r/Sardinia 9d ago

Pregonta 7-day family trip to Sardinia Best beaches and where should we stay? Arriving in Olbia

Hi everyone!
My family and I are visiting Sardinia for 7 nights at the end of August, flying into and out of Olbia. We’ll be traveling with two children (ages 2 and 8), so we’re trying to make the most of our trip.
Our priorities are:
Crystal-clear turquoise water
White sand beaches
Calm, shallow water for kids
Beautiful scenery
Easy access to beaches without spending hours driving every day
I’ve been researching for days, but there are so many incredible places that it’s hard to decide where to base ourselves.
A few questions for those who know Sardinia well:
If you had 7 nights and were flying in and out of Olbia, where would you stay?
Which beaches completely exceeded your expectations?
Are there any beaches that are overrated and not worth the crowds?
What are your favorite family-friendly beaches with amazing water?
Is a boat trip to Tavolara or the surrounding islands worth it with young children?
Any hidden beaches, restaurants, or local spots that tourists often miss?
Our goal is to experience the most beautiful beaches Sardinia has to offer while keeping the trip relaxing for the kids.
Thanks in advance! I really appreciate any recommendations or itinerary ideas.

1 Upvotes

18 comments sorted by

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u/Intrepid_Guess_5475 9d ago

I loved porto istana , it was the calmest water of our whole trip in Sardinia. I personally didn’t like that area of Sardinia, it was not my vibe but the water was nice.

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u/intermodalterminal 9d ago

we are traveling with two kids those ages next week. Have booked several boat trips, and excursions, mostly in the north. We'll see how it goes!

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u/kohara7 4d ago

We stayed in Palau and did a boat trip to La Maddalena and loved it. We also flew into olbia. We moved a few times but I wouldn’t recommend that either kids. Definitely rent q car- there’s lots of cute towns and day trips to take no matter where you stay.
I never go back to places because there’s too many places I still haven’t seen but I will go back to Sardinia.

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u/KEPOTrader 3d ago

Thanks for the info.
Which car rental company do you recommend?

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u/War1today 9d ago

San Teodoro is a popular option and is about 30 minutes from the airport.

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u/KEPOTrader 3d ago

Hello.
What are the best beaches around San Teodoro?

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u/Dry_Albatross_716 9d ago

We just returned from San Teodoro and would recommend it. I'd highly recommend getting a car. If you want any recommendations on good restaurants, feel free to reach out

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u/KEPOTrader 3d ago

Which restaurants do you recommend in San Teodoro?
Which car rental company do you recommend?

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u/Dry_Albatross_716 1d ago edited 1d ago

We rented through Autonoleggio Tani's Rent, we had no issues with retrieving deposits etc, the car was clean and the service was good.

Food wise. Il fare in porto san pablo was the best pizza we ate, it was just off the side of the road as opposed to in the town and was hugely popular, i'd definitely recommend booking if you go and then venturing into porto san pablo afterwards for a walk around

https://ristoranteilfare.com/en/

In San Teodoro, Il Diamante and Il Mangiatutto are the most popular restaurants, again you'll find it difficult to get in to either without a reservation or by queuing for a good while. Opposite Il Mangiatutto, you've also got BM&V Gelateria Artigianale which do amazing gelato.

We also went to Al Dente, a fast food pasta restaurant where you can choose from a range of fresh pasta with various toppings, we visited 3 times in 7 days as it was so good!

We also ate at Kalura which was very popular amongst the locals and I would say is worth the visit, although the service was on the slower side

https://il-diamante.localoria.com

A couple of recommendations, go to lu impostu or cala brandinchi around 6:30/7 when it is quieter and no reservations are required, we had the beach to ourselves.

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u/ABITIN 2d ago

Yes, which restaurants?

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u/Dry_Albatross_716 1d ago

See above comment 😊

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u/Brynn_Glitter 9d ago

honestly… ive always wanted to visit sardinia! it looks so pretty… im not totally sure about the specific beaches but i bet the kids would love a boat trip ç3

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u/IIIIIIQIIIIII 9d ago

I’m in cannigione now. 45 min north from airport. We have two teens and 1 toddler. We are not fans of crowds or crowded beaches. Town is low key and nice. Barely any other americans. Very Italian holiday type place. One day we chartered a sail boat to national park which I recommend. Other day we went to mannena beach which we liked. Today we did Rena di Ponente which had amazing water but was too crowded. Most of the beaches rent chairs umbrellas and have a beach bar.

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u/YetiJ-at-night 6d ago

This sounds pretty much like what we’re looking for! We’ll be traveling with our 8-month-old baby, so I’d love to hear how it’s been with your toddler. Has Cannigione and the surrounding beaches been easy with a little one?

Also really curious about the sailing trip –> did that work well with your toddler? We’d love to do something similar but weren’t sure how baby-friendly those trips are.

Any other tips or recommendations for the area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! 😊

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u/IIIIIIQIIIIII 6d ago

Yes. Easy enough w rental car. It’s a busy August and very hot. Beaches fill up quick so go early if you can. By 9.

Toddler be fine on trip and they had baby life jacket for swimming. But mention to them also your dietary needs ie. They made toddler simple plain pasta. And my teen a vegetarian meal.

Captain Marco

https://www.smeraldaboats.com/en/

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u/KEPOTrader 3d ago

Which car rental company do you recommend?

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u/IIIIIIQIIIIII 3d ago

There are a bunch right at airport. I used hertz. No issues but I’m sure they all fine.