October, end of the season, sea with pleasant temperature, ideal time for the last summer vacation. Our steps led us to the pearl of the Mediterranean – the proven Sardinia. This time we organized a boys’ trip and decided to visit the eastern part of the island – Olbia. The Tyrrhenian Sea has a pleasant 21°C and the beaches on the Emerald Coast are like the Caribbean. In addition, we have accommodation by the beach on the deserted edge of the city, the relaxation can begin.
Contents
Day 1 – Arrival in Olbia
Day 2 – Emerald Coast (northern beaches from Olbia)
Day 3 – Around the island of Tavolara (southern beaches from Olbia)
Day 4 – Alghero and rescheduled flight
Day 1 – Arrival in Olbia
As we mostly fly from Budapest, we appreciate every departure directly from Bratislava. The arrival at Alghero airport is in the afternoon at 14:15. We arranged a car rental throughRyanair car hire was the most cost-effective option. The only downside is that the additional insurance is through a third party, Axa. If anything happens, they will deduct money from your deposit and you will have to deal with Axa afterward.
TIP: Be prepared for a high deposit for the car, we had €1300 (common for Italy) and check if they accept debit cards (as they now often only accept credit cards).
We picked up the car from Locauto and headed to the eastern part of the island. Google maps showed 138km and around an hour and three-quarters to our destination. Along the way, we stopped at a large hypermarket in Sassari to buy food, water, and of course, some alcohol.
The accommodation Bunte Residence is on the outskirts of the town, and the last section of the journey is along a dirt road. The whole accommodation complex is almost empty. We didn’t even see any staff because they left the keys for us in a mailbox. A bonus of this accommodation is the small deserted beach.
Day 2 – Emerald Coast (northern beaches from Olbia)
We are heading to the beaches north of the city of Olbia. The first stop is Spiaggia di Rena Bianca, a real gem according to TripAdvisor. I must say, this award is well deserved. Beautiful white sand, crystal clear shallow water, greenery all around, hills in the background, and hardly any tourists in sight. No jellyfish either, so we enjoyed our time without any worries. The weather is fantastic, allowing us to sunbathe even in October.
Sardinia has an abundance of beaches, so it’s worth reading as many reviews as possible. The Emerald Coast (Costa Smeralda), to which Rena Bianca belongs, is known as the most luxurious part of Sardinia, often compared to the Caribbean. It’s no coincidence that even Berlusconi himself owns a 68-room villa on a 168-acre estate here, including six pools, an amphitheater, and even an artificial volcano.
In the afternoon, we move on to another beach, Spiaggia Capriccioli. It’s essentially multiple coves on a triangular promontory, but the sheer amount of tourist crowds makes us decide to simply snap some photos and move on.
A much better choice is the nearby Spiaggia del Principe. There is a slightly challenging path leading to the beach, and perhaps that is why there were fewer people there.
TIP: In this area, it’s better to stick to the main roads because Google Maps may lead you through roads that have long been closed off by the resort.
Moving further north to Spiaggia del Piccolo Pevero became complicated due to an impassable road, so we had to detour around. The smaller beach Piccolo Pevero has a bigger brother, Grande Pevero, but we didn’t make it there due to limited time. We’re looking for something to eat because the restaurants are all closed. In the end, the supermarket won.
On the way to our accommodation, we stop at the beach Spiaggia Pittulongu, a three-star according to Tripadvisor. For the first time, we get a view of the monstrous mountain on the island of Tavolara.It’s a fabulous island not only during the day but also at sunset. Tonight we are spending our time in the room playing the card game Bang and sipping drinks to good music.
Day 3 – Around Tavolara Island (southern beaches of Olbia)
Northern beaches have set the bar very high. We are curious about what the ones south of Olbia will be like. The first one is the two-ply according to Tripadvisor, Spiaggia di Porto Istana. Beautiful clean white beach with a view of the limestone island of Tavolara. A blue damselfish poses willingly near the shore. The water is shallow for a long time, and further below the surface, giant shells, specifically bivalves with scales, could be seen.
Boats operate to the island of Tavolara from the port of Porto San Paolo. If we had an extra day, we would definitely try it. Around twenty people live on the island, and part of it is occupied by a NATO radar base. In the caves along the coast, you can see Neolithic wall paintings. A protected area was established in the waters around the island in 1997. The Mediterranean monk seal or the bivalve with scales, which we had the opportunity to see, can be found here.
Instead of a trip to the island, we offer the same, if not an even better tip. For us, the most beautiful beach is Spiaggia di Punta Don Diego. The path to it leads through a resort, behind which two beautiful beaches with the impressive Tavolara in the background are revealed. The center is filled with a green promontory with rocks where you can hide even more.
TIP: For better swimmers, we recommend a 600m distant wreck of a sunken ship, see our Google map
The adventurous trio of myself, Tomáš, and Juri are heading towards the sunken wreck. After about half an hour of swimming, we reach the wreck. It looks like the mast could fall on someone’s head any moment, so don’t linger under it for too long 🙂 It’s an experience, partly due to the deserved distance, but as a reward, you have an authentic shipwreck and little fish all around. The last beach on our program is Cala Brandinchi. A long narrow family beach as usual with beautiful white sand. Before sunset, we move to the viewpoint Belvedere a Capo Coda Cavallo. You can comfortably drive there, and the last 5 minutes you will hike up.
Day 4 – Alghero and delayed flight
During the trip to the airport, we find out that our flight has been delayed by two hours. Therefore, we change our plan and use the extra time for a walk along Maria Pia beach. The western coast was rough and there was a strong wind blowing, so it wasn’t suitable for swimming. Instead, we decided to sit for a coffee in the historic center. The departure was eventually delayed by more than 3 hours, which we wanted to use to claim €250 under EU261 regulation. Ryanair, however, is more cunning in this matter than one might think. We filled out the well-hidden EU261 form.to claim compensation for a delayed flight. The response was that unfortunately we are not entitled to it, because the same plane was supposed to operate the Bratislava – London route in the morning and there were adverse weather conditions in London. However, what we did not know is that you are entitled to food vouchers at the airport.
