7 days in northern Sardinia

A week built around two coasts, not one

Northern Sardinia splits cleanly into two very different stretches: Gallura in the north-east, with the Costa Smeralda’s granite coves and the La Maddalena archipelago, and the north-west around Alghero, Catalan in accent and considerably cheaper. Trying to see both properly in a week means accepting a driving day in the middle — roughly two and a half hours across the top of the island on the SS127 and SP90, through Tempio Pausania and past Castelsardo. This route flies into Olbia, spends three nights around the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena, then three nights based in Alghero, with a full boat day as the one fixed booking of the week.

	Details
Where	Olbia → Costa Smeralda → La Maddalena → Santa Teresa Gallura → Alghero → Stintino
Duration	7 days, 6 nights
Best for	Couples, first-timers, anyone who wants coastline over interior
Getting around	Hire car essential; one boat day from Palau
Best months	Late May, June, September

Day 1: Olbia to the Costa Smeralda

Most flights and ferries land at Olbia, and picking up a hire car here rather than in Cagliari is the right call for this route — see our Olbia-Costa Smeralda airport guide for terminal layout and car park pricing. From the airport it’s a 40-minute drive to Porto Cervo, the Aga Khan-built marina town that gave the Costa Smeralda its reputation, and a further 20 minutes inland to San Pantaleo, a stone-built hill village with a Thursday craft market and considerably lower prices than the coast.

Check into a base around Costa Smeralda or Arzachena — Porto Cervo itself is walkable in an evening but expensive to sleep in — and spend the rest of the afternoon at one of the coves inside the best beaches of the Costa Smeralda, such as Liscia Ruja or Capriccioli, both open without a booking.

A sunset drink on Porto Cervo’s Piazzetta is worth doing once even on a budget, since people-watching the yachts and their crews is genuinely part of the Costa Smeralda experience — expect to pay €12-16 for a spritz, roughly double what you’d pay in Alghero later in the week. For dinner, moving 10 minutes inland to Liscia di Vacca or San Pantaleo cuts prices by a third without losing much in quality; a full seafood dinner for two runs closer to €70-90 there against €120-plus on the marina itself. If you land early enough, Arzachena’s own archaeological park is a 20-minute detour worth folding into the afternoon rather than saving for the return leg north.

Day 2: La Maddalena archipelago by boat

This is the day to book in advance. Boats leave from Palau, a 25-minute drive from Porto Cervo, for the seven granite islands of the La Maddalena archipelago — a full day on the water past Caprera, Spargi and the pink-sand island of Budelli, which nobody may land on since the sand-theft scandals of the 1990s.

The full-day archipelago catamaran tour from Palau covers the main islands with several swim stops and lunch on board, and is the single most-booked excursion in this whole region for good reason. Our La Maddalena archipelago boat tour guide compares this against smaller rib and speedboat options if you’d rather book something more intimate. Sleep another night near Palau or head back to the Costa Smeralda base.

Day 3: Santa Teresa Gallura and Capo Testa

Drive north to Santa Teresa Gallura, 40 minutes from Palau, a proper working port town rather than a resort, with genuinely good, reasonably priced restaurants around the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele. In the afternoon walk out to Capo Testa, the wind-sculpted granite headland just west of town — the coastal path here is one of the best short walks in Gallura, covered in our Capo Testa coastal walks guide.

On a clear day Corsica is visible across the strait, and the boat tour to La Maddalena from Santa Teresa Gallura is a good alternative for day 2 if your accommodation sits closer to this end of the coast. Anyone tempted to add Corsica itself should read a day trip to Bonifacio and Corsica before committing a full day to the ferry crossing.

Day 4: The drive west, via Castelsardo

This is the transfer day — about two and a half hours from Santa Teresa Gallura to Alghero along the north coast road, with Castelsardo as the natural halfway stop. The town sits on its own dramatic headland with a medieval centre known for traditional basket-weaving; an hour here, covered by the Castelsardo guide, is enough to see the castle and walk the ramparts before continuing. Arriving in Alghero by late afternoon leaves time to settle into the old town and watch the sunset from the ramparts, which locals treat as a daily ritual rather than a tourist activity.

Day 5: Alghero old town and Capo Caccia

Spend the morning in Alghero itself — the Catalan-influenced old town, still walled, is genuinely worth a slow half-day; the Alghero old town guide covers the cathedral, the ramparts walk and where to eat. In the afternoon head to Capo Caccia and Porto Conte Natural Park, where the six-hour catamaran tour of Porto Conte Park reaches sea caves and cliff-base coves that the road can’t touch, including views of the cliffs above Neptune’s Grotto — full detail on visiting the cave itself, by boat or by the 654-step staircase, is in our Neptune’s Grotto guide.

