Travelling can do so much. It can shake up the mundane of day-to-day life, inspire you in ways you didn’t see coming, and leave lasting memories that stay long after the tan fades. And at its best, it changes the lens through which you see the world. The fun part is that regardless of your reasons for going or what you take home with you, most of us who get the pleasure of travelling love it for some or all of those things. We enjoy it most when the place we visit offers a little of each.
My recent visit to Sardinia offered all of it.
Ever since I was a kid I’ve dreamed of living in Europe. Now that I actually do, I’ve been daydreaming about seeing as much of it as I can. So when my partner Beau and I spotted a seat sale and realised that Cagliari was less than a 90-minute flight from Valencia, where we live, the decision was easy. We had to go.
I boarded the plane full of the particular kind of excitement that only a short European hop can produce. No long haul, no jet lag, just a quick flight and suddenly you’re somewhere completely different. We landed, made our way into the city, and checked into the D.H. Lawrence Hotel in the old quarter of Cagliari, where we would spend the next 72 hours exploring the city and the surrounding areas of this stunning island.
Here is what I’d tell anyone planning a visit.
1. SUN
There are beaches in Sardinia that feel like they were placed there specifically to make you question every life decision that kept you away this long. Calamosca beach is one of them. The water is that particular shade of blue-green that looks edited in photographs but isn’t. After the beach, make the hike up to Sella del Diavolo, the headland that rises above the bay. The views from the top are genuinely breathtaking, the kind that make you stop mid-sentence because your brain needs a moment to process what your eyes are seeing. You can hop on a bus to get there and walk down, or hire a car if you want more flexibility. Either way, do not skip this.
2. FOOD
The food in Cagliari was outstanding from start to finish, and I say that as someone who now lives in Spain, a country that takes food very seriously. For lunch, Cibarius was exceptional. Fresh, local, beautifully prepared. For dinner, Dal Castellano delivered exactly the kind of meal you want on a warm Sardinian evening. And for dessert, Dulcis Pasticceria was a revelation. Sardinian pastries are their own category of pleasure and this place does them properly. Go hungry. Go often.
3. STAY
The D.H. Lawrence Hotel was a genuinely lovely place to be based. Named after the writer who spent time in Sardinia and wrote about it with great affection, the hotel sits in the heart of the old city and has the kind of rooftop terrace that makes you want to cancel your plans and stay up there indefinitely. We watched the sun go down over the city from that terrace on our first evening and it set the tone for the whole trip perfectly. If you’re looking for somewhere central, atmospheric, and well run, this is the one.
4. SEE
The history of Cagliari is written into its streets and it is well worth slowing down to take it in. The Castello District, the old fortified quarter that sits above the rest of the city, is a beautiful place to wander without much of a plan. The views down to the sea are wonderful and the architecture feels genuinely ancient in the best way. From there, walk to the Bastione di Saint Remy, a grand terrace and archway that connects the upper and lower city. It is one of those places that photographs well but feels even better in person.
5. EXPERIENCE
If there is one thing I would tell you not to miss, it is this: book an authentic Sardinian cooking class with Marco through Cesarine. It was one of the best experiences of the entire trip. Marco was a wonderful host, warm and generous with his knowledge, and the class took us through making traditional Sardinian appetisers, Culurgiones (the local stuffed pasta that is specific to the island and absolutely worth the effort), and Seadas, the fried pastry filled with cheese and drizzled with honey that has no business being as good as it is. We ate everything we made, which is the only correct way to end a cooking class. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Cagliari has so much to offer. Outstanding food. Beautiful old-world architecture. Extraordinary coffee. Warm and genuinely welcoming people. The kind of place that feels lived-in rather than performed for tourists, which is exactly what you want from a city you’re visiting for the first time.
Seventy-two hours was enough to fall in love with it. It was not enough to feel like we’d seen everything. We left with a list of things to come back for, which is the best possible outcome for any trip.
If you’re planning a visit, April and May are ideal. The weather is warm but not overwhelming, the city is not yet at peak season, and you get the best of the island without the summer crowds. From anywhere in Spain or the south of France you’re looking at a very short flight for a very significant experience.
Sardinia. Go. You’ll thank yourself.
SARDINIA QUICK REFERENCEStay: D.H. Lawrence Hotel, Cagliari old city Eat: Cibarius (lunch), Dal Castellano (dinner), Dulcis Pasticceria (dessert) See: Castello District, Bastione di Saint Remy Do: Calamosca beach, Sella del Diavolo hike, Sardinian cooking class with Marco via Cesarine Best time to visit: April and May. Warm, quiet, perfect. |
markmunroe
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