15:00–15:30
1Cagliari hotel Rest
Check in and settle before the evening walk.
Trips planned by Robin · Cagliari, Italy
7 Days in Sardinia: The Perfect Road Trip.
Seven days is the right length for a first Sardinian road trip if you treat the island as three bases, not thirty stops: two nights in Cagliari for the old bastions and Poetto's long sand, two in Alghero for the Catalan lanes, the Grotte di Nettuno and La Pelosa, and two in Olbia with the Costa Smeralda's coves on your doorstep. The drives between them are the scenic connective tissue, about three hours each, and nothing on this route needs a ferry or a toll booth.
Robin planned this trip forFirst visitA coast-to-coast loopCoupleRental carBalanced paceEarly JuneChange these assumptions →
Planned by Robin
7 days · 37 stops
Every place is real, planned with the same verified data that Robin uses in the app. How these itineraries are made
7-day Cagliari itinerary at a glance
1Arrive Cagliari→Bastione di Saint Remy→aperitivo in the bastion walls
2Cathedral→Museo Archeologico's bronzetti→Poetto Beach picnic→Sella del Diavolo at golden hour
3Drive to Alghero→Catalan old town→sunset on the ramparts
4Nuraghe Palmavera→Grotte di Nettuno→La Pelosa Beach
5Drive to Olbia→Basilica di San Simplicio→Corso Umberto passeggiata
6Nuraghe di Sa Testa→Porto Cervo→a swim at Liscia Ruja
7One last swim at Pittulongu→Olbia old town farewell
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want beaches, ruins and old towns in one loop
- Car needed
- Yes, essential: the whole route is built around a rental car
- Where to stay
- Three bases: Cagliari, then Alghero, then Olbia
- Total driving
- Roughly 9 to 10 hours across the week, in three long hops and a few short coastal runs
- Best months
- Late May to June and September; July and August bring crowds and beach caps
- Pace
- Balanced
- Robin recommends
- Reserve La Pelosa ahead in summer (access is capped) and get there right at opening; the water is at its stillest before noon
Your 7-day route
All stops, numbered by day order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
Day 1 · Saturday
Day 1: Arrive in Cagliari, sunset from the bastions
Ease into Cagliari with a golden-hour walk along the old bastions and a Sardinian dinner in the Castello quarter, no rush after check-in.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
↓330 m · ~4 min walk
16:30–17:10
2Bastione di Saint Remy Sight
The grand terraced staircase in Castello gives the best free panorama over the rooftops and harbor.
↓180 m · ~2 min walk
18:15–19:15
3Cafe Degli Spiriti Eat
An aperitivo terrace tucked into the bastion walls, best just before sunset when the light hits the gulf.
↓740 m · ~9 min walk
19:30–21:00
4Trattoria Lillicu Eat
A no-frills Cagliari institution serving malloreddus alla campidanese since the 1950s.
Day 2 · Sunday
Day 2: Cagliari's stones, then Poetto's sand
A full Cagliari day: the cathedral and archaeological museum in the cool morning, then a picnic carried down to Poetto beach for a swim, closing with the cliff walk at Sella del Diavolo as the light turns.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
09:00–10:00
1Cattedrale di Santa Maria Culture
Cagliari's Pisan-Gothic cathedral, its crypt lined with saints' relics carved from the local stone.
↓960 m · ~12 min walk
10:15–11:45
2Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari Culture
Home to the bronzetti nuragici, small bronze warrior figures that are the best introduction to Sardinia's nuraghe civilization.
↓860 m · ~11 min walk
12:00–12:45
3Pomosardagna Eat
A gastronomia to pick up panadas and pane carasau, you'll eat them on the sand at Poetto.
↓4.6 km · a short ride
13:02–15:32
4Poetto Beach Nature
Picnic on the long white-sand beach then swim in the shallow, turquoise water it's famous for.
↓1.7 km · ~21 min walk
16:00–18:00
5Sella del Diavolo Nature
A rocky headland trail above Poetto, the third viewpoint up gives the best angle back over the whole gulf at golden hour.
↓4.9 km · a short ride
18:17–19:47
6Ristorante Sa Piola Eat
Family-run spot in Marina district for fregola con arselle, a step up from touristy waterfront places.
Day 3 · Monday
Day 3: The drive to Alghero and its Catalan old town
Move day to Alghero, the drive is mid-morning, so you'll arrive with the whole afternoon free to wander the Catalan old town and watch the sunset from the ramparts.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
08:30–09:00
1Checkout. Cagliari hotel Rest
Pack up before the drive north to Alghero.
