The Maldives of Europe: Our Family Guide to Sardinia
Why Sardinia Should Be Your Next Family Holiday
It’s no secret that our family loves a beach. There’s something so calming about being by the sea and those slow, lazy beach days always remind me of childhood summers in the 90s – hours spent paddling in the wate building sandcastles. Childhood fun felt simple back then and beach days always take me back to that.
So, when we discovered there was an island in the Mediterranean with beaches said to rival the Maldives, we knew we had to see it for ourselves. Powder soft white sand, crystal clear turquoise water? It sounded almost too good to be true.
But Sardinia didn’t just live up to the hype – it completely exceeded our expectations. From unbelievably beautiful beaches and calm, shallow water that was perfect for children, to incredible snorkelling, stunning sunsets and a relaxed atmosphere, it quickly became our favourite family holiday to date.
If you’re wondering whether Sardinia really is the ‘Maldives of Europe’, here’s everything you need to know…
Where We Stayed
For our stay in Sardinia, we based ourselves in La Buganvilletta, a beautiful two bedroom villa around 20 minutes from Olbia Airport in the north east of the island. We chose this location because it put us within a 10 minute drive of so many of Sardinia’s most beautiful beaches, making it the perfect base for exploring without spending hours in the car with two little boys.
The villa itself was everything we were looking for. Inside, there were two spacious bedrooms, while outside there was plenty of room for the boys to play – a huge balcony leading from the main bedroom with beautiful views as well as both a front and back garden. We always look for accommodation with lots of outdoor space when travelling as a family and this certainly didn’t disappoint.
The outdoor area quickly became one of our favourite spots. It included a comfortable sofa, a dining table, sun loungers and a small BBQ which ended up saving us a fortune on eating out. It also made life much easier as our youngest has egg and milk allergies, so being able to prepare some of our own meals took away a lot of the usual stress that comes with dining out.
The villa was also really well equipped for families. A travel cot and highchair were provided, there was a private parking space directly outside and it was located on a quiet residential street surrounded by similar villas. Like everywhere else we visited in Sardinia, the area felt incredibly peaceful, safe and relaxed.
If you’re looking for a comfortable, family-friendly base in north east Sardinia, I genuinely wouldn’t hesitate to recommend staying here. You can view the villa here.
The Best Beaches in North East Sardinia
One of the biggest reasons we fell in love with Sardinia was the beaches. Every single one had crystal clear turquoise water, soft white sand and calm, shallow sea that seemed to stretch for miles, making them perfect for families with young children. Here are the beaches we visited and would happily recommend.
1. Little Tahiti (Cala Brandinchi) Our Favourite
If you only visit one beach, make it this one. Often referred to as “Little Tahiti”, Cala Brandinchi completely took our breath away with its powder soft white sand and unbelievably clear, turquoise water. This literally feels like the Maldives!
Top tip: This beach requires booking during peak season, with reservations opening at 6pm two days before your visit. We highly recommend booking as soon as reservations go live.
This was also one of our favourite beaches for activities, with paddleboards and canoes available to hire. Giardini di Cala Brandinchi is located at the top – a restaurant and bar with loungers and gazebos available for hire. It is set back from the beach, on the grass, and I recommend booking in advance.
2. Lu Impostu
Right next to Cala Brandinchi, Lu Impostu is equally as stunning but often feels a little quieter. It has the same shallow, crystal clear water and is ideal for families.
Top tip: Like Cala Brandinchi, you’ll need to reserve your visit in advance during the summer months. Facilities are at the far end of the beach.
3. La Cinta
Just a short drive from our villa, La Cinta is a long stretch of golden white sand with plenty of beach bars, cafés and facilities, making it perfect if you want somewhere with a little more going on.
Don’t miss the nearby Flamingo Viewpoint, where you have a great chance of spotting flamingos, especially at sunrise or sunset. We managed to spot a few!
4. Porto Taverna Beach
One of our favourite spots for both beach days and evenings. The water here is beautifully clear and calm and you can hire paddleboards and canoes to explore the bay.
Before you leave, stop at Tavernetta Beach Bar & Restaurant. We loved coming here for sunset. Go for 6pm and enjoy the apperotivo with your drinks! Jaga bar and restaurant is also very close to here and we popped by for drinks and can highly recommend.
5. Isuledda Beach
A beautiful beach with crystal clear water that’s perfect for swimming and relaxing. It’s another fantastic option if you’re exploring the San Teodoro area.
6. Cala d’Ambra
A lovely smaller beach with a more relaxed atmosphere. We recommend spending a few hours here before heading to Ambra Beach Club, where you can hire sunbeds, enjoy lunch or cocktails and even cool off in the small swimming pool. Again, we visited for apperotivo!
