Travel · Italy
Where to Stay in Sardinia
choose one coast, stay a while
Where to stay in Sardinia — pick a region rather than the whole island: the granite north, the wild east, the sandy south, or the Blue-Zone interior. A few rooms we'd send a friend to.
Sardinia is big, so the first decision is which coast. The north (Gallura, Costa Smeralda) is granite coves and glamour; the wild east (Gulf of Orosei) is dramatic cliffs and boat-only beaches; the south (Chia, Villasimius) has long sandy beaches; and the interior, Barbagia, is mountain villages and the island's Blue-Zone soul.
Fly into Olbia for the north or Cagliari for the south, rent a car, and base yourself in one region. Below are places across the island, from a Costa Smeralda icon to a famous country hotel near the mountains.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it helps us keep writing. We only recommend places we would send a friend. Learn more.
Where to Stay
Hand-picked Hotels
Hotel Cala di Volpe, a Luxury Collection Hotel
$$$$Costa Smeralda
The Costa Smeralda icon — a faux-village resort on a glamorous bay; the north-coast splurge.
Check Availability →Su Gologone Experience Hotel
$$$Oliena (Barbagia)
A celebrated arty country hotel at the foot of the Supramonte mountains — the interior, done beautifully.
Check Availability →Hotel Villa Las Tronas
$$$Alghero
A clifftop former royal villa in the Catalan-flavoured town of Alghero, with sea on three sides.
Check Availability →Hotel La Coluccia
$$$Santa Teresa Gallura
A design hotel on the granite north coast, walking distance from the Capo Testa beaches.
Check Availability →Book an Experience
Live on GetYourGuide
What to See & Do
Capo Testa
Wind-carved granite headlands and turquoise coves at the island's northern tip.
Gulf of Orosei
A wall of white cliffs on the east coast hiding boat-and-hike-only beaches like Cala Goloritzé.
Costa Smeralda
The glossy north-coast strip of designer bays and granite — Sardinia at its most glamorous.
Barbagia
The mountainous interior — stone villages, shepherds, and the island's Blue-Zone longevity culture.
Questions, Answered
Which part of Sardinia is best to stay in?
It depends on the trip. The north (Gallura, Costa Smeralda) suits granite coves and glamour; the wild east (Gulf of Orosei) suits dramatic boat-access beaches; the south (Chia, Villasimius) has long sandy beaches; and Barbagia, inland, is for villages and the island's Blue-Zone culture. Pick one region and stay put.
Do you need a car in Sardinia?
Yes. Sardinia is large and its best beaches and villages are well off the main roads, with limited public transport. Fly into Olbia (north) or Cagliari (south), rent a car, and base yourself in one region rather than circling the whole island.
More Destinations
Italy
Where to Stay in the Cinque Terre
Where to stay in the Cinque Terre — choose one of the five villages and sleep there, so you have it at dawn and dusk when the day-trippers are gone. A few rooms across the villages.
Plan Your Stay →
Croatia
Where to Stay in Dubrovnik
Where to stay in Dubrovnik — inside the old town to have it at dawn, or on the cliffs just outside with the walled city and the Adriatic from your terrace.
Plan Your Stay →
Croatia
Where to Stay in Hvar
Where to stay on Hvar — Stari Grad or Jelsa for the calm, characterful island, or Hvar town if you want to be in the middle of the glamour. A few rooms across the island.
Plan Your Stay →Is this your kind of place?
Find the coast made for you
Take the 2-minute quiz to find the corner of the Mediterranean that fits the way you want to feel — and get a shortlist of where to stay and go.
The Slow Trip Planner
the free guide
Free Download
The Slow Trip Planner
see one beautiful place, properly
A gentle planner for an unhurried Mediterranean trip — when to go, where to base yourself, and how to do one region well instead of five in a rush.
One thoughtful email a week. Unsubscribe anytime.