09:00–12:00
2Cagliari → Alghero Transit
Scenic drive across the island's interior, no tolls or ferries on this route, just stop for views as the road climbs.
13:05–14:05
3Osteria Taverna del Pavone Eat
Cozy old-town spot for a light lunch after the drive, ravioli sardi with saffron.
↓180 m · ~2 min walk
15:00–15:30
4Alghero hotel Rest
Check in and drop bags.
↓130 m · ~2 min walk
15:45–16:30
5Alghero Old Town Walk
Wander the Catalan-Gothic lanes of the Centro Storico. Alghero is still called 'Barceloneta' for its Catalan heritage.
↓300 m · ~4 min walk
18:00–19:00
6Bastioni Cristoforo Colombo Sight
The seaward ramparts turn deep gold at sunset, with fishing boats framed below.
19:30–21:00
7Ristorante La Lepanto Eat
Alghero's classic seafood house on the port, known for its aragosta alla catalana.
Choose how you eat on the road
If you like leaving lunch to luckkeep the loose midday slots as they are: park where a town looks good and follow the locals, the interior villages reward it
If you want every meal named in advanceask Robin to pin a specific trattoria for the two open lunch slots on the move days, so nothing is left generic
If you would rather be on the beach by onerepeat the day-2 trick: pick up panadas and pane carasau in the morning and picnic where you land
Ask Robin to personalize this day →
Day 4 · Tuesday
Day 4: Nuraghe, sea caves and Sardinia's most famous cove
This is the day to use the car properly: nuraghe ruins, the sea caves at Capo Caccia, and a swim at one of Sardinia's most famous coves.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
09:00–10:30
1Nuraghe Palmavera Culture
A well-preserved Bronze Age nuraghe complex just outside Alghero, with a rare model hut still standing.
↓11 km · ~16 min drive
11:00–12:30
2Grotte di Nettuno Nature
Descend (or take the boat) to these dramatic sea caves at Capo Caccia, the 654-step Escala del Cabirol is the adventurous way in.
↓17 km · ~22 min drive
13:03–14:03
3Lunch in Alghero Eat
Quick seafood plate back in town before heading north to the coast.
↓57 km · ~62 min drive
15:28–17:58
4La Pelosa Beach Nature
Sardinia's most photographed cove, shallow, impossibly turquoise water below the old Torre della Pelosa.
↓57 km · ~62 min drive
19:30–21:00
5Ristorante Al Tuguri Eat
Tiny, well-loved Alghero spot serving refined takes on Sardinian classics, the splurge-worthy dinner of the trip.
Robin's tip. The Escala del Cabirol down to the Grotte di Nettuno is 654 steps each way. Take the morning boat from Alghero instead if knees are a concern, and check sea conditions the evening before, as swells cancel it.
Day 5 · Wednesday
Day 5: North to Olbia, an evening on Corso Umberto
Another easy move, this time to Olbia, settle in and spend the evening on Corso Umberto with a proper Gallura dinner.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
08:30–09:00
1Checkout. Alghero hotel Rest
Pack up before the drive to Olbia.
09:30–12:30
2Alghero → Olbia Transit
Cross the north of the island, a straightforward drive with no tolls.
13:35–14:35
3Lunch in Olbia Eat
Light lunch to refuel after the drive.
↓240 m · ~3 min walk
15:00–15:30
4Olbia hotel Rest
Check in and settle for the final leg of the trip.
↓400 m · ~5 min walk
16:00–17:30
5Basilica di San Simplicio Culture
Olbia's austere granite Romanesque church, one of Sardinia's oldest, quiet and rarely crowded.
↓390 m · ~5 min walk
18:00–19:00
6Corso Umberto passeggiata Walk
Join the evening stroll down Olbia's main pedestrian street as shutters open for the evening.
↓1.1 km · ~14 min walk
19:30–21:00
7Ristorante Gallura Eat
A longstanding Gallura-region favorite for handmade culurgiones and fresh catch.
Day 6 · Thursday
Day 6: Ancient stones and the Costa Smeralda
A day mixing ancient stones and glamorous coast: a nuraghic tomb near Olbia in the morning, then Porto Cervo and a swim at one of the Costa Smeralda's loveliest beaches.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
09:00–10:15
1Nuraghe di Sa Testa Culture
A little-visited nuraghic tomb and sanctuary just outside Olbia, usually empty even in high season.