7. Capo Coda Cavallo
This was my husband’s favourite beach of the trip. The views are incredible and the water is every bit as beautiful as the photos suggest. The boys hired a canoe here and loved it!
It does get busy, so we’d recommend arriving early to secure parking and a good spot on the beach.
8. Tartaruga Beach
A real hidden gem. This small cove quickly became one of our favourite places and we ended up visiting twice for sunset.
Bring your snorkelling gear – it’s a fantastic spot to explore beneath the surface and was one of the best places we found for an evening swim.
Our Beach Tips
- We arrived at each beach at around 9am and while parking spaces were still available, they were beginning to fill up. During peak season, we wouldn’t leave it much later.
- Every beach had a car park, although parking charges varied.
- Facilities differed between beaches, with most offering toilets, cafés and sunbed or parasol hire.
- Sunbeds can be quite expensive. We didn’t feel they were necessary, especially as our villa host kindly provided beach towels and parasols. We happily spent the week relaxing directly on the sand.
- The sea is everything you’ve seen online – crystal clear, turquoise, calm and incredibly shallow, making it ideal for families with young children.
- We hired paddleboards and canoes at Little Tahiti (Cala Brandinchi), Capo Coda Cavallo and Porto Taverna Beach, with prices varying slightly between beaches.
- The white sand gets extremely hot during the summer months, so we’d definitely recommend bringing flip-flops or water shoes for walking across it.
Our Top Tips for Visiting Sardinia
Hire a Car
If you’re planning to explore the north east of Sardinia, I would definitely recommend hiring a car. It gave us the freedom to visit a different beach every day and made getting around with two young children incredibly easy.
We hired our car through Differental and although we’d read some mixed reviews before travelling, our experience was really positive. There was a short queue when we collected the car, but we were dealt with quickly. Before we travelled, I emailed the company explaining that we were travelling with young children and asked if there was anything we could do to speed up the collection process. They recommended sending copies of our driving licence and passport details in advance, which saved a lot of time when we arrived. I think I will do this everywhere we go in future!
The car itself was great and both collection and drop off were completely hassle free.
Roads across the island were well maintained and we found the driving to be very straightforward. Traffic was light outside of the main towns, and everyone seemed to drive sensibly. Having a car really allowed us to make the most of our week and discover so many beautiful beaches that would have been difficult to reach otherwise.
How Expensive Is Sardinia?
Sardinia certainly isn’t the cheapest Mediterranean destination but we also didn’t find it as expensive as we’d expected.
One thing that helped us keep costs down was staying in self catering accommodation. We stocked up on breakfast, lunches and several evening meals from the supermarket, which worked perfectly for us – especially as our youngest has egg and milk allergies, making eating out a little more challenging.
Supermarket prices were very reasonable, and fuel was too – we paid around €50 to fill our hire car at the end of the trip.
Where costs do add up is on the beaches. Sunbed and parasol hire can be expensive, cocktails aren’t cheap and restaurant meals are generally pricier than you might expect. We actually chose not to hire sunbeds during our stay. Our villa provided beach towels and parasols, which were more than enough for us and saved quite a bit of money over the week.
Best Time to Visit
We visited in mid June, and honestly, I don’t think we could have picked a better time.
Temperatures ranged from the mid-20s to the low-30s, with a gentle sea breeze that kept things comfortable even on the hottest days. One thing that really surprised us was how warm the sea already was – we happily spent hours in the water every day.
The beaches were definitely busy, especially by mid-morning, so I’d recommend arriving before 9am if you’re visiting during peak season. We always found parking and a good spot on the sand by arriving early.
We stayed for one week and it felt like the perfect amount of time to explore the area at a relaxed pace. That said, we could easily have stayed another week and still not run out of beautiful beaches to discover.
Final Thoughts: Is Sardinia Really the Maldives of Europe?
Let’s just say… if Sardinia isn’t the Maldives of Europe, then I’m not sure what is.
We’ve been lucky enough to visit both the Maldives and the Caribbean and I can honestly say that Sardinia’s beaches rival some of the most beautiful we’ve ever seen. The powder soft white sand, crystal clear turquoise water and peaceful coves genuinely have that tropical feel.
But in many ways, Sardinia is even better.
There’s something incredibly special about being able to experience beaches like these after just a two hour flight, a 20 minute drive from the airport and with no jet lag or time difference to contend with. Add in the relaxed atmosphere, the feeling of safety, the delicious food and the ease of travelling around, and it’s easy to see why we fell in love with it.
For families, it really is hard to beat. The calm, shallow water made beach days with our boys so much easier and every day felt relaxed, simple and completely stress free – the kind of family holiday we’ll remember for years to come.
If you’re looking for a European beach destination that offers breathtaking scenery without the long-haul flight, I can’t recommend Sardinia enough.
We’ll certainly be back… and who knows, we might even see you there.