the perfect day trip from cagliari

If you're willing to drive an hour outside of the city, you'll find some bustling little towns that are the heart of beautiful Italia.

Tanka Golf Villasimius

If you're a golf fanatic, you won't want to miss the chance to play on this course. It's a shame that the PGA doesn't have all of their tournaments at sites as beautiful as these - it would certainly make viewing golf on TV much more tolerable. We were the first tee time in the morning and, wow, watching the haze disappear over the sea as we progressed through the course was quite spectacular!

Rates are reasonable and renting a cart and clubs is easy - just make sure to ask in advance, especially for the rental clubs! Find out more here.

*Women beware. Not all courses are this breathtakingly beautiful, but if you don't normally play, this course is worth playing caddy for a few hours - just bring your bottle of wine to sip on as this course does not have a cart girl!

Notteri

A 3-minute drive from Tanka golf, you'll find this marina town nestled right on the tip of the marine-protected Capo Carbonara.

This tiny marine town makes up for its lack of mega yachts with its breathtaking views of the mountains in addition to many different restaurant options perfect for some lunch (with a view!) and an aperitif post-golf. We stumbled upon Ristorante La Vela and we were not disappointed by either the food or the uninterrupted 180-degree views of the marina.

BEWARE RIPOSO

*Italians, like many other European countries, choose to close their businesses down in the afternoon to rest. Many of the restaurants in this marina town close down at 3 PM and don't reopen until dinner time around 7 PM.

La Spiaggia

At a short, 4-minute drive away from the marina, you'll find a rather remarkable U-shaped beach called Spiaggia di Porto Giunco. Along with the crystal clear waters, you'll find great parking options and a beach bar with rentable chairs.

If you head another 15-30 minutes north along the Costa Rey coastline, you'll find endless, pristine beaches, and even some flamingos (at Stagno delle Saline). We travelled north until we found Lido Tametete but feel free to continue north to find your beach of choice. The miles of beaches tend to be connected by a footpath to cross over the rocky areas. We took advantage of this as we got to explore a bit more than the beach we landed on.

Villasmius

Burrowed within the southeastern mountain range you'll find this quaint restaurant, Arcada, within downtown Villasimius.

Suggested to us by the locals at our hotel, this ristorante did not disappoint. Never be shy in trying the local cuisine as this is what is fresh and best prepared in Italia. An added bonus was the ample street parking available!

Cheese and meats “tipico di Sardegna” and some typical Sardegnian pasta. It looks like a giant couscous but I find it much more flavorful and entertaining.

Can we take a moment to appreciate their level of attention to detail in the decor?

Rooftop dining...check!

The larger cities are great fun to explore but we always make time to venture off into the smaller villages of Italia. It’s here that you’ll find the true culture and traditions that make Italia my favorite home away from home. The people of these villages take great pride in their hometowns and cannot wait to share them with you. I’ve found this especially true in Sardegna. When asked, the locals are quick to explain to you that their pasta, wine, and products are all “tipico di Sardegna.”

ciao ciao 💙