Discover Sardinia

the Strait of Bonifacio, which separates Sardinia from the neighbouring French island of Corsica.

Sardinia has a very pleasant weather all year round. The subtropical Mediterranean climate is characterised by dry and often long warm summers and mild, moist winters. It only snows in the highlands in central Sardinia in winter. From December to February the winter is mild, but with high humidity levels. Spring starts in March and April. During the months of May and June the days are pleasant and the nights crisp. In summer, i.e. June through September, the temperatures rise to 30 - 35 degrees Celsius. The late summer, in October and November, is still very pleasant, allowing you to enjoy the mild days before winter takes over again.

in Sardinia; Tharros, Bithia, Sulci, Nora and Karalis (Cagliari). The Phoenicians, a civilization situated on the coastline of what is now Lebanon, traded in the Mediterranean, founding ports in the entire area. Sardinia was an ideal destination because of its strategic position towards Carthage (near the current Tunis); Spain; the Rhone delta and the Etruscan area (in parts of north Italy). The cities were situated strategically, often on peninsulas or on the coast. At that time Sardinia was the centre of several commercial routes and it was an important provider of raw materials, such as zinc and lead, extracted in the mining area near Iglesias.
After the Phoenicians the Carthaginians, also known as the Punics, originating of the former Phoenician colony Carthage, conquered the island, establishing control over a large part of Sardinia. In 238 the Romans seized power in Sardinia, gaining a fairly well-developed urban culture and infrastructure. Before conquering Egypt, the Romans used Sardinia together with Sicily as a granary for the city of Rome. However, even under Roman rule, the Punic culture remained visible. Nowadays Tharros, Nora, Bithia, Antas and Monte Sirai are important archaeological sites, while Karalis became the current capital of Sardinia; Cagliari.

After the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, after the Migration Period, Sardinia was subjected to various foreign rules. The German Vandals conquered Sardinia in 456 from north Africa, to be defeated by the Byzantines 80 years later. The Saracens regularly attempted to conquer the island from 711 onwards, causing the abandonment of the city of Tharros after more than 1800 years of inhabitation as well as the founding of the current Oristano.
During the battle for control of Sardinia the Maritime republics of Pisa and Genoa were called upon. From 1063 onwards a new political system was formed, dividing the Sardinian territory in 4 “giudicati” (judicati).
Eleanor of Arborea, one of the prominent figures in Sardinia during the Middle Ages, established a legal code, in force until 1827; the Carta de Logu, a work of great important in Sardinian history encompassing the civil and penal law.
During this period the influence of the Spanish increased until the Aragonese invaded Sardinia, to which time the Aragonese towers along the coast, protecting the island from the Arabs, date back. These towers, still visible today and situated in strategic places near the old Phoenician cities, were often built with stones reused from old constructions. The Santa Giusta Church in Oristano, where remains of the Phoenician city Othoca were found, is a beautiful example of this reutilisation.

From 1718 through 1861 (the Unification of Italy), Sardinia together with Piedmont formed the Kingdom of Sardinia. The development of the infrastructure progressed slowly. Under the rule of Charles Felix Sardinia’s main thoroughfare, which connects the towns of Cagliari and Sassari-Porto Torres, was installed. This road, the Strada statale 131 Carlo Felice, is named for him.
Mussolini drained the marshes near Oristano, laying the foundation of one the most successful agricultural communities in Sardinia; Arborea. Mussolini also founded Carbonia, named after the coal mines (“carbone”) in the area. After WOII, the importance of the coals declined, making way for tourism.

small bays with beaches made of sand, shingle and pebbles. The rivers Conghinas, Mannu and Flumendosa are often dry because of Sardinia’s high temperatures and low levels of rainfall. The Tirso river is the most important, flowing into the artificial lake serving as a water supply for the entire island. The Temo river near Bosa is the only navigable river in Sardinia. There are several salt lakes in Sardinia, for example near Cagliari and Cabras, where many migratory birds, such as flamingos, reside all year round. Contrary to the ones in Cagliari and Cabras, the salt lagoon near Macchiareddu is still used for the harvesting of salt.

