Sea & Sardinia for Solo Travellers

Fly into Cagliari, Sardinia’s capital, where your guide will be waiting to take you to Oristano on the island’s west coast. Here, you’ll arrive at your 4-star Hotel Lido and enjoy a welcome drink and dinner.
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After breakfast, take a scenic drive to the Sinis peninsula. This protected area features biodiverse landscapes, from cliffs to dunes, wetlands and salt pans. Stop at Tharros, a once-powerful port city founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century, which was later controlled by Punic and Roman forces. Wander the basalt streets lined with ruins of aqueducts and baths and admire the Byzantine sandstone church of San Giovanni.
Move on to the village of Bosa, known for its filet lace, Malvasia dessert wine and rainbow-coloured houses that cling to the hillside. The village lies beside an estuary of the Temo, Sardinia’s only navigable river, and is shadowed by Malaspina Castle. After exploring, travel north to the coastal city of Alghero, where you’ll stay in the 4-star Hotel Carol V for two nights and enjoy dinner on your first night.
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Begin your day by exploring Alghero’s medieval, Catalan influenced old town. You can stroll along the imposing 16th-century walls that encircle the port for sea views, then venture into the cobbled lanes to discover Civic Square, Spanish strongholds and Santa Maria Cathedral. Afterwards, take part in a Sardinian wine tasting session, accompanied by appetizers.

Next, you’ll traverse the wild Capo Caccia, a botanic reserve which spans 3,000 hectares. From the promontory, which looks like a sleeping giant, you can savour sweeping coastal views over the bay, surrounded by towering cliffs. Finally, the evening is yours to spend as you please.
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This morning, head just north of Alghero to the Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, which dates back five millennia. This series of 38 tombs was carved into sandstone rock and dates from the Late Neolithic to the first Bronze Age period. Discovered by chance in 1903, the site was uncovered over a series of excavations; admire the walls and pillars carved with symbols of the afterlife.

Continue east now to Saccargia, where you’ll visit the Pisan-Romanesque style Basilica Santissima Trinità. Set on a hillside, the building is famed for its striped basalt and white limestone exterior, tall bell tower and Byzantine frescoes. Afterwards, relax during the drive to Olbia on Sardinia’s north-east coast, where you’ll have dinner at a local restaurant and spend two nights in the 4-star Hotel Panorama.
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Today, witness Sardinia’s coastal beauty. Drive along the Costa Smeralda, a 55-kilometre stretch of paradise aptly-named the Emerald Coast, where the rich and famous flock to swanky villas and ports bob with mega yachts. On the way, you’ll stop for numerous photos of tiny villages and coves lapped by the sea, then take a 20-minute ferry ride from Palau to the Maddalena Islands.

This archipelago is made up of seven large islands and over 50 deserted islets and is beloved for its Caribbean-like white sands and topaz water. Visit the main island, Maddalena, where you’ll have free time to explore the port town with its promenade, market, and seafood restaurants before sailing back to the mainland to your hotel to enjoy dinner.
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Today relax and take in the rural scenery as you drive south to Su Nuraxi Barumini, Sardinia’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover this sprawling Bronze Age archaeological complex, which showcases the island’s best-preserved and largest set of nuraghe, conical megalithic stone towers from the era.

Afterwards, continue south to the atmospheric city of Cagliari. Built on seven hills, Sardinia’s capital is home to one of the biggest ports in the Mediterranean and a medieval Castello district surrounded by defensive walls and towers. For three nights, your stay will be at the 4-star design hotel, THOTEL.
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Spend this morning uncovering Cagliari, beginning with a photo stop at Monte Urpinu terrace for views over the capital. Next, delve into the hilltop Castello district where you can traverse maze-like streets lined with shops and eateries. You can also tour the 14^th century royal palace and peruse exhibits from the Nuragic, Bronze, Roman and Phoenician eras at the National Archeological Museum.

Other highlights include the Saint Remy Bastion for city views, the 13^th-century Santa Maria cathedral, and climbing the remaining Pisan Torre dell’Elefante, named for its sculpted elephants, where Spanish forces once imprisoned political prisoners. In the afternoon, you’ll drive to Nora on the Cape of Pula to see the ruins of Sardinia’s first Phoenician city. End the day with dinner at your hotel.
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Enjoy your final day at leisure in Cagliari. Have a leisurely breakfast and then continue exploring the city independently. Ride scenic lifts like Santa Chiara to panoramic terraces and for some nature, take a walk around the city’s botanical gardens which are home to 2,000 species of flora. To get your blood pumping, hike to Devil’s Saddle, a rock formation nestled between the city and beach.

If you prefer to relax, lounge by the hotel pool or visit the on-site wellness centre where you can indulge in treatments and a spa circuit (payable locally). For a dose of sun, head to Cagliari’s 7-kilometre-long beach, Poetto, which lies beside Molentargius, a natural reserve which draws a range of birds, from cormorants to flamingos. Perhaps end the day with a meal at a hilltop eatery in the Castello district.
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Today your Sardinia adventure comes to an end. After breakfast, you’ll be transferred to the airport in time for your homebound flight.
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