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Routes · Europe

Stockholm to Sardinia: Cagliari, Barumini and Alghero

Stockholm → Cagliari → Alghero

Cagliari
"Cagliari-Molentargius-Poetto-Quartu.jpg" by cristianocani, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Cagliari collage (Cagliari)
Photo: Nilo1926, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nuraghi, beaches & Catalan port Best season (general guide): May–Jun, Sep–Oct

Sardinia is a large Italian island with its own language, food and an ancient past visible in thousands of stone towers called nuraghi. This route spends three nights in Cagliari and three in Alghero. From Stockholm you'll connect through Rome or another hub, or fly directly in summer when routes run.

How to pace it: Spend days one to three in Cagliari: day one, the Castello quarter; day two, Poetto beach and the flamingos; day three, Barumini nuraghe. Then spend days four to six in Alghero: day four, travel north to Alghero, then the sea walls; day five, Neptune's Grotto by boat; day six, beaches near Alghero.

Cagliari, the capital, rises from the harbour to the Castello quarter, with its walls and towers. Poetto, a long sandy beach, is close to the city, and in the salt pans of Molentargius, flamingos wade in the shallow water.

Inland, Su Nuraxi at Barumini is the finest nuraghe complex, a Bronze Age fortress of stone towers surrounded by a village. UNESCO lists it, and guided tours take you inside.

The road north crosses the island to Alghero, on the north-west coast. It was settled by Catalans in the Middle Ages, and some locals still speak a form of Catalan. Its old town is surrounded by sea walls, where people walk at sunset.

From Alghero, boats sail along the coast to Neptune's Grotto, a sea cave at Capo Caccia, or you can reach it on foot down a long staircase cut into the cliff.

May to June and September to October are the best seasons, with warm sea and fewer visitors.

Sardinia's best beaches can be busy in August, so arrive early or visit in June or September. A car gives the most freedom between the two cities and the coast in between.

Good to know: A hire car is the best way to get around, as public transport is limited between towns. Sardinian food includes pane carasau, a thin crisp bread, and roast suckling pig. Book boat trips on calm days, as the sea can be rough.

Suggested outline

  1. Stockholm

    Start

  2. Cagliari

    By air · 3 nights suggested

    The hilltop Castello quarter, Poetto beach and flamingos in the salt pans.

  3. Alghero

    Overland · 3 nights suggested

    A walled Catalan-flavoured port, with Neptune's Grotto at Capo Caccia.

    Alghero
    "Alghero - Panorama (02).jpg" by Gianni Careddu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Cagliari — Arrive; the Castello quarter· Stockholm → Cagliari (by air)
  2. Day 2 · Cagliari — Poetto beach and the flamingos
  3. Day 3 · Cagliari — Barumini nuraghe
  4. Day 4 · Alghero — North to Alghero; the sea walls· Cagliari → Alghero (overland)
  5. Day 5 · Alghero — Neptune's Grotto by boat
  6. Day 6 · Alghero — Beaches near Alghero
  7. Day 7 · Alghero — Travel home from Alghero· Alghero → Stockholm (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Cagliari

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Alghero

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