North East Sardinia what to see: a guide to 10 places not to be missed, between the sea, beaches and charming villages in the realm of luxury holidays and the most fascinating places on the island.

Tratto di costa tra i più spectacular del Mediterraneo, the north-east of Sardinia has everything you can want for a holiday full of sea, luxury and fun.

Charming landscapes, villages of great charm, archaeological sites worth the trip, stunning beaches and, of course, unsurpassed waters.

10 places not to be missed in the north east of Sardinia

1. Olbia

To get to the north-east coast of Sardinia by plane or by sea, you must necessarily pass from Olbia, which is the main gateway.

The biggest ferry companies connect Civitavecchia to Olbia, one of the shortest routes and required to reach Sardinia, served all year round by the ships of Tirrenia. The crossing lasts a few hours and in some periods it is also possible to save, using special Sardinian ferries.

Olbia has very ancient origins, as evidenced by the remains of numerous nuraghi scattered around, an aqueduct and the Roman Forum to be seen near the Municipality. You cannot leave the city without a visit to the old town, where the basilica of San Simplicio, masterpiece of Romanesque Gallurese style, built in granite and decorated internally with valuable frescoes depicting the patron of the city.

2. Porto Cervo

Set in one of the most spectacular bays, Porto Cervo is a small village created by nothing in the Sixties by the will of Prince Karim Aga Khan around the celeberrima Wall sticker, with its terrace overlooking the sea which is the quintessence of the glamour of the coast of north-east of Sardinia.

Exclusive boutiques, jewellery, luxury hotels and trendy venues overlook the colorful streets, flooded with flowers and bouganville, where it is nice to walk without haste, until you reach the Marina, the largest marina in the Mediterranean.

3. Stella Maris Church

Symbol of Porto Cervo, the candidate church Stella Maris dominates the crowded tourist port of luxury yachts with the sinuous architectures in pure emerald style conceived by Michele Busiri Vici, one of the designers chosen by Aga Khan to give life to his dream of creating a holiday paradise while safeguarding the local natural heritage.

From its portico you can admire the panorama of Porto Cervo in all its magnificence, while the interior is embellished with valuable works of art, including the painting of the Dolorosa Mater of El Greco, one of the greatest artists of the late Renaissance.

4. The most beautiful beaches in the north east Sardinia

Liscia Ruja, Romazzino, Pevero, Pitrizza, La Celvia are among the most famous and popular beaches in the world, off season more easily accessible to all. Making a ranking of the most beautiful is sincerely impossible, but I can tell you what my favorites are, all concentrated in the area between Cala di Volpe and Romazzino.

And then I can only start with Capriccioli beach, that in reality are two beautiful beaches flanked with fine sand framed by granite rocks and with a pier that also allows the landing from the sea for those arriving by boat.

Also worth a stop beach La Celvia, which in Sardinia means "the place of the deer". And not by chance, since there were once colonies of deer. Framed by the Mediterranean scrub and protected by the mistress, it welcomes you with fine sand and a sea with incredible emerald shades.

Continuing towards Romazzino, there is the Prince's beach, which is said to be the favorite of Aga Khan, from which the name. Composed of two twin coves separated by a land language and bathed by a clear blue-green sea, it is undoubtedly one of the most enchanting of the coast.

A dream is also the Cala di Volpe beach, in the bay of the same name, reachable with a path in the Mediterranean scrub.

5. Arzachena

Arzachena is a typical Gallura town with a characteristic historical center of stone houses and granite gathered around the church Santa Maria della Neve.

After a walk through the streets of the center built in 1716 by the King of Sardinia Carlo Emanuele III, look for the main local attraction: the Arzachena mushroom.

That is not an edible mycete typical of these areas, but a huge granitic formation whose shape recalls, in fact, a giant pig, but that the locals have long called immemorial Mountains Incappiddhatu, ie "mount with the hat".

6. Arzachena Archaeological Park

Few kilometers separate the most glamorous beaches of Sardinia from Arzachena Archaeological Park, but it seems to be in another world. Immersed in the silences of the countryside nurtured by the teacher are scattered several Nuragic complexes and necropolis that form the highest concentration of prehistoric sites of all Sardinia.

The area is quite extensive, but if you are a minimum trained you can easily walk among the various monuments that date back to a period between the Neolithic and Bronze Age and of course also include a nuraghe.

This is the nuragic complex La Prisgiona among the most wide and well preserved of northern Sardinia, dating back to the 14th – 11th century BC, formed by a central tower surrounded by the remains of a village.

7. Tomb of the Giants Coddu Vecchiu

If you don’t have much time, head directly to what is considered the main attraction of the Arzachena Archaeological Park: the Tomb of the Giants Coddu Vecchiu.

Characterized by monoliths embedded in the ground that bear witness to the importance of the community, it is an impressive funerary monument of Nuragic civilization dating back to the Bronze Age, from the particular chamber architecture, a form probably inspired by the head of the god Toro.

8. San Pantaleo

Known as the village of artists for the high concentration of creatives who have chosen to live there, San Pantaleo is absolutely worth a visit. Better if on Thursday, when the characteristic marketAmong the most popular of Sardinia, where artists, painters and local artisans exhibit their works.

Situated in a panoramic position on the heights of Cugnana, even in high season it is always a pleasant destination for those who want to get away from the worldliness of the coast, though for a few hours.

9. Baja Sardinia

Set on a stunning bay facing the island of Caprera, in the municipal territory of Arzachena, Baja Sardinia is a succession of bays and coves one more enchanting than the other. The atmosphere is young and lively, with a equipped waterpark where to have fun day and exciting locals in which to spend the night.

10. Cannigione

Overlooking the Gulf of Arzachena, the old fishing village Lu Cannisgioni has now become a frequent tourist resort with a marina from which the boats leave for the Archipelago of La Maddalena.

To the north of the village you will find the beautiful beaches of Tanca Manna and Barca Bruciata, while to the south stretch ponds of Saloni, one of the most extensive and fascinating wetlands in northern Sardinia, created by the mouth of the Rio San Giovanni.