Sardinia has always been more than an island; it’s an ancient crossroads. Phoenicians, Romans, Pisans, Aragonese, and Piedmontese left layers of languages, kitchens, and stone—topped by the mysterious nuraghe towers that dot the countryside. Today, its coastline is a watercolor of blues and powdered-sugar sand, while inland villages guard hearty shepherds’ recipes and timeless rhythms.

In a week, you’ll split time between southern Sardinia’s Cagliari—capital, cultural hub, and gateway to flamingo lagoons and silky beaches—and Alghero on the northwest coast, a Catalan-accented port framed by coral shops and dramatic cliffs. Expect fresh seafood, pecorino, pane carasau, and wines like Vermentino and Cannonau alongside cliffside sunsets and glassy coves.

Practical notes: summer (June–September) is beach season; spring and fall are superb for hiking and touring. Book boat tours and restaurants ahead in high season. Renting a car offers flexibility, though trains and buses connect major towns. Pack reef-safe sunscreen, a light windbreaker for boat days, and water-friendly shoes for rocky coves.

Cagliari

Cagliari is Sardinia’s lively capital: a sunlit amphitheater of limestone crowned by the medieval Castello. Walk the bastions, sip espresso beneath Liberty-style arcades, and watch pink flamingos glide over former salt pans at Molentargius. Beaches begin just east at long, lively Poetto, backed by beach clubs and the Sella del Diavolo promontory.

Eat like a local: culurgiones (braided, mint-scented ravioli), fregola with clams, bottarga over spaghetti, roasted suckling pig, and seadas drizzled with honey. For seafood institutions and contemporary Sardinian plates, Cagliari delivers.

• Stay: Browse stays on VRBO Cagliari or compare hotels on Hotels.com Cagliari.
• Getting there: From European hubs, compare flights on Omio Flights. Coming from outside Europe, check Trip.com or Kiwi.com. Ferries from mainland Italy arrive mainly in Olbia or Porto Torres—see Omio Ferries—then continue by train/bus to Cagliari via Omio Trains or Omio Buses.

Day 1: Arrival, Bastions & Sea Air

Afternoon: Arrive in Cagliari and settle in near Marina or Castello for easy walking. Start with an espresso and almond pastry at historic Antico Caffè 1855, then climb to the Bastione di Saint Remy for sweeping views over domes and sea.

Evening: Aperitivo at Libarium Nostrum on the Castello ramparts. Dinner picks: Sa Domu Sarda for traditional Sardinian fare (try malloreddus with sausage ragù) or Ristorante Luigi Pomata for Carloforte tuna and crudo. Nightcap on the Bastione terrace at Caffè degli Spiriti.

Day 2: Underground Cagliari, Markets & A Sardinian Food Tour

Morning: Explore the city beneath the city with the Underground Cagliari tour—WWII tunnels, crypts, and cool limestone stories that make the medieval lanes above even richer.

Afternoon: Snack and shop your way through Mercato di San Benedetto—one of Italy’s top fish markets. Pick up pecorino, bottarga, olives, pane carasau, and fruit; then a light lunch of fritto misto at the market fry counter or seafood at Trattoria Lillicu in Marina.

Evening: Join the guided Cagliari: A Full Meal Sardinian Food Tour with Do Eat Better for a relaxed progressive dinner—expect cured meats, cheeses, culurgiones, seafood, and sweets with stories.

Day 3: Poetto Beach, Flamingos & Sella del Diavolo

Morning: Coffee at Caffè dell’Arte Specialty Coffee, then bus or taxi to Poetto Beach. Walk the boardwalk or rent loungers at a beach club (Emerson is popular) and swim in clear, shallow water.

Afternoon: Head to Molentargius–Saline Regional Park to spot colonies of pink flamingos feeding in the salt flats. Later, hike the Sella del Diavolo trail from Calamosca for coastal views and wild thyme on the breeze.

Evening: Treat yourself to a tasting menu at Dal Corsaro (elegant, contemporary Sardinian) or the inventive Josto (wood-fired touches, local grains). Finish with seadas and small-batch gelato at I Fenu Gelateria e Pasticceria.

