Sardinia, passion on a journey:
… the marvellous South !
If you have never been there, you will soon understand why everybody loves Sardinia. The South of the Island is very beautiful, there is no doubt. The wild and magnificent rocky shores, the idyllic white sand beaches with their crystal clear water. The lively Capital city, Cagliari, the romantic rural countryside. Sardinia is full of Nuragic, Phoenician, Roman… mining, but also mythological, agro-pastoral… human History. From one area of interest to the other, on board of comfortable luxury coaches, with a Local Tour Guide always available, on a 900 km journey, without hotel changes, on a Tour to discover these places and remember them along with the taste of Sardinian delicacies.
This proposal is valid through 31.12.2023
from € 190,00/pax
Day 1
Cagliari, the Capital of Sardinia.
As soon as you arrive in Sardinia, you will board the Coach and meet your Local Tour Guide that will be with you for the whole Tour. Day 1 starts with a visit to the surroundings of Cagliari. You will pass by the white Basilica of Our Lady of Bonaria and then make a panoramic stop on Monte Urpinu. You will soon arrive to the Poetto beach, passing by the polychrome salt mine of Molentargius with its pink flamingos and the promontory Sella del Diavolo. The beach will call for a stop. Back to the city centre, you will pass by the Bastione di San Remy and start a nice walk to discover the most typical of the districts: Castello. The city of Cagliari, overlooking the Gulf of Angels, will impress you at every time of the day. Along its narrow streets, you will discover its unique charming history and its lively social life. Through ramparts, sighting towers, palaces, the marvellous Cathedral, your visit will wind downhill among narrow little streets ending in the Marina district, full of clothing shops and Sardinian and multi-ethnic handcraft labs: a festival of colours, sounds and perfumes. You will have lunch in a typical restaurant in the city centre and the whole afternoon will be free to do some shopping or a trek in the nature before getting to the hotel for dinner and night stay.
Day 2
Oristano and the Sinis Penunsula: Nuragic Civilization, between fish farms and white beaches.
Left behind Cagliari, you will drive among wheat fields, flocks of sheep, former volcanos and will cross the Campidano plain from South to North to arrive in Oristano, capital to this province, and former capital of the Reign of Arborea. You will have a short walk to see the main monuments among which the Tower of San Cristoforo and the Cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Back to the coach, you will drive towards the Sinis region, passing by former marshes, now green rice fields and admiring the local avifauna of the S. Giusta lagoon. You will cross bridges, canals and fish farms and, passing by Cabras, you will arrive in the fishermen village of San Salvatore, famous for its rural church housing four hypogeums, used for pagan rituals 6.000 years ago. You will pass by the pond of Cabras, across the area known as Mont’e Prama, where the famous Giganti di Mont’e Prama (complex of statues dating back to 750BC) where found and will later arrive on the beach of San Giovanni di Sinis where you will have lunch. After tasting typical delicacies in the local restaurants, you will visit the marvellous Byzantine church of S. Giovanni and will manage to see a Falasco (typical fishing shack). You can then take the touristic train or walk to the Capo S. Marco Peninsula to see the remains of the ancient Phoenician town of Tharros. Otherwise, you can have a break on the lovely beach of San Giovanni. Back to the coach, you will drive along endless artichoke fields and soon arrive to the fish farm Peschiera di Mare Pontis, specialized in the production of the typical Bottarga di Muggine. You will then drive towards the sixteenth-century Torregrande, Spanish stronghold against the Saracen Invasion, before heading to the Hotel, where you will arrive in the early evening, in time for dinner and night stay.
Day 3
The Sulcis region with Pula, Chia, S. Antioco and Carloforte.
