Sardinia 🇮🇹
Quick holiday facts
Duration: 7 nights
Flights: British Airways return from London Gatwick to Cagliari, deal found via Jacks Flight Club (£400 return)
Hotel(s): Arbatax Park Resort - Borgo Cala Moresca - bed and breakfast (£1,250)
Hire car: Enterprise booked through Expedia.com (£200)
Excursions: Trenino Verde, into the mountains (blue zone) for the day £70 each including lunch plus Safari Blu Sardegna boat trip to the Gulf of Orosei (£60 each).
Spending money: on average we spent £80 per day on food and drinks, including alcoholic drinks, dinners out every night and shopping = £560 total.
TOTAL = £2,670
We decided to go to Sardinia because Amy found a super cheap flight deal a year prior, and then booked it based on a whim! Prior to that, we nothing about the island, had never considered it a destination nor thought that anything there would be up our street. How wrong we were!
What followed was much Instagram travel blog watching, and, tonnes of research. Having the flights pre-booked, we didn’t plan our accommodation or itinerary until we’d returned from Jordan, earlier in 2023. After much online searching and deliberating over which part of the island to stay at, we opted for the East Coast - thanks to many an IG blogger posting about the Gulf of Orosei. Then, thanks to reading about that coastline in Lonely Planet’s Sardinia travel book, it was decided!
We went with a week-long stay at the Arbatax Park Resort in Arbatax, and it was a delightful experience. Situated within a natural park, including working farm, the hotel we stayed at (there are many to choose from within the resort) was Borgo Cala Moresca offers a charming ambiance. It is laid out and set up to look like a traditional Sardinian village, cobbled walkways and overhanging plants, beautiful trees and a cosy feel. Although, be prepared for a lot of stair climbing—it’s quite the workout just to navigate around the resort. While we didn’t mind the physical activity, it’s something to consider if you're looking for a completely laid-back vacation, look closely at how many steps there are at this resort!
To start right at the beginning then. After we landed on Day 1, we collected the hire car and made our way around Cagliari - the capital city of Sardinia. We decided to to park up roadside in a. fairly central location to be able to take a walk around the city centre sights. Within 10 minutes we’d stumbled upon the city’s castle with fabulous views over the city and out to sea. Next : a spot of authentic Sardinian lunch (pasta and wine, obvs!) followed by more wondering around the city. Later, we get back in the car and start our drive north-east, heading firstly to the coast for a quick sunbathe and dip in the sea…. next stop Cala Sinzias. A stunning beach on the south-eastern tip of the island. If it hadn’t been for alllllll the ready and research we’d done telling us to stay around the area we had booked, we would have probably stayed in this part of Sardinia instead. Loads of stunning coastline and a laid back, local vibe. But, after a quick lounge on the beach, we were back I noted car and heading to check-in. 90 mins later, we arrived….
At Arbatax Park Resort, we opted for a room with a sea view, Room 624, which didn't disappoint. The bay view was only partial, but it was still wonderful to gaze out at the resort and the sea beyond. The resort features several pools, with the Relax Pool standing out as our favourite spot to unwind, complete with a fantastic bar. We indulged in an antipasti board there one day mid-trip, and it was absolutely delightful.
However, the breakfast offered at the resort left a lot to be desired. The selection was monotonous and may not appeal to picky eaters. We managed to find something palatable each morning, with a basic selection of hot items, croissants, deli meats (though the wasps seemed to enjoy the ham too!), cereals, and bread. A highlight was the barista-prepared coffee, a welcome alternative to the machine coffee. We chose a bed-and-breakfast arrangement based on recommendations we’d seen thanks to research on TripAdvisor, and it proved to be the right decision as we wouldn’t have wanted to put up with same, lacking in variety food on a half board option. On arrival, we took a trip into the nearby town to Eurospar supermarket to pick up scoff for the week, which for us included:
snacks for the room; always! Crisps, nuts, local biscuits…
picnic items for lunch the following day; freshly baked local bread, ham, salad and cheese
local beer
local wine
local gin
pre-bottled aperol spritz (only available in Italy! Say what!?)
We took advantage of the daily free park tour at 4:30pm, which was a delightful experience. Our guide was wonderful, and we even got to interact with some of the farm animals, including donkeys and horses. The tour provided breathtaking panoramas and a chance to explore parts of the park that are off the beaten path - recommended.
The Boboi bus service - which is a free way to travel around the entire resort site. This was a convenient way to explore the full resort and its beaches, Telis & Dune, though the Borgo bus stop’s proximity to the resort’s rubbish tip was a downside, particularly on windy days. The beaches at Telis and Dune (on the opposite side of the resort) are wonderful beaches - better than the beach/bay at the Borgo which is rocky. Telis and Dune hotels are much more daily friendly - but we liked the fact that the Borgo, whilst it isn’t designated adults only, we didn’t see many kids and didn’t feel disturbed by having them around.
Our stay was slightly marred by the tail end of Storm Daniel, which had been lurking around the southern Med for a few days prior to our arrival. This caused high winds for the first few days of this trip which caused the old-fashioned doors and shutters of our hotel room to rattle throughout the night. Thankfully, we had brought ear plugs. Despite this, the staff at the resort were consistently helpful and friendly, with special mentions to Michelle at reception and all the bar staff we interacted with.
The resort is conveniently located a short walk (literally 5 mins) from Arbatax, which boasts a selection of delightful restaurants and a marina. Arbatax is a small resort town, relatively close to Tortoli which is a large resort town with many shops, restaurants and bars, we had a couple of great dinners here, including at Braceria Pezza Orostu (which was 5* btw). The hotel resort is well located but a car to get out and about and see the local area is highly recommended, once you’ve seen Arbatax on foot, there is little else do see, unless you take a drive. From here though, we embarked on a fantastic excursion to the Gulf of Orosei, which we also highly recommend. More on that later.
The Borgo provided a comfortable stay, and it was peaceful and quiet aside from the wind. The beach and decking area were satisfactory, though we advise caution as the waters near the rocks can be tricky and are likely more suitable for strong swimmers. The beaches at Telis & Dune offer a safer swimming experience.
In summary, we’d rate our stay at the Borgo three stars, primarily due to the breakfast. More of a varying selection/offering is needed, in our humble opinion. However the grounds, our room, pools we couldn’t fault. It was a good value for money, with mostly clean facilities and friendly staff.
Sardinia - we’d 100% go back. But to see a different part of the island. We recommend visiting for the unique experience, the stunning location, and the overall ambiance. The island has alot to offer, lots to see and do and is off-the-beaten track for Brits (which we love!). The Gulf of Orosei was our best bit. It was well worth the money booking a boat tour in advance and packing a picnic to east on one of the many stunning beaches. It really does live up to its name as the ‘Caribbean of Europe’. Crystal clear waters, only downside is that they get busy. Well packed! But it’s still well worth the trip. Also, you don’t need a degree in Italian to get by whilst on Sardinia, most signs and menus have an English option.
If you want to travel somewhere different, close enough that it’s only a 2 hour flight, but not one of the well-worn resort towns of Spain or Portugal. Go here.