Italy: Sicily and Sardinia

We love Italy. So it was only natural to visit the Italian islands! And they are so very different from one another. While Sicily felt like a vibrant place, Sardinia was perfect for quiet.

SICILY: Our Favorite!

Tuscany, known as Toscana in Italian, is located in central Italy and has its own coastline in the west, on the Ligurian and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Florence: Paradise on Earth

Truth be told: we have many favorite cities in Italy. And Florence is one of them.

Duomo di Firenze

The Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, often shortened to Duomo (or Duomo di Firenze), is the dominant cathedral in Florence—you’ll almost always see it. And seeing it always made us happy! It reminded us that we were in Italy, doing what we love: traveling! We felt the same way about the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

How to enjoy the view of the Duomo:

From the side streets around the cathedral. You won’t see the whole structure, but seeing only parts of it somehow made it more special.
From Piazzale Michelangelo—it’s a bit of a climb up the hill, but the views are worth it! But: it's also very crowded and taking pictures can be difficult. We certainly struggled at times!
From the Giardino delle Rose. If you want to take beautiful pictures, go to this park where you can take fabulous pictures of the Duomo.

Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, is one of the top sights in Florence. And while it's interesting to visit it and walk past the shops, there are two better places to see the architecture:

You'll get the best view from Ponte Santa Trinita, about 300 meters (1000 feet) northwest of the bridge. This bridge is used by cars, so be careful if you want to take pictures of yourself!
If you go up to Piazzale Michelangelo to see the Duomo, you can also see the river, the Arno, and the bridges over the Arno.

We don't think the bridge is very beautiful in a common sense, especially the sides facing the river, but architecturally we find it so fascinating!

Piazza della Signoria & Palazzo Vecchio

This square has a lot of beautiful architecture, like the Palazzo Vecchio, and sculptures!

Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze

If you didn't get enough church vibes from the Duomo, the Basilica is a good option! It's very beautiful and much less crowded!

SARDINIA: Around the Island

We visited Sardinia in September/October 2023 and went on a very optimistic road trip. You should definitely allow more time than you think—or don't plan on driving around the entire island. Seriously.

2 Unique Stays

During our road trip, we were invited to two accommodations:

1) La Fattoria delle Tartarughe (The Turtle Farm) in Sinnai in the southern part of the island. It lives up to its name!

2) Bisos in Paulilatino in the west of Sardinia. Bisos has been beautifully (and sustainably) restored and is perfect for day trips!

Both accommodations were unique, the people were wonderful, and we loved staying with them. Highly recommended!

3 Must-See Beaches in Sardinia

Sardinia is popular for its beautiful beaches and the perfect color of its ocean.

These were our favorite beaches:

1) Spiaggia di Porto Giunco (we went to the northern end of the beach). There were so many fish! This beach was perfect for snorkeling.

2) Spiaggia di Is Arutas. This beach doesn’t have sand, but small grains of quartz in pink, green, and white. Please don’t take any of the quartz home.

3) Spiaggia Pittulongu. This beach is close to Olbia and is mostly visited by locals.

The East: On the Road

If you travel around the island like we did (well, more or less), there are quite a few places you can visit along the way. These were two that we really enjoyed!

Arbatax: Rocce Rosse

Rocce Rosse, the Red Rocks, are located in Arbatax on the east coast of Sardinia. And the name does justice to this place! The rocks are really red! And right next to them is the Museo delle Pietre, the Museum of Stones. Here, you’ll find quite a lot of little towers built of stones!

How to get here: there seems to be a bus connection from Cagliari that takes about three hours. We recommend coming by car. Right in front of it there is a free parking lot.

Admission: it’s totally free!

Accessibility: while you can see quite a lot from the flat ground and part of this place is accessible, most of the ground is rocky. Bring good shoes.

Time: depending on how much time you’d like to spend taking photos and videos, we recommend 30-120 minutes. This place is perfect for a stop along the way!

