Road Tripping in One of Italy's Most Underrated Islands

  • 8 months ago
Join AFAR's video editor, Claudia Cardia, as she shows us the perfect 4-day road trip itinerary around the Italian island she grew up on, Sardinia, starting from Cagliari. Stops include beautiful beaches, an agrotourism restaurant, and a hike to a secluded cove on the island, as well as other ideas on what to do on your next trip to Sardinia, Italy.

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CREDITS

Claudia Cardia - Video Editor
Jessie Beck - AFAR Producer
Elizabeth See - Designer
Sarika Bansal - Editorial Director

FOOTAGE / PHOTOGRAPHY
iStock
Claudia Cardia

MUSIC
Snakes and Ladders, by Dance People

CHAPTERS
00:00 Overview
00:51 Day 1: Cagliari
01:40 Day 2: Villasimius
02:41 Day 3: Barisardo
03:49 Day 4: Cala Goloritzé
05:17 Day 5: Back to Cagliari

Category

🏖
Travel
Transcript
00:00 Buongiorno! In this episode of Destination Insider we are on the Italian island of Sardinia,
00:09 which is a very special place to me because I grew up here. Today I've decided to bring
00:14 you on a road trip around my island, Sardegna.
00:22 Sardinia is one of the biggest islands in the Mediterranean Sea and as you have probably
00:26 noticed from Instagram Sardinia is becoming more popular, but you can avoid crowds and
00:31 heat if you visit at the end of September or in October or go a little off the beaten
00:36 path. The island has such a wide variety of ecosystems and landscapes that I had a hard
00:42 time deciding the itinerary I wanted to show you, but finally I've decided to bring you
00:46 along the south east coast.
00:50 We're starting in Cagliari, the capital of the island. The Sardinian name of the city
00:54 is Castello, which means castle, named after the high part of the city, the fortress, that
01:00 protected the city from attacks from the sea. I might be biased but Cagliari is one of the
01:05 prettiest cities in Sardinia. You can visit the charming historic centre, eat some amazing
01:10 seafood and it also has its own beach, Poeto.
01:18 It stretches from this cliff, called Sella del Diavolo, Devil's Saddle, until the city
01:24 of Quarto Santa Elena. We're gonna go for a swim and then enjoy a nice aperitivo with
01:29 our feet in the sand.
01:30 So this is day two and we're going to one of my favourite places in the island, a place
01:43 where I spend every single summer of my life and it's Villa Simius.
01:52 Villa Simius is maybe one of the most popular destinations in Sardinia and for a good reason.
01:59 Tourism is growing steadily and it is becoming more expensive each year, but it's still a
02:04 wonderful place to visit.
02:07 My advice is to come here in June or at the end of September. We only have one day here,
02:12 so we decided to rent a dinghy boat and tour the beaches and small islands of the bay.
02:26 Tonight we're gonna enjoy some fresh fish and pasta, of course, at the restaurant Su
02:32 Gigante.
02:33 Good morning, good morning. So this is day numero tre and we are driving along the eastern
02:44 side of the island. We are driving up north and our destination is the town of Barisardo,
02:51 but first we're gonna need some coffee. Andiamo!
03:03 We're in Barisardo and we're gonna camp here at Marina, a campsite right on the beach of
03:08 Bucca Estrumpo.
03:12 This region where Barisardo is located is called Ollastra and it's very famous for its
03:16 romantic landscapes and food. Tonight we're gonna eat in a typical agriturismo ollastrino
03:22 called Sa Figamoru, which is a countryside farm that provides a unique dining experience
03:28 where you get to taste the products they grow in local dishes, such as their cured meats,
03:33 curugionis, the Sardinian version of ravioli, filled with potatoes, pecorino cheese and
03:38 mint, and of course their goat and suckling pig meat.
03:42 So today we were supposed to keep going north and go to Cala Gonone for a day kayaking around
03:53 the bay, but it got super windy and so we had a slight change of plans. We keep driving
04:00 north along the eastern coast and we are going towards Baune. From Baune we're gonna start
04:07 the hike down to Cala Golorize. Andiamo!
04:15 Sardinia is in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and as you can imagine it can get extremely
04:20 windy. Make sure you always double check weather conditions before you plan a boat trip or
04:25 any other weather activities.
04:28 We've decided to hike instead and our hike starts in the town of Baune. It will be a
04:34 one hour and a half trek to Cala Golorize.
04:39 Cala Golorize is one of the most dramatic coves in Sardinia because it is surrounded
04:43 by high cliffs. You can reach it by boat or you can hike down here and enjoy the beautiful
04:48 nature. It's important to know that only 300 people per day are allowed in the cove, so
04:54 you need to reserve your spot and pay a 6 euros ticket.
04:58 The hike down was pretty easy but the way back is all uphill and it can get pretty intense,
05:04 especially if you're visiting in summer. I recommend it only if you're moderately trained
05:10 or you hike often. Bring lots of water and fruits.
05:16 Sadly it's our last day and we're driving back to Cagliari. We kept seeing these fig
05:21 trees along the road so we had to stop to pick a few. They were delicious. We also realized
05:27 we haven't had pizza yet so our last night in Cagliari we're gonna eat pizza at Il Fantasma
05:31 Due in the city center.
05:35 I hope you enjoyed exploring some of my favorite spots in Sardinia with me. If you've been
05:40 here let me know in the comments below what was your favorite place. As always remember
05:46 to like and subscribe on your way out. Buon viaggio!
05:49 [music]
05:51 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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