Left behind the hotel, you will admire the endless wetlands of S. GIlla, rich in flamingos, herons, avocets, etc. You will drive along the path walked by pilgrims heading to Pula on the celebration of Sant’Efisio. This is the Phoenician Coast, where the first large town after Karalis (Cagliari) was Nora. You will continue along the coastal road of Santa Margherita di Pula to the famous beaches of Chia, that will call for a stop. The path will continue along a shore, rich in rocky promontories, little isles, Spanish towers and natural fish farms. You will drive by the Interforce Military Shooting Range of Capo Teulada and make a stop at the village of Trattalias to have a look at the Romanesque Cathedral of Santa Maria di Monserrat (1.200 AD). You will then drive along a countryside road in the middle of the Carignano vineyards, then pass by white salt mines populated with “Sa Genti Arrubia” (Flamingos), an impressive Roman bridge (250 BC) and the Sant’Antioco Tophet to arrive at the Mediterranean pier of Calasetta, where you will take the ferry boat to Carloforte. The journey to the Isle of San Pietro, with the lovely village of Carloforte, will take 30 minutes. Once arrived in Carloforte, you will admire this Ligurian (from Pegli) enclave with its North African roots (tabarkine), and will walk among the crossroads (carruggi) and staircases in a unique atmosphere. Here, you will be able to taste many delicacies, before having a walk in the Southern part of the Isle. You will then take the ferry back and drive towards Carbonia and Iglesias on the freeway SS 131, passing by the famous “red mud area” and later be back at your hotel in Cagliari for dinner and night stay.
Day 4
Historic and Environmental Geomineral Park and Barumini Nuraghe.
Left behind the Hotel, you will drive to the Montevecchio Mine, the largest in Sardinia, awarded as European Destination of Excellence in 2011, where you will visit the ancient mining village and the extraction and mineral processing areas. Among the buildings in Neoclassic style, now refit and turned into a museum, you will discover the nineteenth-century Industrial and Social Revolution that witnessed the invention of huge machineries for the extraction of lead, zinc and silver from the bowels of earth, and the death of thousands of men that made this place famous and gave birth to many of the social patterns of our time. In the late morning, you will drive towards the Marmilla region to arrive in Barumini where you will have lunch and soon after visit the most complete and well-preserved of the 5.000 Sardinian Nuraghe, Su Nuraxi, UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will then move to the Spanish Casa Zapata with its “Su Nuraxi e Cresia”, another, different example of Nuraghe. Back to the coach, you will make a quick break in the typical village of Tuili, at the foot of Giara di Gesturi, before starting your journey along the freeway SS.131 towards the hotel, when you will have time to learn some words in Sardinian, and discover recipes, ethnic music and interesting legends. You will arrive at the hotel in time for dinner and night stay.
Day 5
Villasimius: Protected Marine Area and agropastoral traditions.
Left behind the hotel, you will drive towards Costa Rei through a panoramic freeway crossing the Sarrabus region. You will make the first quick stop in Castiadas, on the beach Cala Sinzias, where you will once again admire the beautiful Sardinian sea. Back to the coach, you will continue on the coastal road and make another quick stop in front of the Isle of Serpentera, before reaching Capo Carbonara. Here, you will make a long stop on the stunning beach of Porto Giunco with the lagoon of Notteri at the back. There will be time for a walk to the sixteenth-century Aragon Tower overlooking the most eastern coast. Otherwise, you could take a fishing boat to the Protected Marine Area from the little touristic port. Around 1:00 p.m. you will pass by Villasimius to reach a typical sheep/goat/pig farm where Sardinian Shepherds will serve you their typical celebration lunch. In the late afternoon, after a short visit to the village, you will take the coastal road that will lead you to Cagliari after a couple of photo stops. You will soon get to the Poetto beach by the Site of Community Interest “Molentargius – Saline”, before getting to the Hotel for dinner and night stay.
Day 6
Cagliari surroundings, where gastronomy meets art.
On day 6 you will deepen your knowledge of the Sardinian people. You will start by visiting one of the three neighbourhood markets, where you can find, today, like one hundred years ago, the best and most typical food, drawn from land, sea and sky, to cook the typical Sardinian dishes. It’s a place of vibrant colours that will impress you with its fish and vegetable products, but also with its people’s attitude. You will then move to an important winery for a visit and a local wine tasting before heading to the rural village of San Sperate, where you will taste recipes from the typical campidanese cuisine. In San Sperate you will also admire the most beautiful example of open-air museum in the South of Sardinia, with its many Murals and “Sounding Stones” of the Maestro Pinuccio Sciola. You will then drive directly towards your departure point, where you will say good-by to our staff that has been with you for the whole of your Journey in the South of Sardinia.