Tortolì: Torre di San Gemiliano

Similar to the Rocce Rosse, Torre di San Gemiliano, an old tower, was a GoogleMaps find and we visited both places on the same day. You'll have wonderful views along the coast!

How to get here: again, there seems to be a bus connection from Cagliari that takes about three hours, so we recommend coming by car. We parked at Punto Panoramico San Gemiliano.

Admission: it’s totally free!

Accessibility: bring good shoes. If you want to go up the tower, you have to climb a ladder. (We came in sandals, so we enjoyed the views around the tower.)

Time: we recommend 30 minutes.

The South: Hiking and the Sardinian Capital

No visit to Sardinia seems to be complete without a stop in Cagliari. But even more wonderful are the Sette Fratelli. Bring good hiking boots and plenty of water!

Sinnai: Sette Fratelli

The Sette Fratelli, the Seven Brothers, are perfect if you want to go hiking! They are located in the south-east of Sardinia and you can choose from several trails, varying in length and difficulty.

How to get here: come by car. If you have a rental like we did: a 4WD might be helpful

Admission: it’s totally free!

Accessibility: it’s a hike! So bring good shoes.

Time: since there a several trails: it’s up to you! But plan at least half a day. The views are stunning and there is so much to enjoy!

Cagliari: The Sardinian Capital

The capital of Sardinia in the southern part of the island has so much to offer! We only visited on a day trip, but we recommend you’ll stay longer if you can!

Our top picks:

Bastion Saint Remy
Torre dell’Elefante
Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e Santa Cecilia
Roam Cagliari’s beautiful streets!

The West: Paulilatino

Paulilatino is small, but well worth a visit! It's perfect for some peace and quiet, to explore nature, and Spiaggia di Is Arutas is close by.

Nuraghe Santa Cristina

If you ever visit Sardinia, you will see hundreds of nuraghes: tower-like structures built in the Nuragic Age (1900 to 730 BCE) by the Nuragic culture. The Nuragic people lived in Sardinia before the Romans came! Archaeologists have discovered about 7,000 of these buildings. It’s not entirely clear what they were used for, but today, they are the symbol of Sardinia.

On this trip, we came across so many nuraghes! We visited the Nuraghe Santa Cristina in Paulilatino in western Sardinia. This nuraghe was special because there was also a Christian village (built around 1200 CE) and, more interestingly, there is a sacred Nuragic well that is unique in Sardinia.

How to get here: come by car. There doesn’t seem to be any public transport.

Admission: 7€ for adults.

Accessibility: although there are mostly paths, they aren’t always very well paved. Don’t wear sandals!

Time: they are open from 8:30 a.m. until sunset. We spent about two hours, but since the site is really beautiful, you could easily stay longer!

Village Life

While the Nuraghe Santa Cristina is probably the main attraction for tourists visiting Paulilatino, the village itself is also worth a visit!

Our highlight was the centro storico, the historical center. This part of the village contained small, picturesque houses and the alleys were so pretty! (Just avoid this area with a car. You won't have any fun).

And if you like cemeteries, the cimitero comunale was also beautiful and interesting! Most of the graves had pictures and we always feel that cemeteries tell us so much about a place!

The North: Olbia

While Sardinia is generally affordable, Olbia is the destination of the (super) rich. So be prepared to pay a bit more here, but it is beautiful!

The Vintage Carousel: Instagrammable Photo Spot in Olbia

When we visited Olbia, it was in front of the Ferris wheel near the Archaeological Museum, but it doesn't seem to be around all the time. But when you do find it, it's a perfect photo opportunity!

The Alleys of Olbia

The old center of Olbia had the most beautiful alleys. Every corner we turned, we found a more beautiful alley. Explore the alleys around Via Giuseppe Garibaldi!

La Dolce Vita!

Olbia is perfect for letting your days drift by. Just explore and eat! Be sure to visit:

Chiesa Parrocchiale di S.Paolo Apostolo
Corso Umberto
Centro Storico with its beautiful alleys