My new travel philosophy on Italy is this: if you have one week, see the classics (art, architecture, history) on the mainland. If you have two weeks, spend one on the classics, and one on wild Sardegna (Sardinia) - the Mediterranian's 2nd largest island, and an autonomous Italian state.
Here's what you can do on Sardegna:
- Tour the old mines that made this island the heart of mining operations for all of Europe in the late 19th century.
- Swim on the best beaches in Europe
- Sail, boat, kayak, canoe
- Fish
- Hike in the Supramonte, or in huge canyons, or rock climb
- Visit one of 7,000 nuraghic sites (temples or towers or villages or wells dating back to 1,500 years before Christ)
- Climb to one of 400 Spanish towers that ring the entire coast of the island
- Eat lunch with the shepherds, who still work the land, take care of the sheep and goats
- Hear great live music
- See amazing murals in Orgosolo
- Visit the mask museum in Mamoiada
- See Phoenician ruins outside of Oristano
- Stay at an Agriturismo - where the farmers cook for you with all fresh ingredients
Speaking of food
- drink famous Sardinian wine from the Cannonau region
- eat rich pecorino (sheep's milk) cheese
- eat ricotta with honey
- eat proscuitto
- drink fresh milk straight from the cow.... or goat
- drink an after-dinner liquor made from basil
Sardinia was amazing for us because we had Flavio Nicolleti, who knew where all the great stuff was, and is an amazing font of historical and cultural information. But the island is vast (with many of the characteristics of a continent) and fiercely independent (read about the acclaimed film "Banditos of Orgosolo" to learn more about the Sardo-Italian divide) and stunningly beautiful. Home to 1.6 million people and more than 4 million sheep, Sardinia is ramping up slowly on its tourism potential - collectives of hotels, tour companies, and excursions work together in collectives to attract visitors - mostly from northern Italy, but we met people from France and Germany, too.
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