Anyone who’d rather cover the coast by e-bike than by boat should look at the e-bike tour inside Porto Conte Natural Park instead, which stops at two or three coves along dedicated cycle paths.

Day 6: Stintino and La Pelosa

Drive 45 minutes north to Stintino for La Pelosa, Sardinia’s most photographed beach and its strictest for access — a capped daily quota, mandatory advance booking in peak season, and a ban on towels directly on the sand. Book your slot before travelling; the La Pelosa beach guide has the current booking process and pricing.

In the afternoon, the catamaran tour to Asinara with lunch and swim stops reaches the former prison island just offshore, now a national park with wild white donkeys and empty beaches — our Asinara National Park guide covers what else is worth seeing there if a full day trip appeals more than a half-day boat add-on.

Day 7: Sassari or a slow morning, then depart

If your flight leaves from Olbia, budget the full morning for the drive back east (around two and a half hours) — factor this into what time you book the flight for. If you’re flying out of Alghero-Fertilia instead, the airport is a 15-minute drive from town, which frees up a slow final morning: either a last swim at one of the best beaches in north-west Sardinia or an hour in Sassari, the island’s second city, whose historic centre gets a fraction of Alghero’s visitor numbers. Our Alghero-Fertilia airport guide has current terminal and drop-off details.

What this route costs

Northern Sardinia is the most expensive region covered on this site, and the Costa Smeralda half of the week drives most of that gap. Budgeting realistically for both halves separately makes the numbers less alarming than they first look.

	Costa Smeralda / La Maddalena (days 1-3)	Alghero / north-west (days 4-7)
Double room, mid-range	€160-260/night	€90-150/night
Dinner for two	€80-130	€50-80
Boat day (per person)	€70-110	€55-90
Petrol, per day of driving	€15-25	€15-25

Booking accommodation around Arzachena rather than directly in Porto Cervo, and eating one meal a day inland rather than on a marina, closes a good part of that gap without giving up much. The Costa Smeralda vs the Gulf of Orosei comparison is worth reading if you’re weighing whether this region’s prices are worth it against the itinerary on this site that swaps Gallura for the east coast instead, and is the Costa Smeralda worth it tackles the question more directly if budget is a real constraint.

Where to stay along the route

For the first half, basing yourself around Arzachena or the Costa Smeralda’s inland edge keeps prices more reasonable than sleeping directly in Porto Cervo while staying within 20 minutes of the coves. For the second half, Alghero’s old town or its immediate outskirts put you within reach of Capo Caccia, Stintino and the airport. Our where to stay in Sardinia guide compares hotels against agriturismi for a route like this one, and hotel vs agriturismo in Sardinia is worth a read if you haven’t decided which suits a coastal week better.

Frequently asked questions about a week in northern Sardinia

Do I need to book the La Maddalena boat trip in advance?

Yes, especially from June to September — it’s the most popular excursion in Gallura and boats do sell out, sometimes days ahead in August.

Can I do this route without a hire car?

Not comfortably. Buses along this coast are infrequent and don’t reach most of the beaches or Capo Caccia; see visiting Sardinia without a car if you’re set on trying, but a car genuinely changes what’s possible here.

Is it worth adding a day trip to Corsica from Santa Teresa Gallura?

Only if you have a spare day — the ferry crossing to Bonifacio takes about an hour each way, which uses most of a day once you factor in exploring time; see a day trip to Bonifacio and Corsica.

Which half of this route is more expensive?

The Costa Smeralda, by a wide margin — restaurant and hotel prices there run well above Alghero and the north-west for a comparable standard.

What’s the best month to do this specific route?

June or September. July and August bring the highest prices and the tightest La Pelosa quotas; late May works if you don’t mind cooler water for the boat day.

Should I fly into Olbia or Alghero for this itinerary?

Olbia, since the route starts in Gallura — flying into Alghero would mean doing the whole loop in reverse, which works just as well if that’s the cheaper flight.

Is it worth renting a boat ourselves instead of booking a tour for La Maddalena?

Only with prior boat-handling experience and calm forecast conditions — see renting a boat without a licence in Sardinia for what’s legally possible without qualifications, though a guided tour remains the simpler choice for a one-off visit.

How does this route compare to doing Cagliari and the south instead?

Northern Sardinia is pricier and more coastline-and-islands focused, while the south pairs beaches with an easier day trip to Barumini’s nuraghe; see north vs south Sardinia for a fuller comparison if you’re deciding between the two for a first trip.