go to a few actually lovely locations alongside the way in which, and revel in a cool ferry crossing. Plus, we saved on airfares and automobile rental prices.

Learn as properly our journey tip on The way to Get to Sardinia.

Fast Overview: Route & Areas

Detailed Day-by-Day Itinerary

Days 1–4: North Coast – Seashores & Glamour

Base: Olbia / Costa Smeralda

• Drive from Olbia to Porto Cervo and the famed Costa Smeralda.
• Discover Spiaggia del Principe, Capriccioli Seashore, and Liscia Ruja—all verified for turquoise, shallow waters and well-maintained services. You’ll go to a few of the most lovely seashores on this planet. The surroundings, the colour of the water and the rock formations are merely gorgeous.
• Take the Palau ferry (automobiles allowed) to La Maddalena Archipelago Nationwide Park, famend for abandoned sandy coves and clear snorkeling. A number of licensed boat excursions function each day.
• Tip: Porto Cervo is famous for upscale nightlife, however northern Sardinia’s villages like San Pantaleo and Cannigione supply genuine meals and decrease costs.

The seashores all around the island are gorgeous. The north-eastern ones are essentially the most well-known, however we’ve seen many others that have been equally inviting and delightful.
That’s why we’ve included just a few of them on this article: Greatest Seashores in Sardinia

Days 5–7: West Coast – Genuine Sardinia

Base: Alghero, Bosa

• Drive to Alghero, a city with Catalan roots, medieval partitions, and bustling seafood markets. Its outdated city and Neptune’s Grotto cave (guided excursions year-round, climate allowing) are customer highlights.
• Observe the scenic SP49 coastal street to Bosa—a riverside village with pastel homes and the Malaspina Citadel. Bosa is confirmed for its picturesque heart and river views.
• South of Bosa, uncover the quartz-sand seashore at Is Arutas and wild waves of the Costa Verde.

Days 8–10: South Coast – Historical past & Capital Tradition

Base: Cagliari / Villasimius

• Head south by way of Oristano in the direction of Cagliari, the historic Sardinian capital.
• Cagliari’s prime websites: the Bastion of Saint Remy, Poetto Seashore, the traditional Roman amphitheater, and the outdated districts of Castello and Marina.
• Eat: Cagliari’s eating places serve signature dishes like culurgiones (Sardinian ravioli) and bottarga (cured mullet roe).
• Tour: Day journeys to Villasimius and Costa Rei for unspoiled south-eastern seashores are simple by way of SS125 freeway.

Days 11–14: East Coast – Wild Landscapes & Journey

Base: Orosei, Cala Gonone, Baunei

• Drive up the SS125 (the “Orientale Sarda,” one in all Italy’s prime scenic roads) to Orosei. The Gulf of Orosei is legendary for limestone cliffs, sea caves, and pristine coves.
• Cala Gonone: Gateway for boat excursions to Cala Luna, Cala Mariolu, and the ocean cave Grotta del Bue Marino. Journeys run each day in summer season—affirm availability and climate earlier than reserving;
• A hike to Cala Goloritzé, a UNESCO-listed seashore solely accessible on foot, is extremely advisable (path well-signposted and maintained).

Highlights & Actions

• Greatest seashores: Spiaggia del Principe, La Pelosa (Stintino), Cala Goloritzé, Cala Mariolu, Poetto, and Is Arutas.
• Historic websites: Su Nuraxi nuraghe (Barumini, UNESCO-verified), Castello di Cagliari, Malaspina Citadel (Bosa).
• Wildlife: Pink flamingos seen at Cagliari’s salt flats and Molentargius Park in spring and summer season.
• Consuming: Strive native specialties—porceddu (roast suckling pig), seadas (cheese pastry with honey), and Cannonau wine.
• Boat excursions: Licensed operators on La Maddalena and the Gulf of Orosei supply each day journeys; advance reserving advisable for August.

Learn as properly our journey recommendations on…

Important journey ideas for Sardinian street journeys

Sardinia is good for street journey explorers, however a profitable journey requires up-to-date planning and native know-how. Listed below are an important journey ideas for anybody self-driving round Sardinia’s coast:

1. Automotive Rent & Reserving

• Advance reservation required: Particularly in July-August, e-book your automobile weeks forward for one of the best availability and costs.
• Rental places: Main airports at Olbia and Cagliari, plus Alghero and port cities.
• Driver necessities: Most rental businesses require a legitimate EU or worldwide driver’s license, and drivers to be a minimum of 21 (generally 25) years outdated.

We headed to Sardinia with our personal automobile and took the in a single day ferry. That saved us the rental automobile prices, flights and we had an amazing journey and the children beloved the ferry crossing.

2. Driving & Roads

• Highway circumstances: Highways (SS and SP roads) and primary coastal routes are properly maintained and paved. Inland routes could be slim and winding—drive slowly and with warning.
• Velocity limits: 50km/h (cities), 90km/h (secondary roads), 110km/h (main roads), until in any other case posted. Many roads have velocity cameras (“autovelox”).
• Gasoline: Most fuel stations settle for playing cards and are open each day, although some shut for an extended lunch (12:30–15:30) outdoors large cities. Refill earlier than coming into distant coastal stretches.

3. Navigation & Indicators

• Navigation: GPS or Google Maps works properly, however convey a paper map as cellular reception could also be weak within the mountains and distant coasts.
• Highway indicators: Indicators are clear and sometimes in Italian, with some places listed in Sardinian dialect.

4. Parking & ZTL (Restricted Zones)

• Seashore/city parking: Many seashores and city facilities have paid parking zones. All the time verify indicators for closing dates and fee strategies.
• ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato): Many aged city areas (particularly Cagliari, Alghero, Bosa, Castelsardo) limit non-resident automobile entry throughout elements of the day. Fines are computerized for violations. Fairly nasty, proper? So be careful and search for marked indicators.

5. Security & Safety

• Private security: Sardinia is very secure for self-driving vacationers. Violent crime is uncommon; normal precautions apply.
• Car security: Theft from automobiles can happen, notably at distant seashores. As standard, by no means depart seen valuables in your automobile.

6. Ferries and Island Connections

• Automotive ferries: The one automobile ferry to La Maddalena leaves from Palau (runs year-round).
• Advance reserving is extremely advisable throughout summer season and weekends.

7. Necessities to Pack

• Solar safety: Sardinian solar is intense; pack sunscreen, hats, and sun shades.
• Money: Though playing cards are broadly accepted, many distant seashore parking heaps or rural eating places settle for solely money.
• Water and snacks: Providers are sparse alongside some distant coastlines or mountain stretches.

8. Native Driving Tradition

• Locals might drive shortly on winding roads; use pull-outs to let sooner vehicles move.
• Roundabouts: All the time yield to visitors already inside.

9. Emergency Info

• Emergency quantity: Dial 112 for police, hearth, or medical emergencies.
• Breakdown providers: Most rental businesses present a toll-free quantity for help. Just remember to have the contact particulars of your insurance coverage, should you drive with your personal automobile.

10. Sustainability

• Respect seashores and nature reserves: Take all waste with you; by no means park on sand dunes.
• Help native: Use native guides, eat regional delicacies, and store at markets for genuine experiences.

These journey ideas for driving in Sardinia will assist guarantee each a easy journey and a accountable journey expertise.

Journey Dudes encourages accountable and sustainable exploration. Respect native tips, eliminate waste correctly, and help genuine Sardinian companies all through your journey.