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| Sardinia holidays
Since 1991, Holiday Options have offered an extensive range of Sardinia holidays to this most beautiful of mediterranean Islands. With this experience of Sardinia holidays we have developed a programme that includes boutique and family hotels, quality apartments, villas with pools and new for 2009 a twin centre island option with Corsica. Our Sardinia holidays feature the popular resorts of Cannigione, San Pantaleo, Baia Sardinia, Porto Cervo, Porto San Paolo, Palau, Santa Teresa di Gallura, Isola Rossa, Alghero, Domus de Maria, Santa Margherita di Pula, Forte Village and Cagliari. All of these Sardinia holiday resorts are accessed by a range of Sardinia flights that include:- Gatwick to Alghero, Olbia and Cagliari Manchester to Olbia and Cagliari Birmingham to Alghero Leeds Bradford to Olbia Stansted to Alghero East Midlands to Alghero Liverpool to Alghero Bristol to Olbia Luton to Cagliari. Simply use the column on the right hand side of this page to view the resorts as well as detail on all the accommodation we have available. At any stage you can book the Sardinia holiday of your dreams by using our search and book box. About 100 miles from the Italian mainland and just a little further from the north African coast, Sardinia sits surrounded by the Mediterranean, due south of Corsica from which it is separated by the narrow Strait of Bonifacio. With a feast of fine sandy beaches punctuating a ragged and rocky coast, a photogenic cluster of offshore islets, and a mountainous interior where the lie of the land is lush and green..Sardinia is an island that matches you mood for mood. Stroll around Alghero's old-world harbour, admire the multi-million dollar yachts in Costa Smeralda's marinas. Enjoy a spot of escapism. Even the abundant wildlife seems an exotic mix of rare and prolific breeds. Cranes and cormorants and great pink clouds of flamingos flock to the calm lagoons of Cagliari. Wild goats and moufflon mountain sheep share the Gennargentu (silver gate) peaks with small mammals and large birds of prey. The waters around the islands shores form a smorgasbord of marine life, from lobster and red mullet to octopus & clams. All conspire to create a place of inspiration and relaxation.
White sand beaches abound Just as Sardinia’s calendar is littered with flamboyant festivals – religious, local and folkloric – its landscape is littered with relics of a chequered past, from Carthaginian and Roman ruins to Genoan fortifications, Spanish Baroque churches, Pisa-style towers and several thousand nuraghi - stone constructions built by the island’s earliest inhabitants circa 1500BC. Almost equidistant from the coasts of Italy and Tunisia, the island has a character unique to itself. Its strategic position in the middle of the Mediterranean invited invasion by all the usual suspects, each leaving reminders of their time on the island - and not only in the tangible form of architecture. The Sardinian language is little changed from Latin, though a strong dialect around Alghero is unmistakably Catalan. When D. H. Lawrence visited he pronounced the island ‘lost between Europe and Africa and belonging to nowhere’. He may have been nearer the mark if he’d said ‘evolving from everywhere’. Even the abundant wildlife seems an exotic mix of rare and prolific breeds. Cranes and cormorants and great pink clouds of flamingoes flock to the calm lagoons of Cagliari. Wild goats and moufflon mountain sheep share the Gennargentu (‘Silver Gate’) peaks with small mammals and large birds of prey. The waters around the island’s shores form a smorgasbord of marine life, from lobster and red mullet to octopus and clams. In today’s Sardinia the immediate and lasting impression is one of colour. The sea, deep
blue off the rocks and crags, turns to turquoise in the shallows and is crystal clear where
wavelets accompany it to the shore. Hundreds of beaches of fine sand come in shades
of pale gold and soft white. There are lush plains of verdant vegetation, tall cliffs of steely
Passionate about Sardinia... "… Sardinia is a castle with a garden wild and rare, Sandro Teall has been the Holiday Options representative in southern Sardinia for 8 seasons."
