Is Sardinia overrated? After I ponder the reply to this query, I keep in mind a phrase I as soon as heard in passing: “We will’t all be soulmates.”
The context of this had nothing to do with journey, not to mention with Italy. An enemy of a pal of a pal, you see, had satisfied herself that she had a private relationship with a multimillionaire movie star, who expertly shaded her—the enemy, that is—with these 5 easy phrases.
After I give it some thought, that is much more good for Sardinia. In any case, the island attracts a wealth of celebrities, and the place many yacht-bound TikTok chicks appear to assume they’re well-known.
My Sardinia Story
If I’m trustworthy, the query “is Sardinia overrated?” had been taunting me, from the again of my thoughts, for weeks by the point I arrived in Cagliari. Nevertheless, I ignored it, and with good purpose. I had dinner with a Sardinian pal and colleague of mine in Rome shortly earlier than touring to the island. Her kindness made me really feel virtually obligated to have a very good expertise touring by means of her residence.
Sadly, whereas I discovered many particular person elements of touring in Sardinia gratifying, the sum of its components left me chilly. By the point I left 96 hours after I arrived—sure I do know, haters, I didn’t spend lengthy sufficient there—I felt extra relieved than refreshed, extra excited to get again to the Everlasting Metropolis than I’d been strolling alongside Sardinia’s supposedly timeless seashores.
5 Methods Sardinia Upset Me
Over-hyped seashores
Now, I didn’t go to each seaside in Sardinia—I didn’t discover any Sardinian seashores, other than these alongside the well-known Costa Smeralda and the marginally much less well-known Golfo di Orosei. And possibly it’s simply because I’d dipped my toes within the sands of all six inhabited continents (and since my pal informed me Sardinia’s seashores had been higher than Thailand’s—this positively wasn’t true for me), however I felt completely underwhelmed by them.
Problem attending to locations
Properly, the seashores I may attain, that is. The attendants (sure, you should pay to enter) at Cala Goloritze wouldn’t even let me “hike” to the seaside as a result of I wasn’t carrying mountain climbing boots (Facet observe: Who wears mountain climbing boots to a seaside?). Furthermore, the queue to park at Cala Brandinchi was over an hour; I couldn’t even be bothered to attend in it. Is Sardinia overrated? Until you get diamonds on the seaside I’d say it’s.
A part of the explanation I really feel so salty is that so as even to have a hope of seeing Sardinian seashores, I needed to lease a automotive, which price me over 200 USD for a single day. With the intention to lease it (at Olbia Airport—there have been none in Cagliari), I needed to journey a practice over 4 hours, and keep in Olbia‘s sterile city heart, which was itself soul-sucking. To be blunt, it appears Sardinia is organized primarily to serve the rich yacht homeowners who entry its seashores by boat.
Excessive costs
The rental automotive wasn’t the one excessive price of touring in Sardinia. Costs of lodging in each Cagliari and Olbia had been not less than as costly as what I discovered on the Italian mainland, to say nothing of how a lot I paid for traditional dishes like cugurlione dumplings and porceddu pork knuckle. Is Sardinia overrated? Perhaps not, however for what you get, it’s definitely overpriced. And that’s with out the yacht rental price!
Dangerous luck
Now, I’ll be trustworthy and humble right here: I solely went to Sardinia one time, and just for a number of days. Whereas I structured my quick journey intentionally sufficient that I refuse to simply accept the cost of poor planning, I’ll concede that a few of my mishaps (the shortage of rental automotive availability, the seaside Nazis at Cala Goloritze) had been all the way down to unhealthy luck. Alternatively, first impressions are legitimate—and essential—even when we will all admit they shouldn’t be the final phrase.
Will I Go Again to Sardinia?
I’ll completely return to Sardinia, most likely throughout the summer season of 2023 (except some form soul invitations me sooner!). Along with spending longer alongside the coast (notably the Golfo d’Orosei, the place I wish to take a ship tour for a number of days), I additionally wish to discover the island’s west. This can embrace each the cities of Alghero and Sassari, in addition to the seashores of Asinara Nationwide Park, which seem like the island’s most lovely.
I additionally wish to journey with my pal (assuming she doesn’t hate me after studying this); locals have a manner of performing as a shortcut to the gold of any vacation spot, notably you probably have a nasty expertise by yourself the primary time. Is Sardinia overrated? My present reply to this query is “sure, completely.” However I hope that softens and fades away over time.
Different FAQ About Sardinia
Is Sardinia price seeing?
Sardinia is price seeing with your individual eyes, though I’d counsel you mood your expectations. I anticipated a pristine dreamland with the very best seashores on the earth; I arrived to a sophisticated, confounding island whose coastlines, as emerald-toned as they could be, weren’t sufficient to steadiness out the negatives of my journey.
Why is Sardinia fashionable?
Sardinia is fashionable primarily as a result of its world-famous seashores. Importantly, it’s fashionable largely amongst rich yacht-owners and French vacation makers with the money to constitution their very own boats for a number of days; after making an attempt to navigate Sardinia by non-public automotive and public transport, I can see why all these persons are its target market.
The Backside Line
Is Sardinia overrated? Though that finally depends upon the expectations you set for the island, it’s troublesome for me to come back to every other conclusion. Sardinia’s seashores are lovely, however essentially the most lovely ones are inaccessible to all however essentially the most wealthy and well-known. The island is technically a part of Italy, however is so cumbersome and costly to combine into a visit with the mainland that it’d as nicely be a separate nation. Now, I’m not writing Sardinia off—I plan to return sooner or later, for an extended time frame and with a special technique. Until you’re ready to be as deliberate as I’ll be in a 12 months or two, I’d most likely advocate selecting Sicily as an alternative, assuming you need a quick and stress-free vacation.
Robert Schrader is a journey author and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications similar to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the best way. His weblog, Depart Your Every day Hell, offers a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays masking the extra esoteric elements of life as a traveler.
