Northern Sardinia Travel Guide: Beaches, Boat Tours & Our Trip

Sardinia had been on our list for years. After falling in love with Mediterranean destinations like Mallorca, we were looking for another place with incredible beaches, crystal-clear water, and a slower pace of travel.

What made Sardinia stand out was the combination of breathtaking coastline, charming villages, and the ability to explore at our own pace. Instead of moving around the island and changing hotels every few nights, we decided to stay in one location and use it as our home base for exploring Northern Sardinia by car.

Over 9 days, we explored some of Sardinia’s most beautiful coastline, spent unforgettable days on the water, wandered through charming towns, and found that the island offers so much more than just beaches.

Planning Our Sardinia Trip

Because Sardinia is a large island, we knew we wouldn’t be able to see everything in one trip. Rather than trying to fit too much into our itinerary, we focused on Northern Sardinia and chose a home base that allowed us to take day trips while still having a relaxing vacation.

We rented a car and explored the area at our own pace, which ended up being one of the best decisions we made. Having a car gave us the flexibility to visit beaches, towns, and experiences that would have been much harder to reach otherwise.

Where We Stayed: Aethos Sardinia Review

For our 9-night stay, we chose Aethos Sardinia as our home base.

The property itself is absolutely beautiful. We stayed in a Deluxe Sea View Room, and the views were truly one of the highlights of our trip. Waking up to the coastline every morning was something we never got tired of.

The hotel grounds are gorgeous, with two beautiful pools, a really impressive gym, and plenty of areas to relax. Breakfast was included with our stay, and it quickly became one of our favorite parts of the hotel experience. There was both a buffet and à la carte menu, and we loved starting our mornings there.

That being said, while we really enjoyed our stay, we don’t know if we would pay the same price to return without some improvements.

The lunch and dinner options at the hotel were not bad, but they were fairly average compared to the incredible restaurants and experiences available around Sardinia. We often preferred to go explore somewhere else for meals rather than eat at the hotel.

A few other things worth knowing:

The pools are not heated, so visiting during shoulder season may make swimming less enjoyable.
The rooms have thinner walls than we expected for a luxury property.
Most of the staff was wonderful, but there were a few service details that could have been more polished.

Overall, we loved Aethos Sardinia. It was a stunning property, the views were incredible, and it made a great base for exploring Northern Sardinia. However, at the price point, we expected a little more — and we would only return if some of those details improved.

Exploring the Baunei Coast by Boat

The Baunei Coast was easily one of our favorite days in Sardinia.

The water here is absolutely unreal. The combination of bright turquoise water, dramatic cliffs, and hidden beaches makes this coastline feel almost tropical.

Renting a boat was surprisingly easy and was one of the best decisions we made during our trip. We highly recommend booking ahead of time, especially during busier travel months.

Our boat came with a map of the coastline, making it simple to navigate. We spent the day cruising along the coast, stopping whenever we found a beach or swimming spot that caught our eye.

The best part about renting your own boat is that you can create your own itinerary. There is no rushing from one stop to another — you can spend as much time as you want swimming, relaxing, and enjoying the scenery.

The furthest point you can reach by boat is Cala Goloritzé, one of Sardinia’s most famous beaches.

Tips for the Baunei Coast:

Book your boat rental ahead of time
Start early to maximize your day
Bring water, snacks, sunscreen, and a waterproof phone case
Plan to spend the entire day exploring

This was one of those travel days that reminded us why we wanted to visit Sardinia in the first place.

Exploring La Maddalena by Boat

Another unforgettable experience was spending a day exploring La Maddalena by boat.

Just like the Baunei Coast, this is absolutely a boat day. The water around the islands is an unbelievable shade of turquoise blue, and there are countless beautiful areas to explore.

Renting a boat was very simple. We were given a map that made planning our route easy, and we were able to choose our stops throughout the day.

Having our own boat allowed us to find quieter swimming spots, explore different areas, and enjoy the islands at our own pace.

The water in La Maddalena was some of the clearest we saw during our entire trip, and it was definitely one of the highlights of Northern Sardinia.

Visiting Castelsardo

While Sardinia is famous for its beaches, one of our favorite stops was visiting Castelsardo.

This colorful hilltop village gave us a completely different experience from the coastline. We loved wandering through the charming streets, taking in the ocean views, and exploring the historic atmosphere of the town.

Castelsardo is the perfect place to slow down for an afternoon. It’s beautiful, photogenic, and offers a nice change of pace from beach days and boat trips.

Exploring San Pantaleo

Another town we really enjoyed visiting was San Pantaleo.

Located near Costa Smeralda, San Pantaleo has a completely different feel from the coastal areas. It’s charming, relaxed, and filled with beautiful scenery.

We loved walking around, exploring the small streets, and taking in the atmosphere. It’s the type of place where you can easily spend a few hours wandering without a strict plan.

A Day at Cantina Murales

One of our favorite experiences that wasn’t centered around beaches was visiting Cantina Murales.

This was such a fun change of pace from our coastal adventures. We loved visiting the farm, seeing the animals, and enjoying lunch surrounded by the beautiful Sardinian countryside.

This is especially a great activity to plan on a cooler day when you want a break from the beach.

It was one of the experiences that made our trip feel more well-rounded and allowed us to see a different side of Sardinia beyond the coastline.

Renting a Car in Northern Sardinia

Renting a car was absolutely the right choice for our trip.

Northern Sardinia has so many incredible places spread out across the region, and having our own car allowed us to explore without being tied to schedules.

We drove a lot during our 9 days, but we never regretted having the flexibility.

Our biggest recommendation is not to underestimate driving times. The island may look smaller on a map, but roads can take longer than expected, especially when you are stopping for viewpoints, beaches, and towns along the way.

How Much Did Our 9-Day Sardinia Trip Cost?

For two people, our total trip cost was approximately:

$7,702 + 100,000 points

Here is the breakdown:

Flights: $689 + 100,000 points

We used 100,000 points for round-trip economy flights for two people and paid $689 in taxes and fees.

Aethos Sardinia: $4,475.26

We stayed for 9 nights in a Deluxe Sea View Room with breakfast included.

Food: $830

Eating out: $650

Groceries: $180

We did quite a few grocery runs for boat days and beach days, which helped keep costs down and made long days exploring much easier.

Rental Car + Gas: $550

We used our Capital One travel credit toward the rental car, but the cost would have been approximately $300 for 9 days.

Gas totaled around $250 because we drove a lot while exploring Northern Sardinia.

Boat Rentals: $698

This included two private boat rentals:

Baunei Coast
La Maddalena

These were two of our favorite experiences from the trip.

Cantina Murales Farm Experience + Lunch: $100

A fun day away from the coast that included visiting the farm, seeing animals, and enjoying lunch.

Gifts, Keepsakes & Shopping: $280

Of course, we had to make room for souvenirs and a Zara stop.

Is Northern Sardinia Worth Visiting?

Absolutely.

Northern Sardinia gave us everything we were hoping for: incredible beaches, unbelievably clear water, charming towns, unique experiences, and unforgettable days on the water.

The Baunei Coast and La Maddalena boat days were some of our favorite travel memories, while places like Castelsardo, San Pantaleo, and Cantina Murales showed us that Sardinia has so much more to offer beyond its beaches.

While we only explored one part of the island, we loved taking our time and really experiencing Northern Sardinia instead of rushing from place to place.

If you’re looking for a Mediterranean destination with stunning beaches, beautiful landscapes, and a more relaxed feel than some of Europe’s busier coastal destinations, Sardinia should be high on your list.