Sardinian is still widely spoken. An exception to this rule is the area near Alghero, where a variant of the Catalan language is spoken; Algherese. A variant of Ligurian is spoken on the south-western island Carloforte. Most foreign languages spoken in the touristic areas are English and French.

Colourful and of various forms, the Sardinian traditional clothes have a Spanish and Moor origin. The clothes resemble not only the geographic background, but also the marital status and role of each member in the social area. There are more than 400 differentiating costumes in Sardinia. In several secluded villages there are some who still wear the traditional clothing. The traditional costumes and ornaments are important elements during Sardinian festivities, together with traditional music and dancing and – very important! – the local delicacies. A Sardinian folkloristic event is definitely worth a visit!

Italy’s total livestock. Ca. 15% of the Sardinian workforce is employed in the agricultural secor.
In the coastal areas near Alghero, Cagliari, Cabras, Carloforte, Sant’Antioco and Tortoli the Sardinians fish for tuna, lobster and sea bass, which is an important source of income. The south-western island Carloforte, famous for its tuna, is often called the “tuna island”. Sardinian tuna is exported worldwide, but primarily to Japan.
Sulcis-Iglesiente is known for its once prosperous mining industry (manganese, marble, iron, copper, lead, zinc, silver) and Sarroch for the oil refineries. Ca. 30% of the workforce is employed here. Furthermore, the production of textiles, cork and food and the processing of lead and zinc are important sources of income.
The majority of the Sardinians is active in the tertiary sector (for example in commerce and government). Tourism has become the main industry of the island.

be eaten either dry or with a bit of olive oil and salt. By soaking the bread in water its elasticity returns, after which it can be used to make a lasagne like dish. However, the most popular preparation is “pane fratau”, which means covering the paper-thin bread with tomato pasta and poached or boiled eggs and grated cheese.
Other less crisp types of Sardinian bread are “il coccoi” and “il civraxiu”.

Sardinians excel at making cheese. Both at lunch and dinner they often serve at least one type of cheese. The most famous one is undoubtedly the “pecorino”, which owes its name to the local sheep (“pecore”) whose milk is used in the production. Its flavour varies from soft to salty and rich. Fresh pecorino and the slightly sweet ricotta are popular components of various traditional cookies as well.

Other than the classic Italian pasta dishes, Sardinians love to prepare their own traditional pasta called “malloreddus”, made from durum wheat flour, water and salt. The dough is rolled to create a small, shell-like pasta dumplings, which are very tasty when combined with a basic tomato sauce with “salsiccia” (sausage) and grated pecorino.

Many Sardinian dishes derive from old traditions. Back in the day, when shepherds setting out with their herds remained in the mountains for months, far away from their families and well-equipped kitchens, they had to make due with basic means. Not being able to bring pots and pans with them, they roasted their meat on wood carved skewers. Herbs were found along the way and basic yet tasty meals were cooked using pork, veal, goat or lamb. The contemporary Sardinian menus still incorporate grilled or roasted meat dishes and suckling pig roasted on the spit is still the highlight of every village festival.

Because of Sardinia’s position in the heart of the Mediterranean sea, fresh seafood dishes are an important part of the local cuisine. We definitely recommend trying the lobster “alla catalana”, cooked on a bed of fresh tomatoes, onion and olive oil, served near Alghero as well as the Sardinian specialty “bottarga”; pressed and salted mullet roe, served in slices on bread or grated over pastas together with olive oil and garlic.

Even though each region has its own local sweets, the traditional “sebadas” is served island-wide. This delicacy consists of cheese pressed into a circular pastry which after being fried in plenty of olive oil is covered with either bitter or sweet honey. Don’t forget to try the typically Sardinian biscuits when drinking a coffee. Buon appetito!