Rural Sardinia

Enjoy a short break or longer holiday in the peace and quiet of the Sardinian countryside.

Sardinia, being relatively unspoilt and a large Mediterranean island, has a huge interior made up of some rugged mountainous landscapes and surrounding natural countryside.

Just Sardinia offer a selection of countryside hotels, agriturismi, villas and apartments in order to experience a relaxing holiday away from the bustle of the towns and coastal resorts, yet mostly within easy access by car of the beautiful beaches for which Sardinia is renowned.

Whether you are looking for a small personal hotel in which to unwind, or a farm with traditional cooking and horse riding, or a villa where you and your family can get away from it all, hopefully you will find what you are looking for from our personally chosen collection suitable for all tastes and budgets. Most of the hotels can offer any day arrival, any length of stay (subject to availability) for short breaks, tours or longer holidays.

Rural Recommendations

exploring rural sardinia

Mountains

The contrasting mountainous interior has far reaching views of the island from the summits of Monte Limbara in the north, from Punta La Marmora in the Gennargentu Mountains south of Nuoro in the east, and from the Sarrabus mountains just north of Cagliari in the south. There are lakes, waterfalls, gorges, fascinating geology and the native flora and fauna to discover.

Fascinating Rock formations

Created by wind erosion there are some incredible rock formations throughout the island. Look out for the Bear Rock at Capo d'Orso, the Valley of the Moon at Capo Testa on the northern tip of the island and the Arco dell'Angelo just north of Cagliari in the south.

vineyards

For tours and wine tasting, Sella & Mosca in Alghero is one of the largest vineyards in Europe with an excellent repertoire of wines. Also, Oliena, situated in the mountainous eastern Barbagia region, is held in high esteem by the mainland Italians for its heady, fruity Cannonau wines. In the south, Dolinova north of Cagliari produces sweet Muscatel wines.

bird watching

There are numerous possibilities: On the island of Caprera in the north the peregrine falcon, tufted cormorant and some rare gulls can be spotted; On the north west coast between Bosa and Capo Caccia near Alghero, you may be lucky to see the rare bearded or griffon vultures; In Oristano in the west, the lagoons attracts thousands of pink flamingos in the autumn and is a haven for the purple heron, coot, shelduck, buzzard and feathered tamarisk; On the south western tip of the island you will find heron, cormorant, purple moorhen and peregrine falcon and in the mountains behind, partridge and wild duck.

scenic train

'Il Trenino Verde' (The Little Green Train) scenic railway provides a different way to see the interior of Sardinia. There are 3 narrow gauge scenic routes from Palau to Tempio in the north, Bosa to Macomer in the centre and Arbatax to Mandas in the east. The trains travel through areas where the natural surroundings are still unspoilt, crossing forests, skirting lakes and coastlines and passing by ancient monuments.

horse riding in oristano

The horse is an integral party of the island's history and culture and this passion is even more pronounced in the province of Oristano, famous for its town festivals and jousting tournaments in which the horse is the protagonist. There are horseback riding centres and horse trekking offered from the hotels in this area to experience riding on the beach, in the pine groves or in the mountains.

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