Destination: Sardinia
BLOGGED LOCATIONS
Sardinia, after Sicily, is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and sits west of Italy’s ‘boot’ and south of Corsica.
Sardinia ecosystem is very varied and contains unspoiled stretches of mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches and rocky coastline. It is because of this natural beauty that visitors are attracted to the island.
The island has been inhabited from the early stone age when man first create tools from stone about 3,000,000 years ago. Today you can still find archeological evidence of the many civilizations that have exerted their presence there. or history buffs there are a lot of sights and sites to explore.
Transportation of goods and electricity to Sardinia is very expensive and is roughly triple that of the EU average. Sardinia however is the only Italian region that produces a surplus of electricity, and exports electricity to Corsica and the Italian mainland. Other exports? Sheep! Sardinia has been breeding sheep for thousands of years and has one of the highest densities of sheep in the world (Sardinia has 135 sheep/sq km, UK 129 sheep/sq km and NZ 116 sheep/sq km).
Average costs in this area
Transportation
- Public buses and trains exist, but your best option with most flexibility is likely to be a rental car. You buy your bus ticket from small shops and then validate them when you board the bus. Trains? You can buy a paper ticket or get on online. Paper tickets need to be validated and online ones do not. Also, try and not take a bus when school kids are going too and from school ( 7:30 – 9.00 am and 12:00 – 2:30 pm) as the buses will be very noisy and crowded.
There is also a ferry company that operates to and from the islands of Corsica, Sardinia and Elba. Go online and check their website for timetables.
Accommodation - All types of accommodation can be had in Sardinia's cities and out in the country from budget hostels to 5 star resorts. Decide your budget and take your pick!
Food
- The top food/drink items to try during your stay on Sardinia are;
1. Su Porcheddu: Slow roasted suckling pig
2. Culurgiones: A pasta dish filled with potato, pecorino cheese, animal fats, garlic, olive oil and mint leaves.
3. Zuppa Gallurese: A hearty 'soup' made with sheeps broth poured onto flat bread.
4. Malloreddus: A distinctly shaped pasta made from semolina and saffron.
5. Spezzatino di Vitello con Piselli: Veal stew with peas.
6. Pane Carasau: A poppadum like thin bread served as a starter.
7. Pecorino Sardo: A sharp local cheese is made from sheep’s milk
8. Seadas: A lightly fried dessert with honey and sugar drizzled over the top.
9. Sea urchins: Very popular with the locals.
10. Limoncello: Very sweet and very potent. Best served very cold on a hot day. Refreshing!
Suggested daily budget – Of course this depends on where you stay, what you do, and where you eat as it all makes a difference. We like to walk the streets to see the ‘real’ stuff going on and to call in at interesting street food vendors for lunch. If many locals eat at a place that means the food is usually good and inexpensive and you should eat there too. Buying from a local grocery store and having a picnic is also an affordable and fun option. The Dodecanese islands offer one of the most fun. affordable, and safest places to visit in Greece.
TIps for first visit
1. Getting Around – What do you want to see or do? Is it going to be a cultural, culinary, or adrenaline junkie trip? How much time do you have? Organized tour for optimizing time, or do-it-yourself to optimize flexibility, or something in between? See above for options.
2. Get tour and entrance passes – Doing your research in advance, gives you MANY benefits: Allows you to prioritize activities, allows you to know costs in advance for budgeting, and gives you some idea of time needed at each activity. When you know what you want to do, reserve a ticket in advance so that when you turn up you will not be turned away!
3. Check where the locals eat – PRO TIP: If you forgot to make a reservation then this holds true … walk a MINIMUM of THREE blocks away from a tourist attraction. If you still see restaurants with photos of food plastered along their fronts, keep on walking until you dont see them. When you dont see any ‘photo menus’, you have just entered the ‘local’ zone! The food here will be cheaper, better, fresher and you are more likely to meet locals than other tourists. Good food will sell by itself and doesnt need a photo to sell it. These restaurants without the ‘photo menus’ stay in business because the food is good and they want your repeat business, NOT because they have an endless supply of tourists coming through that they dont need to impress.
Do’s and don’ts
Be respectful and be kind. Learn some local lingo. Always remember that you are a GUEST in their country. You are in Sardinia, so .. relax and watch this part of the world open up in front of you. Go for an early walk, have a coffee or sandwich at a corner cafe and people watch. Some of the best times are before and after the work day when you can see food being delivered to restaurants, linens being washed, families going off to activities. Sit, watch, and listen, its free and fun!
What you shouldn't do?
Be smart with your bags and gear. Cars get broken into in each country in the world and not just Sardinia so do advertise to would be car thieves. Carry just enough cash for a couple of days, and use your credit card for as many purchases as possible. Use the local ATM machines to get out more euros when you need them.
Hopefully the tips above will give you enough information to start your own planning. If you want to check out some of the locations we visited in Greece and what we though of them, then click the [EXPLORE LOCATIONS] button below, or select a specific Greek island location from the list on the right.
