Only your taste and your interests will schedule your days: only you will decide when to leave a place, or when to visit a museum. Only you will decide when you want to stop the car and take a lovely swim in a deserted bay, or enjoy a breathtaking sunset on the sea. And if at the end of the tour you’ll think that you have seen only a small part of all the things you wanted to, you can still do it on your next Drive & Sleep!Thanks to its 1800 kms long coastal-line, its white sand beaches and its crystal sea, Sardinia has become, in the past few decades, one of the most important tourist locations in Europe. But Sardinia has got so much more to offer than a relaxing holiday: the culture and the rests of long-gone societies which in the past have inhabited the island; the beauty and the mystery of the prehistoric Nuraghic settlements; the wonderful and amazing pieces of art made by nature itself in the ancient caves. All this can be experienced by choosing a luxury holiday in the best hotels of Sardinia where charme, elegance, courtesy and carefulness surround an unforgettable holiday.
SERVICES INCLUDED:
- rental car - B group
- 3 nights at Arathena Hotel; breakfast and dinner included / drinks not included
- 3 nights at T-Hotel; breakfast and dinner included / drinks not included
- 1 night at Su Lithu Hotel; breakfast and dinner included / drinks not included
ITINERARIO
1st Day
Olbia – Porto Cervo – Arzachena – San Pantaleo
Arrival at Olbia airport, pick up of the rental car and departure towards the famous Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast). Created during the 1960’s by the Prince Aga Khan Karim, this area is today the favourite tourist destination of the international Jet Set and hosts the most prestigious Hotels of the whole island. Porto Cervo is its emblem; luxurious yachts are docked just in front of this jewel and luxury shops are lined along the square. It is a must sitting for a while in one of the numerous bars and have an espresso or an ice-cream. After an exciting walk in Porto Cervo, you will have the opportunity to visit the church of Stella Maris that hosts a precious Neapolitan pipe organ from the 1600s, as well as a famous painting by El Greco. Afterwards you could drive towards Arzachena, a village which lays on the side of a hill, facing at east on a big eroded rock shaped like a big mushroom. The must of this area is the archaeological site of Arzachena, where you can visit the Giants’ Tombs Coddu Vecchju and Li Lolghi, and the Nuraghe Albucciu. Dinner and overnight at Arathena Hotel in San Pantaleo (or hotel of the same category).
2nd Day
San Pantaleo – Palau – Arcipelago La Maddalena – San Pantaleo
Departure from the hotel direction Palau, where you can start a boat trip through the Archipel of La Maddalena (tickets are not included). This tour includes a stop to Maddalena where you can visit the historical centre and enjoy some shopping. Then you will leave direction Isle of Santa Maria where you can have a stroll or have a swim at the beach, or a quick walk till the Punta Filetto lighthouse on the north-east of the island. Furthermore you can have a look at the famous Rose Beach of Budelli and then you will sail along the coast Spargi in order to reach Cala Corsara. Then you will go back coasting Punta Sardegna, Porto Rafael and Capo d’Orso. Dinner and overnight at Arathena Hotel in San Pantaleo (or hotel of the same category).
3rd Day
San Pantaleo – Oristano – Cagliari
Departure from the hotel direction Oristano, a nice town situated in the heart of the great plane of Campidano, in a central position along the western coast of Sardinia. Oristano is a place of captivating beauty. Here you will have the possibility to visit numerous sites, such as Oristano Cathedral, the Church of Santa Chiara, the Church of San Francesco, the Tower of Mariano II, and the Antiquarium Museum of Palazzo Parpaglia. Not far from Piazza Roma is Eleonora D\'Arborea\'s house. The building is located in Via Parpaglia, where the city\'s oldest and most traditional inn is also located. Here you have the chance to taste the delicious Vernaccia wine. Afterwards we suggest you to visit the archeological site of Tharros. Dinner and overnight at T Hotel in Cagliari (or hotel of the same category).
