The United Airlines plane flew from Chicago to Maui on Christmas Eve
Sardinia is one of the Mediterranean's most captivating islands. Possessed of a rich history that encompasses several ancient civilizations, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans, Sardinia provides the tourist with a wealth of visitor attractions that reflect this extraordinary cultural heritage. But the island is also renowned for its fabulous vacation resorts set on some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Indeed, Sardinia ticks all the boxes, and is a destination to discover at any time of the year. So, thinking of going?
Click through this gallery for ideas of where to go and what to see.
Cagliari provides the perfect introduction to Sardinia. The island's ancient capital has seen the rule of several civilizations, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans, and all that history deserves to be absorbed at leisure.
A rewarding overview of the city can be enjoyed from Bastione di Saint-Remy, a monumental stairway and panoramic terrace built into the city's medieval walls between 1899 and 1902, and which commands sweeping views over the Sardinian capital.
To really appreciate Sardinia's fascinating past, spend a few hours browsing the exhibits at the magnificent Museo Archeologico Nazionale. This is the most important archeological museum on the island, and contains finds from the Neolithic period to the Early Middle Ages.
The city's splendid cathedral was consecrated in the 13th century and over the centuries has undergone extensive renovation and remodeling. Highlights include the astonishing Mausoleum of Martin I of Sicily, the Ambo of Guglielmo, and the highly ornate crypt (pictured).
The old medieval town is landmarked by two early 14th-century white limestone towers, the Torre di San Pancrazio and the Torre dell'Elefante (pictured), built during the Pisan domination of the city. The Torre dell'Elefante gets its name from a small sculpture of an elephant, a symbol of Pisa, set on a shelf on one of the facades.
Not far from Cagliari on a peninsula near Pula are the ruins of the ancient city of Nora. An important hub of trade for Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman merchants, Nora has in the past given up some exciting finds, including the Nora Stone. Now preserved in Cagliari's archeological museum, the inscribed artifact is noted for the oldest Phoenician inscription found anywhere outside of the Levant.
Sardinia was home to the Nuragic civilization that thrived during the Bronze Age. At Barumini, you can admire the archaeological site known as Su Nuraxi, considered by scholars as the most impressive expression of Nuragic culture. Several of these stone towers can be found scattered across the island, but Su Nuraxi is the one listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The island's pristine Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) is a picture-perfect corridor of half-moon coves fringed with silver-white sands. Some of Europe's most beautiful beaches are found here, with Spiaggia del Principe ("Prince's Beach") one of the most captivating.
Another outstanding white sand beach is Rena Di Ponente, on Capo Testa. This beach, too, is lapped by warm, turquoise-blue waters, and from the shore you can often see dolphins frolicking in the sea.
Alghero sounds more Spanish than Italian, and in fact a percentage of the population in this delightful coastal city speak Algherese, a Catalan dialect that's officially recognized as a minority language.
While not so eye-catching as the UNESCO listed Su Nuraxi, Nuraghe Losa is nonetheless worth visiting for its tholos tomb, a burial structure set within the prehistoric dome. A tiny museum located nearby contains bronze bracelets and other artifacts unearthed in the vicinity.
Located in an area once inhabited by the Arzachena culture are numerous archaeological sites from the pre-Nuragic and Nuragic periods. These concentrations of Stone and Copper Age attractions blanket the countryside behind the Costa Smeralda resorts, the most imposing being the chambered tomb of Coddu Vecchiu (pictured), which dates back to 1800 BCE.
Sardinia's prehistoric wonders extend to the extraordinary Sacred Well of Santa Cristina. Situated north of Oristano, the sanctuary at Santa Cristina is an important Nuraghic complex. It consists of a "holy well"—a water temple dating back to 1200 BCE.
One of the island's three largest and most complex nuraghe, Santu Antine in Torralba is set in a valley ringed by the cones of ancient volcanoes. Visitors can climb the stairs inside the thick walls of the central tower to the second and third floors.
Nuro is surrounded by the Gennargentu, Sardinia's most rugged and beautiful interior mountain range. The city hosts some of the most important ethnographical museums on the island and is considered an important cultural center of the region.
