Sardinia had been on my list for years, and it seems that this is the moment for travelers to explore beyond the Italian mainland and to dig deeper into its historic and authentic Mediterranean islands!
Our journey gave us the chance to do exactly that. We traveled from the southern and southeastern coasts across to the raw, natural dunes of the west, then into Sardinia’s mountainous interior before continuing north to the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena. Traveling both by road and aboard BANG! revealed just how dramatically the landscape changes as you move around the island.
The contrasts around the Med’s second-largest island are considerable. A few hours on the road (or taking your time on the water) can bring you from the wild dunes of the west coast to a beach hotel centered around Sardinian food and wine, from an eccentric country estate to a family resort packed with activities, or from all of that to the polished world around Porto Cervo.
I explored five hotels along the way: La Villa del Re, Hotel Le Dune Piscinas, Forte Village, Su Gologone and Hotel Pitrizza. Each makes a strong case for a different Sardinian itinerary.
A look at our route around Sardinia, connecting five very different hotel experiences along the way.
La Villa del Re | Costa Rei
Mood: Quiet, intimate and wonderfully grown-up.
On Sardinia’s southeast coast, La Villa del Re feels blissfully removed from the busier resort scene. The hotel was full during my visit, yet the gardens and public spaces remained surprisingly peaceful.
The property has the intimacy of a boutique hotel, with gardens leading toward the sea and plenty of places to settle in on your own. There is a private beach, infinity pool and outdoor fitness area, although this is exactly the sort of place where I would resist the temptation to plan too much.
My suite had a separate sitting area, private garden and two entrances. Rather than simply returning to a hotel room at the end of the day, it felt as though I had my own little corner of the property.
Food and wine deserve attention here. Le Palme and Bella Vista are joined by the hotel’s wine cellar, where the Sardinian selection became one of the highlights of my stay. The sommeliers knew the island’s producers intimately, making local wine part of the conversation at the table.
For couples, this combination of privacy, swimming, good food, and Sardinian wine is hard to beat. I would happily send honeymooners here with instructions to settle in and enjoy the slower pace.
Perfect For: Couples and honeymooners who want a quiet Sardinian beach stay with food and wine firmly on the agenda.
Hotel Le Dune Piscinas | Costa Verde
Mood: Wild, windswept, and atmospheric.
On Sardinia’s west coast, Hotel Le Dune Piscinas occupies one of the most unusual settings on the island. The Costa Verde is a landscape of wind-sculpted dunes, Mediterranean blues, and long stretches of beach, with very little to interrupt the feeling of being somewhere truly remote.
Getting here is part of the story. The road to Piscinas winds through the abandoned Ingurtosu mining district, once one of the most important mining centers in Europe. At its height, thousands of people lived and worked here, extracting lead and zinc before the mines eventually closed and the settlements were abandoned. Today, crumbling buildings, old mining works and remnants of the railway that once carried minerals toward the sea still punctuate the landscape.
The hotel itself is part of that history. Its original building was a warehouse used to store minerals before they were shipped out by sea, adding another layer to an already extraordinary setting.
Today, Le Dune Piscinas is a lovely, artsy boutique hotel with just 28 rooms and suites. There is plenty of personality inside, but it is the extraordinary setting among the dunes and sea that defines the experience.
This is a place to spend time outdoors. The hotel sits directly on the beach, with a pool, spa, and plenty of ways to explore the surrounding landscape. Guests can hike through the old mining territory, head out by boat along the Costa Verde, take an e-bike into the surrounding hills, or simply stay put and enjoy one of Sardinia’s most isolated stretches of coastline.
Food and wine deserve attention here, too. Rosso Tramonto, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant, was outstanding! Chef Angelo Biscotti leads the culinary program, with a focus on Sardinian ingredients and traditions interpreted through a contemporary lens. Il Ginepro and Mistral offer two more dining options, while the American Bar and wine bar cover everything from a casual drink to exploring Sardinian labels and local producers. The hotel also offers guided tastings and pasta-making experiences for guests who want to dig a little deeper into the island’s culinary traditions.
Le Dune Piscinas adds an entirely different dimension to a Sardinian itinerary. The landscape is the reason to come: dunes, sea, wind and a fascinating piece of the island’s mining history, all in a corner of Sardinia that still feels remarkably removed.
Perfect For: Couples, nature lovers and adventurous travelers who value a sense of place and are willing to go further for it.
Forte Village | Santa Margherita di Pula
Mood: A vacation universe for active families.
Forte Village is a world unto itself.
Set along Sardinia’s southern coast, the resort encompasses eight hotels along with villas, restaurants, pools, sports facilities, children’s programs, and an impressive roster of academies. While not for everyone, for those families wanting to do everything, look no further than Forte Village.
Sport is serious business here. Depending on the season, programs include tennis, football, basketball, fencing, cycling, swimming, sailing, and boxing, with dedicated activities for children and teens. Families can spend a week here with everyone pursuing something different, without requiring parents to orchestrate every hour.