↓27 km · ~32 min drive
11:01–11:41
2Porto Cervo Marina Sight
Wander the Costa Smeralda's famous yacht harbor and the whitewashed Piazzetta above it.
↓300 m · ~4 min walk
13:00–14:00
3Lunch in Porto Cervo Eat
Simple trattoria lunch before heading to the beach.
↓4.5 km · a short ride
14:30–17:30
4Spiaggia Liscia Ruja Nature
One of the Costa Smeralda's finest coves, soft sand and clear water backed by juniper scrub.
↓27 km · ~32 min drive
18:16–19:46
5Dinner in Olbia old town Eat
Head back to Olbia for a relaxed final proper dinner among the old-town lanes.
Day 7 · Friday
Day 7: A last swim and a slow goodbye
A gentle last morning, one more swim near Olbia before you pack up, then a farewell wander before it's time to go.
Stops in walking order · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
09:00–09:55
1Pittulongu Beach Nature
A last easy swim at Olbia's closest good beach, with a view out to Isola Tavolara.
10:00–11:00
2Checkout. Olbia hotel Rest
Pack up and check out.
11:24–12:39
3Olbia Old Town wander Walk
A final unhurried stroll through the historic center's quiet stone streets before heading onward.
Bucket-list foods in Cagliari
Malloreddus alla campidanese
Sardinia's little saffron gnocchetti in sausage and tomato sugo, the island's definitive first course.
On this trip: Trattoria Lillicu, day 1 dinner, a Cagliari institution since the 1950s
Fregola con arselle
Toasted pearl pasta with tiny clams, the Cagliari classic that tastes like the lagoon it comes from.
On this trip: Ristorante Sa Piola, day 2 dinner in the Marina district
Culurgiones
Hand-pleated pasta parcels of potato, pecorino and mint, each one closed like an ear of wheat.
On this trip: Ristorante Gallura, day 5 dinner in Olbia
Porceddu
Suckling pig roasted slowly over juniper wood until the skin crackles, the great inland feast dish. This route stays coastal, so ask Robin to swap in an agriturismo dinner and it will find you one.
Where to stay for this itinerary
Stay in Cagliari: Castello or the Marina quarter if…
- you want the bastion views and the old town outside your door
- eating well matters most on nights one and two, the Marina's trattorias are steps away
Stay in Alghero: inside the Centro Storico if…
- you want the ramparts and the sunset walk without driving
- two nights of Catalan-Gothic lanes and seafood sounds like the heart of the trip
Stay in Olbia: the old town, not the resort coast if…
- you'd rather drive 30 minutes to the Costa Smeralda's beaches than pay its hotel prices
- an evening passeggiata and an honest culurgiones dinner beat a resort buffet
Before you go
Do you really need a car?
Yes. The three bases are linked by long cross-island drives, and the best of the trip (Nuraghe Palmavera, La Pelosa, Liscia Ruja) is reachable only by road. The driving itself is easy: quiet roads, no tolls, no ferries.
What must be booked ahead?
La Pelosa caps beach access in high season, so reserve before you go. The Grotte di Nettuno boat runs on sea conditions, so check times the day before. Book the Al Tuguri dinner in Alghero a few days out; it is tiny.
Which airports does this route use?
Fly into Cagliari and out of Olbia; both have their own airports and the open-jaw shape saves you a three-hour drive back south. Most rental companies on the island allow one-way rentals between the two, for a fee worth paying.
Is seven days enough?
For the south, the northwest and the Costa Smeralda, comfortably. What it leaves out is the wild east coast around Cala Gonone and the giant nuraghe at Barumini, which are the first things to add with more time.
When should you go?
Late May to June has warm sea, long light and open restaurants without the August crush. September is the sleeper pick: the water is at its warmest and the beaches empty out.
9–10 days
Have 9–10 days?
First, add Barumini between Cagliari and Alghero
Su Nuraxi at Barumini is the grandest nuraghe on the island and sits nearly on the day-3 route. Break the drive there, then carry on north with the whole civilization fresh in your head.
Give Olbia a boat day
From Palau, half an hour north, ferries and small boats loop the La Maddalena archipelago. Its granite islets and coves are the best swimming of the whole trip.
Finish on the east coast
Two nights at Cala Gonone opens the Golfo di Orosei: boat-only beaches like Cala Luna under limestone cliffs, a wilder closing act than the Costa Smeralda.
Make this itinerary yours
This trip was built for a typical first visit. You aren't typical. Find your loves, your budget, and your perfect Cagliari adventure by building on this trip with Hey Robin.
Finish this itinerary FREE at Hey Robin →