4th Day
Cagliari – Nora – Santa Margherita di Pula – Capo Teulada – Cagliari
Today you could visit Cagliari, the capital city of the Region Sardinia. We suggest you to start the visit from the old town and upper part of Cagliari called “Castello” (the Castle). Amongst the ancient walls are hidden real jewels: the Portal of Santa Cristina, the Tower of S. Pancrazio, the Tower of the Elephant, the Piazza Palazzo with the beautiful Cathedral of Santa Maria (headquarters of the Archbishop), and the Palace of the Prefect, once residence of the Viceroy Carlo Alberto. After having reached the Terrace Umberto I, that surmounts the Bastion of S. Remy, you will go downstairs to Via Roma, the main city road, for a lunch break in one of the many restaurants of the central quarter of the city. The afternoon could be dedicated to the visit of the archaeological site of Nora. Approximately 30 minutes from the centre of Cagliari, there are some ancient ruins. Founded by the Phoenician navigators around the 9th century B.C. as a strategic location in the Mediterranean, Nora was an important resting point before continuing the long travels to Britain in search of raw materials. The city was later conquered by the great Carthaginian navigators and warriors and later, as a result of the Punic Wars, fell into Roman hands around 238 A.C. Moreover as remain of an even more ancient history of the island, there is also an archaeological symbol of the only autochthonous kingdom: a nuragic well. After the visit you will have a panorama tour along the famous Costa Sud road. Dinner and overnight at T Hotel in Cagliari (or hotel of the same category).
5th Day
Cagliari – Campidano – Barumini – Giara di Gesturi – Cagliari
Leaving the hotel, you will cross a large part of the fertile plane of the Campidano, amongst fields of grain, artichokes, and vineyards in order to reach Villamar, a small village interesting to the visitors for murales. The tour will continue towards Barumini, where you will visit the famous nuraghic archaeological complex of “Su Nuraxi”. The village is located in a clearly strategic position in a central point on the island; this area has numerous nuraghic settlements. The central settlement dates back to 1100 B.C. and thrived up until the Phoenician and Punic Ages (VIII-VI centuries). It was destroyed by the Carthaginians at the end of the VI century but survived through the Roman Age thanks to some rebuilding. “Su Nuraxi” includes a main tower and four smaller ones connected to each other by a containing wall which also forms a raised courtyard; the entire complex is protected by another wall and seven towers. Surrounding the Nuraghe, especially on the north side, is the village with its circular, elliptic-shaped huts. In the afternoon, you will leave Barumini to reach the Giara di Gesturi: this place is well-known thanks to its typical wild little horses with almond eyes. There are about 600, all of them wild and free, probably imported from far East. Adapted on the table-lands since long time ago, they live in small herds constituted of a dominant male and from 4 to 10/12 females with their respective colts. In February is not difficult to see powerful and vigorous male horses fighting for the control of new females that will increase their harems and give them prestige. Dinner and overnight at T Hotel in Cagliari (or hotel of the same category).
6th Day
Cagliari – Arbatax – Dorgali – Bitti
Today you might take the road „orientale Sarda“ towards the North of the island direction Arbatax, known for its porphyry rocks, named Rocce Rosse (red rocks). Not far from Dorgali, you will visit the „Grotta del Bue Marino”, which can be reached by boat from Cala Gonone. The cave is named after the nearly extinct Mediterranean monk seal (bue marino) which survives today only on the Sardinian coast. About one kilometer of the grotto is open to tourists: the unearthly reflections of the stalactites in the grotto’s pools are an unforgettable sight. Dinner and overnight at Su Lithu Hotel in Bitti (or hotel of the same category).
7th Day
Bitti – Tempio Pausania – Calangianus – San Pantaleo
Departure from the hotel to the town of Tempio Pausania. Tempio is plunged into thick woods of oak trees and surrounded by majestic granite stones. We will visit the historical centre of Tempio, characterized by buildings in granite dated between 1700 and 1800; the heart of the city is the Gallura Square, towered over by the Comunale Palace and placed next to the Cathedral of St. Peter, and the Oratorio del Rosario. In Aggius you will have the chance to visit the ethnographic museum. Afterwards you could drive towards Calangianus, to visit a famous cork artisan shop. Dinner and overnight at Arathena Hotel in San Pantaleo (or hotel of the same category).
8th Day
Departure.
