Is Sardinia overrated? After I ponder the reply to this query, I bear in mind a phrase I as soon as heard in passing: “We are able to’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 superstar, 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 suppose 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 motive. 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 great expertise touring via her dwelling.
Sadly, whereas I discovered many particular person features of touring in Sardinia pleasant, 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 Disillusioned Me
Over-hyped seashores
Now, I didn’t go to each seashore 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 perhaps it’s simply because I’d dipped my toes within the sands of all six inhabited continents (and since my pal instructed me Sardinia’s seashores had been higher than Thailand’s—this undoubtedly wasn’t true for me), however I felt completely underwhelmed by them.
Issue attending to locations
Nicely, the seashores I may attain, that is. The attendants (sure, it’s good to pay to enter) at Cala Goloritze wouldn’t even let me “hike” to the seashore as a result of I wasn’t sporting climbing boots (Aspect be aware: Who wears climbing boots to a seashore?). 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 seashore I’d say it’s.
A part of the rationale I really feel so salty is that so as even to have a hope of seeing Sardinian seashores, I needed to hire a automotive, which price me over 200 USD for a single day. With the intention to hire it (at Olbia Airport—there have been none in Cagliari), I needed to experience a prepare over 4 hours, and keep in Olbia‘s sterile city middle, 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 at the least 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? Possibly not, however for what you get, it’s definitely overpriced. And that’s with out the yacht rental price!
Unhealthy luck
Now, I’ll be trustworthy and humble right here: I solely went to Sardinia one time, and just for a couple of days. Whereas I structured my quick journey intentionally sufficient that I refuse to just accept the cost of poor planning, I’ll concede that a few of my mishaps (the shortage of rental automotive availability, the seashore Nazis at Cala Goloritze) had been all the way down to unhealthy luck. Then again, 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, in all probability through the summer season of 2023 (until some type soul invitations me sooner!). Along with spending longer alongside the coast (significantly the Golfo d’Orosei, the place I need to take a ship tour for a couple of days), I additionally need to discover the island’s west. This may embody each the cities of Alghero and Sassari, in addition to the seashores of Asinara Nationwide Park, which look like the island’s most stunning.
I additionally need to journey with my pal (assuming she doesn’t hate me after studying this); locals have a approach of appearing as a shortcut to the gold of any vacation spot, significantly when you have a foul 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 recommend you mood your expectations. I anticipated a pristine dreamland with the very best seashores on this planet; I arrived to an advanced, confounding island whose coastlines, as emerald-toned as they may be, weren’t sufficient to stability out the negatives of my journey.
Why is Sardinia common?
Sardinia is common primarily as a result of its world-famous seashores. Importantly, it’s common largely amongst rich yacht-owners and French vacation makers with the money to constitution their very own boats for a couple of days; after making an attempt to navigate Sardinia by non-public automotive and public transport, I can see why a lot of these persons are its audience.
The Backside Line
Is Sardinia overrated? Though that in the end will depend on the expectations you set for the island, it’s troublesome for me to return to some other conclusion. Sardinia’s seashores are stunning, however essentially the most stunning 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 properly 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 unique technique. Until you’re ready to be as deliberate as I’ll be in a yr or two, I’d in all probability 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 akin to “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” alongside the way in which. His weblog, Go away Your Each day Hell, offers a mixture of journey recommendation, vacation spot guides and private essays protecting the extra esoteric features of life as a traveler.
