This summer, we had the idea to personally introduce you to some of the places and operators in Europe that we often describe in words on the CheckYeti website. We could only start by showing you what to do and see in Sardinia.
For you, as your ‘personal guides,’ will be me, Matteo, a sports and food lover, and Sofia, an experienced traveler and enthusiastic observer of the world. The prerequisites, I dare say, are more than valid for an exceptional experience. All you have to do is fasten your (virtual) seatbelts and join us. You won’t regret it! … I hope 🙁
The places we will visit in this trip are:
- Stintino
- La Maddalena Archipelago
- Gulf of Orosei
- Cagliari
Suitcase? Packed. Computer? Packed. External memory for videos? Also packed. Looks like we have everything. I’m not bringing sunscreen since it’s May. I doubt the sun will be that strong.
Every journey, as we know, starts this way. With a more or less rational attempt to bring everything necessary, perfectly contrasting with the frenzy of departure. And, at this very moment, it’s the same for me and Sofia.
DAY 1
Our adventure starts here, from Vienna airport, where we will take a convenient flight to Cagliari. Ryanair hasn’t announced any delays, and we have not forgotten anything. We couldn’t have started better.
After about an hour and a half of ‘ponsino’ (an Italian, regional dialect term for nap), we landed at Cagliari Elmas airport. Despite being May 5th, the temperature is particularly pleasant. After retrieving the car previously rented on Booking.com, our first stop is Stintino. It’s a real ‘cross-country’ journey through Sardinia, but our schedule, arranged with the availability of the operators we are going to meet, sees this as the most logical itinerary. If you’re tourists with more time on your hands, do not imitate us. Rather, enjoy the wild horizons of this area at your own pace. Renting a car, for this, is super recommended!
After a few hours of driving (about 3), here we are in Stintino. Just enough time to prepare the video shooting equipment, and with all the elegance of times gone by, the Asinara’s Latin Sails boat docks, the first operator we’ll meet on this adventure. There is immediate magic with the company owners, Giovanni and Laura, who welcome us and make us feel at home. We also meet Angelo, a skipper with an unconditional love for the culture and history of Sardinia. We spend the afternoon together, listening to anecdotes about the Asinara Park and enjoying typical sweets, and it’s already time to say goodbye.
DAY 2
The sun’s rays filter through the window of the room, and the sounds of nature waking up begin to be heard. This can only mean one thing: it’s time to get up!
Except for a brief (and peaceful) discussion with Sofia last night about who should sleep on the sofa bed in the room and who on the bed, everything is going smoothly. Hospitality, good food, and well-maintained roads. Sardinia is proving to be an increasingly efficient tourist destination.
We head towards Palau. Between exciting karaoke sessions in the car and some impressive off-key singing to the notes of Tiziano Ferro, which we decided to cut from the final video, we arrive at the port. The sky is quite cloudy, but the sun still decides to peek out from time to time. Luckily, because Sofia forgot her sweatshirt in the car at the car park.
This is where we arranged to meet Angelo (another one, yes), with whom we will spend the morning getting to know him, his boat, and their shared passion for the sea. Angelo, in fact, allows many visitors each year to explore the surroundings of the La Maddalena Archipelago with his Dalù Boat tours.
Even before setting foot on the boat, we are welcomed by our friend-partner’s approximately 850-tooth smile and a lot of cordiality. Shaking off a bit of emotion, probably and reasonably due to being filmed, Angelo treats us like VIPs and enables us to take all the shots we need. If you’re reading this, thanks again for your patience with the countless attempts at the clips, especially the diving one!!
We return to the port of Palau, and after a necessary pizza slice break, we plan to explore the beauties of the Archipelago with another of our partners: Zefiro Experience. We wait for Giovanni, the owner, at the port. With him, we have the chance to board a catamaran and capture the peculiarities of another type of boat.
Onboard, we perceive a different atmosphere, a bit more elegant and classy, which we immediately respect. Fun and jokes, however, are not lacking, and once again we feel covered with attention. Warm lights begin to tint the landscape, and the new shadows create a succession of figures and geometric shapes around us: it’s sunset time. A last couple of questions to Giovanni and a farewell toast, and we’re back at the port of Palau. Psychologically, not too ready to get back in the car.
DAY 3
The alarm rings even earlier than on the other days. It’s 6:00 AM, and the main source of motivation driving us to rise from these comfortable mattresses is the program that awaits us. Today, we will meet our friends from Agostino Charter in Cala Gonone and visit the legendary Gulf of Orosei. The weather forecasts don’t look too optimistic, at least for the early afternoon, but we are lovers of adventure and risk, so we head to the port anyway.
Arriving here, we are impressed by the number of boat trip operator stands. This little corner of the world seems to be the natural habitat of boats of all kinds. We arrive a bit too early, and I hear a certain echo coming from the driver’s seat saying, “Matteo, I told you it was too early,” but I ignore it. Must be the wind.
After a while, we meet some employees of Agostino Charter and the skipper who will accompany us throughout the day, Giorgio. We board our stuff onto the ultra-modern rubber dinghy on which we will navigate the Seven Seas and beyond for the next few hours and set off.
We spend a lot of time onboard, but we don’t mind because in any direction during the journey, we see only impressive natural views and rock formations. The explanations from our dear ‘George’ are the icing on the cake. We manage to visit famous caves, bays, and beaches. Of all, I think I’m more than happy to leave my heart at Cala Luna and Cala Mariolu. This last one was perhaps painful for our feet, being it a rocky beach. But definitely worth it. Anyway, bring shoes with you!! Or flip-flops, at least.
Sofia enjoys playing the tour guide with the other clients on board, and I think about the luck of being here and now. Not even the dreaded storm that relentless hits us for a few minutes ruins our mood.
We return to the port and also meet the company owners. At the end of the day, we are happy. Tired, but happy.
DAY 4
Not having appointments with other operators today, we decide to take it easy and visit the city of Cagliari. We don’t move much because around 5:00 PM, our direct Cagliari-Vienna flight departs from Elmas airport. Spoiler: we will not end up being disappointed at all!
The city of Cagliari, in fact, offers a lot to tourists. And there’s something for everyone. Walking through the alleys, you can admire monuments and historic buildings with a refined style. The food is really good. The parking spaces… well, one could complain about those. And it’s May! A big plus, however, is that you can find a more than worthy sandy coastline about 10 minutes by car, the famous Poetto Beach, and natural attractions like the Devil’s Saddle. And the airport is 15 minutes from the historic center. If on your last day of vacation you have a late flight/ferry, we recommend making our same choice. You’d have enough time to do everything 🙂
Well, yes, the moment has come. “Sofiaaa, give me a hand checking if we have everything, please!” These are the words that, inside the airport, officially mark the end of our adventure. I’m definitely having a harder time than expected dragging myself through the corridors of this place.
The more ‘practical’ (and likely) explanation coincides with the exaggerated dose of typical cold cuts and cheeses I bought in a grocery store in Cagliari, which I am jealously guarding in my backpack. The more ‘romantic’ explanation, if we can call it that, but one that I do not feel like excluding, is that I unconsciously want to postpone our departure as much as possible.
Because in an increasingly evolved, urban, and ‘fast’ world, the authenticity and colours of Sardinia truly fill the heart. And the people we met on our journey, true guardians of the conservation of these values, are hard to forget. We return to Vienna with the impression that these days have flown by. We return to Vienna with the awareness that this experience has enriched us on a human level.
We return to Vienna with a smile.
Which we hope we’ve brought to your faces as well.
See you soon!