Things to Do in Costa Smeralda
The beaches are the obvious draw, but a week here is more interesting if you break it up. These are the things guests tell us they're glad they did.
The La Maddalena archipelago
If you do one thing besides the beach, make it this. The archipelago sits off the northern tip of Sardinia — a cluster of granite islands with water that somehow manages to be clearer than the mainland coast. Budelli's famous pink beach is protected and can only be viewed from the water, but the surrounding coves are open and extraordinary.
Boat trips leave daily in season from Cannigione, Palau and Baja Sardinia, ranging from large group excursions to private charters. A full day is standard. Book a day or two ahead in August.
The alternative is the car ferry from Palau to La Maddalena town, which lets you explore the island itself and cross the causeway to Caprera, where Garibaldi's house is now a museum.
Nuraghic Arzachena
Sardinia's bronze-age sites are among the oldest structures in Europe, and there's a significant cluster right around Arzachena — including the Tomba dei Giganti di Coddu Vecchiu, the Nuraghe La Prisgiona, and the Li Lolghi necropolis.
They take a couple of hours to see properly and they're a genuine change of register from the coast. Best visited in the morning before the heat, and worth it even if archaeology isn't usually your thing.
On the water
Beyond the archipelago trips, the area supports diving, snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing and sailing. Diving centres operate out of Palau, Cannigione and Baja Sardinia; the granite underwater topography and clear water make for good visibility.
Boat hire without a licence is possible for smaller craft, which is a good way to reach coves you can't drive to.
Walking and the interior
The Gallura interior is granite country — dramatic weathered rock formations, cork oak, and macchia scrub. There are marked paths around the Monte Moro and Capo d'Orso areas, the latter with a famously bear-shaped rock formation above Palau.
Spring and autumn are far better than midsummer for walking here.
Day trips further afield
Tempio Pausania, inland, is the old capital of the Gallura and worth a half day for its granite architecture and cork museum. Castelsardo, further west along the coast, is a fortified hilltop village with a striking approach. Both are around an hour to ninety minutes' drive.
Slower things
For a good number of our guests the honest answer is that the best thing they did was very little. The reviews mention this often — the pool, the terrace, and the 360-degree view are the reason they came, and the rest is optional.