Sardinia

Sardinia is Italy's second-largest island, with beaches on the Costa Smeralda and the south coast, and an inland of mountains and ancient stone towers.

736 places to stayWalking times to the beach, hills and evening noise for each one
See prices for places to stay

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Where to stay, by what matters to you

Best things to do in Sardinia

The one thing not to miss

Spend time in Cagliari, the capital and largest city of Sardinia, which has about 146,000 residents in its municipality.

Cagliari

  1. Cagliari

    • A day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • No car needed
    • Rainy day

    The capital and largest city of Sardinia, with about 146,000 residents in the municipality.

    15,962 readers a month

    Sources

  2. Alghero

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    A municipality on the Mediterranean coast of north-west Sardinia with about 41,800 residents, the island's fifth-largest city.

    5,222 readers a month

    Sources

  3. Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo

    • A day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • Adults

    A coastal tourist area in northern Sardinia stretching about 20 km. Porto Cervo, a seaside resort developed by foreign investors in the early 1960s, is its main centre and is known for luxury yachts.

    4,652 readers a month

    Sources

  4. La Maddalena

    • A day
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples
    • Families

    A town of about 10,400 people on the islands of the Maddalena archipelago, in the north-east of Sardinia.

    The islands lie off the coast; we have not confirmed ferry details from an official source, so check before you plan.

    2,017 readers a month

    Sources

  5. Cala Goloritzé

    • Half a day
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Active
    • Couples

    A beach in the southern part of the Gulf of Orosei, in the municipality of Baunei in Sardinia's Ogliastra region.

    We have not confirmed access rules, which may include limits or a fee; check before you go.

    1,606 readers a month

    Sources

  6. Giants of Mont'e Prama

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Adults
    • Rainy day

    Ancient stone sculptures by Sardinia's Nuragic civilization, found broken into many fragments in March 1974 on farmland near Mont'e Prama in the comune of Cabras. The statues are carved from local sandstone and stand 2 to 2.6 metres tall.

    We have not confirmed where the statues are displayed or the museum's opening details; check before you go.

    1,593 readers a month

    Sources

  7. Carloforte and San Pietro Island

    • A full day
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    San Pietro Island lies about 7 km off Sardinia's south-west coast, covers 51 square kilometres and has about 6,000 residents, mostly in Carloforte, a fishing town listed among Italy's most beautiful villages.

    The island needs a ferry crossing; we have not confirmed sailing details, so check before you plan.

    1,588 readers a month

    Sources

  8. Bosa

    • Half a day
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    A town of around 8,000 people on the north bank of the Temo River, about 3 km inland on Sardinia's west coast. It is the only Sardinian town built on a riverbank and is listed among Italy's most beautiful villages.

    1,333 readers a month

    Sources

  9. Su Nuraxi di Barumini

    • 1 to 2 hours
    • Check entry rules before you go
    • Adults
    • Families

    A Nuragic archaeological site in Barumini, Sardinia. The name means 'the nuraghe' in the southern Sardinian language.

    We have not confirmed ticket arrangements; check before you go.

    1,324 readers a month

    Sources

  10. Castelsardo

    • 2 to 3 hours
    • No booking needed
    • Couples
    • No car needed

    A town of about 5,600 people in north-west Sardinia, on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Asinara.

    1,082 readers a month

    Sources

Just missed the list: Tavolara (11th by readers; an island off the north-east coast); Asinara (12th by readers; an island off the north-west coast)

How we ranked these

By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Cagliari leads with about 15,962 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.

Research required. Area notes for this destination are not written yet. The top 10 above is sourced; the rest of this page is an outline.

Affiliate disclosure: Booking links on this site are partner links. Once our partnership is active we earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It does not change what we recommend. How this works.