Scattered across the Gennargentu are numerous villages that uphold this cultural tradition. Mamoiada, for example, is renowned for its traditional hand-carved masks.
Sprinkled like emeralds across the tranquil seas of northeastern Sardinia is the stunning Maddalena archipelago. Consisting of seven main islands and numerous small islets, the archipelago is a hugely popular tourist destination, especially among boaters.
Lying adjacent to the tourist resorts lining the Costa Smeralda, Maddalena has the same crystalline waters and wind-blown granite coastlines but remains a haven for wildlife.
In fact, the entire island chain is a designated wildlife reserve, the Maddalena Archipelago National Park. Established in 1994, this geomarine haven covers an area on land and sea of over 29,652 acres (12,000 hectares) and 111 miles (180 km) of coasts.
Tharros, mentioned by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian mathematician, astronomer, and astrologer, exudes an air of mystique. The stone remains of Phoenician, Carthaginian, and Roman cultures, smoothed with age, conjure up images of mighty civilizations that once called this ancient city home.
Bosa is arguably the most picturesque destination on the island. The colorful ensemble of medieval buildings overlook Sardinia's only navigable river. The hilltop Malaspina Castle provides a suitably evocative backdrop.
Another destination topped by a castle is the aptly named Castelsardo. Sitting above a quaint fishing village, the fortification is set slightly above the adjacent cathedral. Both are worth the steep climb to investigate.
The beaches in and around Santa Tereas Gallura include Rena di Ponente, Rena Levante, and Rena Bianca. The town itself serves Capo Testa and exudes a friendly, laid-back charm.
One of Sardinia's most popular natural wonders is Neptune's Grotto. This dramatic sea cave is reached by taking a cruise from the harbor in Alghero to the tip of Capo Caccia. Alternatively, those fleet of foot can walk down the 656-plus steps of the appropriately named Escala del Cabirol ("Goat Steps"), carved into the face of the cliff.
Anyone seeking peace and solitude should head to Sardinia's Costa Verde. Few tourists wind up here, the beached bereft of amenities and only a few small hotels and guesthouses providing accommodation. Pictured is Portu Maga.
Sassari, Sardinia's second city, deserves to be listed on your itinerary for a wealth of visitor attractions that include Cathedral San Nicola of Bari (pictured), Santissima Trinità di Saccargia (the finest example of Pisan architecture in Sardinia), and the absorbing Museo Nazionale Sanna.
Outdoors enthusiasts can explore Supramonte, a rugged limestone massif punctuated by deep gorges and remote valleys. The whole region is crisscrossed by some truly spectacular hiking trails.
A worthwhile diversion is the hike to the prehistoric village of Tiscali, whose ruined stone walls are embraced by the collapsed remains of a colossal cave.
Asinara National Park serves as a wonderful haven for a host of wildlife, animals that include donkeys, wild boar, and mouflon sheep. Asinara was previously known as Isola del Diavolo ("Devil's Island"), since it was used as a quarantine location, as a prison camp during the First World War, and as a high security prison.
Sardinian cuisine is a delight to savor and an expression of its culinary art. Dishes certainly worth trying include panada, a savory dumpling stuffed with lamb meat, potatoes, and dried tomato.
Sardinia's delicious ocean harvest is represented by dishes such as fregola ai frutti di mare, comrpised of fregula pasta with mixed seafood.
But if you really want to eat like a local, sample casu martzu, a traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live maggots to help assist the fermentation of the cheese.
Sources: (Italia.it) (Delicious Italy) (Charming Sardinia)
See also: Idyllic islands of the Mediterranean to warm up your dreams
A sojourn in Sardinia
Exploring this alluring Mediterranean island
TRAVEL Italy
Sardinia is one of the Mediterranean's most captivating islands. Possessed of a rich history that encompasses several ancient civilizations, including the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans, Sardinia provides the tourist with a wealth of visitor attractions that reflect this extraordinary cultural heritage. But the island is also renowned for its fabulous vacation resorts set on some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe. Indeed, Sardinia ticks all the boxes, and is a destination to discover at any time of the year. So, thinking of going?
Click through this gallery for ideas of where to go and what to see.