... total price starting € 190,00/pp for the “Essential Package” to € 295,00/pp for the “Complete Package”
“Resort Package” available, at the price of € 62,00/pp!
The price Includes: Basic Services for the price of € 190,00/pp-
Luxury Coach Service, with highly professional and experienced driver from arrival to departure (Airport/Port).
Highly professional and experienced local Tour Guide from arrival to departure (Airport/Port).
Three typical lunch meals (0,25l wine and 0,5l water included): in Cagliari, Carloforte and Barumini, as in the programme.
Guided tours in the free entrance sites of interest as in the programme.
Tickets to the following museums: Su Nuraxi in Barumini and Montevecchio Mine in Guspini (3 paths).
Round-trip Ferry tickets (bus, driver and Tour Guide included) Calasetta/Carloforte
Ticket to the Touristic Train: “Shuttle” in Capo S. Marco in San Giovanni di Sinis.
Guided Tours to all the sites of interest as in the programme.
Board and Lodging for Coach Driver and Tour Guide, not necessarily in the same Hotel as the Group.
Tour organization and travel arrangements, included booking and management of all participants’ needs.
24/7 phone assistance available during the Tour.
Insurance: for guided tours and third parties people transportation.
Taxes and VAT.
The Price does Not Include (1):
Participants’ travel costs (by airplane and/or ship and/or bus from residence to meeting point in Sardinia.
Hotel costs (e.g. 3-4* Hotel, double rooms with private bathroom, with or without discounts or additional costs).
Tourist Tax (normally approx. € 1,00/pp per day to be paid locally, if needed).
Insurance: Medical, Luggage, Cancellation, ect.
Freebies for Tour Assistant, Tour Leader, ect.
Tips, porterage, extras
Anything not listed in “the price includes”.
The Price does Not Include (2): - additional services, maximum total additional price € 105,00/pp
Tickets to fishing boat (ancient wooden boats, now refit) in the Protected Marine Area of Capo Carbonara (Villasimius)
3 typical lunch meals available (0,25l wine and 0,5l water included) in: S.Giovanni di Sinis, Villasimius, S. Sperate.
Ticket to winery tour and wine tasting on day 6.
Important notes:
This offer is valid throughout 2023, but it is subject to availability and will be confirmed with booking confirmation. The Service will last 6 days and 5 nights with arrival in the morning of Day 1 and departure in the evening of Day 6 from the Port or Airport of Cagliari. The meeting point (at the Airport or Port), the daily programme and the total Tour duration can be adapted to the specific Client’s requirements.
The daily programme will be confirmed depending on the specific arrival/departure times, on the meeting point in Sardinia and on the Hotel location. Logistically, the best Hotel locations is Cagliari, where we can suggest the Hotels Italia (3*) and Regina Margherita (4*). A Health Spa (Sardara, hotel Sardegna Termale) or a Resort (Arborea, Horse Country Resort) are also an option. The listed facilities are all of guaranteed quality for which we can offer our corporate rates. However, the Tour can be adapted to the requirements of your partner Hotels, whatever their location.
The Price of the “Essential Package” as defined in the Programme and in the lists “the price includes”, “the price does not include (1)” and “the price does not include (2)” is € 190,00 per person and is valid for a group of minimum 48 paying participants. One or more Services from the list “the price does not include (2)” can be added to the package with a maximum additional cost of € 105,00 per person for the “complete package”. The price might be subject to commissions/discounts (max 20%) to Tour Operators, Travel Agencies and Clients entitled to direct purchase.
<<I’m impressed by the history of the miners. I remember my first visit in Sardinia, it was very hot and there was no air conditioning at the time. Mines were dusty and trucks were driving very fast. We had to keep our car windows shut to avoid all that dust. Now, Mines are inactive and visiting them is really a breath-taking experience. If you think of all the human ingenuity needed to invent those machineries and of the human lives lost to understand their real value. An experience not to be missed.>> (…)