With so many accommodation categories, choosing the right address within the resort is important. Castello and Le Dune stood out to me among the hotel options, while villas offer additional space and privacy for families who need it.
My visit was brief, but I did manage sashimi at the Tiki Bar after a day on the water. Sometimes timing works out rather well!
I particularly like Forte Village within a longer European itinerary. After cities, museums, and sightseeing, families can arrive here and spend a few days swimming, playing sports, and operating according to their own schedules.
Perfect For: Active families, multigenerational trips, and travelers who appreciate having plenty of choices at their fingertips. Likely not the place for couples traveling without kiddos.
Su Gologone | Oliena
Mood: Sardinia with its shoes off and paintbrush in hand.
This free-spirited country estate in Sardinia’s mountainous interior is full of art, textiles, ceramics and color. The rooms are equally individual. Depending on the category, you might find a terrace, outdoor tub or pool, fireplace or views across the gardens and mountains. There is very little about Su Gologone that feels conventional, and I loved it for exactly that reason.
Food is at the heart of the Su Gologone experience. One dinner brought a roast suckling pig to our table. We finished it and promptly ordered another, which probably tells you everything you need to know about that meal!
This was also where we began to appreciate Sardinia beyond its coastline. The majority of historic sites, culture, and local life is not on the coast, but inland Sardinia. The area where Su Gologone is one of the world’s 5 Blue Zones – where people have been observed to live unusually long, healthy lives, with high concentrations of centenarians (people aged 100 or older) attributed to daily walking on hilly terrain, strong family bonds, a mostly plant-based diet with beans, whole grains, and vegetables, and regular but moderate wine consumption.
In that spirit, we dined in the garden, hiked to Cala Luna, stopped at a shepherd’s home, and made fresh pasta in Lollove. Hiking, cycling, villages, archaeological sites, and cooking offer plenty of reasons to linger in the interior.
Those traditions are everywhere at Su Gologone, from the Sardinian ingredients on the table to the art, textiles and ceramics throughout the property. After a few days here, things you encounter elsewhere on the island begin to have a little more context.
I would pair Su Gologone with the coast rather than choose between the two. Spend a few days here before returning to the sea, and you will add another layer to your understanding of this beautiful island.
Perfect For: Curious travelers, free spirits, artists, food lovers, and those drawn to Sardinian art, landscape, and tradition.
Hotel Pitrizza | Costa Smeralda
Mood: Costa Smeralda polish with serious service.
At Pitrizza, I noticed the team before almost anything else. The service felt intuitive. Staff seemed to appear exactly when needed, and requests were handled quickly and with very little fuss. That level of attention is difficult to achieve and left a big impression on me. In my opinion, it is the top luxury offering on the island.
The hotel is also entering an interesting new chapter, with Cheval Blanc involved in the operation as renovations continue across the property. The majority of the rooms are now fully renovated with impressive technology, bathrooms, closet space, and amenities. Once completed, the hotel plans to debut its new branding as Cheval Blanc Hotel Pitrizza.
And then there was dinner. The lobster spaghetti is the dish I was still thinking about afterward.
The location puts Porto Cervo within easy reach, but nearby charming San Pantaleo is also great for an afternoon of fantastic local design shopping, followed by an aperitivo and dinner. The village makes a good change of pace from the resorts along the coast.
For me, Pitrizza stood apart for its service. I would send couples here for the privacy and level of attention, although families who value the same will be very comfortable too.
Perfect For: Couples and families who want attentive service and easy access to the Costa Smeralda.
Cagliari, the Sardinian Capital
We spent the day exploring Cagliari, Sardinia’s vibrant capital, starting in the historic Castello district, where we wandered through narrow streets and stopped at the Bastione di Saint Remy for sweeping views over the city and sea. Our guide helped us to discover this ancient and mysterious capital uniquely wondering through cemeteries, crypts, caves, and legends! We visited the lively San Benedetto Market to take in the local cheeses, fresh seafood, and Sardinian specialties before enjoying a leisurely lunch at a great wine shop. If you have more time, I suggest you head to the Molentargius wetlands to see Cagliari’s famous pink flamingos, followed by some time along Poetto Beach and its beautiful stretch of coastline. End the day back in the old city with an aperitivo, sunset views, and dinner in the atmospheric Marina district.
The RTLM Take
For quiet days by the sea accompanied by excellent Sardinian food and wine, I would choose La Villa del Re. Active families will find an extraordinary range at Forte Village, while Su Gologone opens the door to the food, art and traditions of Sardinia’s interior. Intrepid travelers with time to explore will be mesmerized by the endless beaches and dunes of the west coast at Hotel Le Dunes Piscinas. On the Costa Smeralda, Hotel Pitrizza combines attentive service with easy access to Porto Cervo and San Pantaleo.
My preferred itinerary would combine at least two of these worlds. Pair Barbagia with the coast, or begin with the quieter beaches of the southeast, then finish with a few days on the Costa Smeralda. If you can do it by boat, even better!
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