Alghero

Alghero pairs Mediterranean brightness with a Catalan soul—you’ll see street signs in two languages, crenelated towers, and fishermen mending nets beneath coral-red sunsets. The Riviera del Corallo coastline swings from soft sands (Maria Pia) to the dramatic cliffs of Capo Caccia and the stalactite wonderland of Grotta di Nettuno.

Food ranges from seafood couscous and stuffed lobster “alla catalana” to hearty land dishes inland. Nearby, the historic Sella & Mosca estate carpets the countryside in vineyards—ideal for a late-afternoon tasting.

• Stay: Compare stays on VRBO Alghero or Hotels.com Alghero. Old Town puts you on the ramparts; Maria Pia and Lido offer beach access.
• Getting from Cagliari (morning departure): Train/bus combo via Oristano–Sassari takes ~3.5–4 hours, ~$20–$30—check Omio Trains and Omio Buses. Driving is ~2.5–3 hours on good roads.

Day 4: Transfer North, Alghero Ramparts & Seafood

Morning: Depart Cagliari around 9:00 and travel to Alghero (aim to arrive ~12:30–13:00 by car; ~13:30 by train/bus). Check into your Old Town or beach-area stay.

Afternoon: Stroll the bastioni (sea walls), duck into the Cattedrale di Santa Maria, and browse coral workshops. For a light late lunch or merenda, grab the beloved stuffed focaccia at Bar Focacceria Milese and eat on the ramparts.

Evening: Dinner at Al Tuguri (refined Sardinian-Catalan classics) or La Saletta (hearty local dishes). Gelato at Il Pinguino, then sunset along Bastioni Marco Polo.

Day 5: Capo Caccia, Grotta di Nettuno & Beach Afternoon

Morning: Boat from Alghero port to Grotta di Nettuno (weather permitting) or drive to the top of Capo Caccia and descend the Escala del Cabirol’s 654 steps. Inside, stalactites and cave-lake reflections create a cathedral of stone.

Afternoon: Beach hop in the Porto Conte area: Le Bombarde for a lively scene, Lazzaretto for coves and photogenic arches, or wide, pine-backed Maria Pia closer to town. Snack on octopus salad and a cold Ichnusa at a lido chiosco.

Evening: Book Mabrouk for its famed set seafood menu (varies daily: antipasti parade, pasta, and the catch of the day). If you prefer a countryside feast, reserve Agriturismo Sa Mandra near the airport for a many-course Sardinian dinner.

Day 6: Full-Day Catamaran on the Riviera del Corallo

Spend the day gliding over clear water on the Catamaran Alghero, Catamaran Sailing Day Trip—a relaxed sail to hidden coves around Alghero, Porto Conte, and Capo Caccia with swim stops, lunch on board, and plenty of sun and shade. Bring a hat, towel, and a waterproof phone pouch; the crew typically provides masks and snorkels.

Day 7: Pasta-Making on a Farm & Departure

Morning: Learn to crimp the iconic culurgiones in a rustic setting with the Alghero Home Cooking Pasta Class at a Farmhouse with Wine. You’ll mix, roll, and seal the braided edge, then sit for a generous lunch with local wine.

Afternoon: Final passeggiata and souvenir stop—look for coral jewelry, filigree, olive-wood utensils, and local bottarga. Depart in the afternoon; for flights, compare Omio Flights (Europe) or Trip.com / Kiwi.com if you’re connecting beyond Europe.

Evening: If your flight is later, toast the week with a glass of chilled Vermentino and a plate of seadas drizzled with honey in Old Town before heading to the airport.

Optional swaps and tips

• If seas are too rough for Grotta di Nettuno, substitute the Museo del Corallo and extra beach time.
• Wine lovers: add a late-afternoon tasting at Sella & Mosca outside Alghero (book ahead).
• Drivers: coastal detours reveal nuraghe sites and quiet coves—carry cash for small beach parking lots.

In one week, you’ll have tasted Cagliari’s history and markets, watched flamingos lift over salt flats, sailed Alghero’s coral coast, and mastered the braid on culurgiones. Sardinia’s mix of luminous sea, layered history, and honest cooking tends to pull travelers back—consider this your first chapter.