The second biggest island of the Mediterranean is Sardinia, with an extension of 24,089 square kilometers.
This Italian island is located in the middle of the Western Mediterranean and it is about 120 km from
Tuscany, 185 km from North Africa and only 12 km from Corsica. The first remarkable feature of Sardinia is
stunning turquoise sea with white sandy beaches, rival the tropics. The coasts of the island are varied: they
can be stony and high, or straight, or with promontories and profound bays with little islands.
"Sardinia is left outside of time and history" wrote David Herbert Lawrence, an English writer, in his
book "Sea and Sardinia": this sentence expresses in fact the character of a region, where the spectacular
magnificence of the nature, the crystal-clear waters of the sea, the authenticity of the local people and the
culture in its various expressions will never change.
During the centuries, various populations (Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Spanish and
Byzantines) arrived in this island and influenced its culture, without anyway changing its particular deep
way of feeling.
A holiday in Sardinia has a unique and exclusive flavor, given by the sensation of stability and loyalty to the
traditions of this region: in the whole island, even in its modern and urbanized parts, the visitor can feel
that everything is more genuine and authentic than in every other place.
You can experience the special authenticity of Sardinia renting a holiday apartment in one of the areas of
the region, to enjoy the wonderful sea, to visit museums, or to study and discover the archeological sites.
The Costa Smeralda (in English Emerald Coast) is a famous tourist destination, since 1961, when the prince
Karim Aga Khan with a consortium of companies started the development of this area. This coast calls every
year, above all during the summer, celebrities, business men and rich visitors, to enjoy its sandy beaches,
the golf club and the animated night-life.
Porto Cervo is the heart of Costa Smeralda, while other interesting places are Arzachena, Liscia di Vacca
Capriccioli and Romazzino.
Cagliari is the main city of Sardinia: is a cosmopolitan working city neighboring a suggestive medieval center
where taverns and restaurants casually spill out onto the many paved piazzas. The sign of two thousand
years of history of this city are in the archeological ruins, the fabulous churches and many excellent
museums. The main beach of Cagliari is Poetto, which stretches for 8 kilometers and is the preferred
location for pink flamingos, cormorants and cranes. Cagliari is nearby other attractive seaside locations,
such as Maddalena Beach, Chia or Villasimius, still relatively unspoiled by tourism.
Cagliari is the greenest city in Italy, due to the low level of smog and the presence of many parks, such as
Monte Claro Park, Regional Park of Molentargius, Park of San Michele and Terramaini Park.
The second largest city of Sardinia is Sassari, mainly a working town. Its external part is characterized by
modern buildings and streets full of traffic, while its heart is a medieval interesting town to deep into.
Sassari is also home of a prestigious university founded in the 16th century and awarded by the Censis
Research Institute in 2009 as the best "medium sized" university in Italy.
In the south of Sardinia, the islands of Sant'Antioco and San Pietro are charming places to visit; as well as in
the north of the island Palau and the seaside resort of Santa Teresa di Gallura, which has all the features to
satisfy the tourists.
Far from the coasts, the panorama of Sardinia is characterized by mountain peaks with forests, valleys with
citrus groves and paddocks of sheep. This beautiful landscape is somehow disturbed by the urban scene of
modern town; but some other towns, like the medieval Bosa, give an unbelievable and picturesque touch
to the view.
In the north of Sardinia, Alghero is a fascinating town with a beautiful medieval center, influenced by the
Catalan history (the Catalan language is still spoken there) as it is witnessed by the paved streets, the lively
squares and the walls.
Another historic city of Sardinia is Oristano, located in the middle of the west coast of the island, famous for
an equestrian tournament held for the past 500 years on Carnival Sunday and Mardi Gras.
An exclusive peculiarity of Sardinia is represented by the "nuraghi", megalithic edifices symbol of the
Nuragic civilization (18th century BC). Typically, a nuraghe is located in a panoramic spot and its shape is a
shortened conical tower similar to a beehive; there are no foundations and the structure stands thanks to
the weight of its stones. There are still around 8000 nuraghi in Sardinia, but it has been supposed that they
were more than 30000 originally. It's not sure what the nuraghi were used for: maybe they were temples,
maybe private houses, or military buildings.
Author Resource:
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