Sardinia and her islands... Porto Cervo is at the very heart of the Costa Smeralda and is famous for its 600 berths marina in which some of the world’s most opulent craft are moored. This most fashionable of resorts is also the summer venue of a series of prominent sporting events, including regattas and golf tournaments. There is a wide selection of designer shops and some elegant restaurants and bars. This enchanting village has a unique charm, which is created by its
network of alleyways, intimate piazzettas and pastel and white-washed houses. The small resort of Baia Sardinia is 4km from Porto Cervo overlooking the archipelago of La Maddalena, and is famous for its fine sandy beach and crystal clear waters. There is also a selection of restaurants, bars and shops, and the resort can be quite busy in the high season. Enjoy a cappuccino or a cocktail in the piazza at the heart of the village, a perfect spot for relaxing at any time. Cannigione town is a vibrant and developing coastal resort. It is situated on the western shore of the sheltered inlet which forms the Gulf of Arzachena. There are several glorious beaches around the bay and the waters of the gulf are startlingly clear. The area is popular for boat excursions especially to the splendid archipelago of La Maddalena. A few kilometres inland, there is an important archaeological site, which features the Nuraghi or ‘giant tombs’. Enjoy a renowned Cannigione ice cream whilst strolling around the fishing port and admiring the yachts! The bay of Cala Capra is set in a residential park with smart villas and gardens. There
are some excellent beaches and a small marina, which is in front of the Hotel Capo
d’Orso. The sea is emerald green and there are stunning views across the bay towards
the islands of Caprera and La Maddalena. Palau, the main town in the area, is within 4
km. Activities at Cala Capra include a dive school, horseriding and boating. There are a The small town of San Pantaleo is situated at the foot of rugged, rocky peaks, which are the distinctive features of this unique locality. Its breathtaking scenery is much favoured by painters, who have settled here over the years. While other resorts owe their being to the development of tourism, San Pantaleo is more typically Sardinian where local people and tourists mingle comfortably together. Isola Rossa is a small, unspoiled fishing village on the north west coast. There are three excellent beaches as well as a pretty harbour front with restaurants, pizzerias and bars, with the restaurant at the Hotel Corallo enjoying a particularly good reputation. Isola Rossa beach is in the village and Marinedda beach is in front of the hotel of the same name. The resort is generally quiet although like everywhere in Italy it is more lively in August. Along the coast at Badesi Mare is the Resort Le Dune Village at the far end of Long Beach, an 8km long beach of wild beauty that can be reached from Isola Rossa by boat or by road. The name of the locality comes from the small Isola Rossa (Red Island), which is formed from pink granite crystals. Isola Rossa enjoys a village atmosphere where fishing boats are still drawn up on the beach with each day’s catch. Popular excursions are available to Corsica and Castelsardo and Holiday Options car hire is available at the Hotel Corallo. Santa Teresa Gallura is situated on the most northerly tip of the island and is the ferry port for Corsica. On a clear day you can make out the impressive cliffs of Bonifacio. It offers a buoyant weekly market as well as restaurants and shops. Alghero, the tourism capital of northern Sardinia, is a fascinating town of immense historical interest which also has excellent beaches. It can be lively, vibrant and cosmopolitan in the holiday season when there are open markets, bars and restaurants catering for most tastes. Quality hotels and apartments complement traditional tourist amenities, which are transforming Alghero into one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy. A new feature is the impressive 4 km promenade called La Rambla after its famous counterpart in Barcelona, which runs the length of the resort and links the Hotel San Marco in the north with the Hotel Calabona in the south, encompassing the ramparts of the old town en-route. Alghero traces its history back to the 11th century when the tiny fishing village was fortified and became an important trading port. In the 1350s it became known as Barceloneta or ‘Little Barcelona’ and remained under Catalan, and later, Spanish domination for some 400 years, until title to the town was eventually transferred back to the Sardinians. Today, many influences of its former Catalan masters remain, clearly reflected in both its magnificent architecture and by its elder residents, many of whom still regularly speak the Catalan dialect. Alghero’s ancient monuments, and the Piazzas which proliferate within the old town area, are linked by narrow cobbled lanes with their quaint dwellings, and are splendid examples of Alghero’s architectural heritage. Beyond the immediate vicinity of the old town there is still more to explore. We recommend the wonderful lido beaches of Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto, the bays of Porto Conte and Capo Caccia, and the picturesque Porticciolo with its 15th century tower on the headland.
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