Sardinia Hotels Italy

Sardinia Sardinia is one of Italy’s 20 autonomous regions and is the second largest island (23. 8K sq km) in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily). The nearest land to Sardinia are the French island of Corsica in the north, the Italian Peninsula to the east, and Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands to the south and west. Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia. The coasts of Sardinia are generally high and rocky, with long straight stretches of coastline and many headlands, some bays, rias (sunken inlets) and with various other small islands off the coast.

Unlike Sicily and the Italian mainland, Sardinia is not prone to earthquakes. The island is formed from ancient rock and the mountains have been eroded over time, so the highlands average between 300 and 1000m (highest peak Punta La Marmora at 1834m). The islands various mountain ranges and plateaux are separated by wide alluvial valleys and flatlands.

The coasts are jagged and rocky, and are interwoven with wonderful beaches of fine sand. The seaside scenery, especially on the Costa Smeralda are particularly beautiful, and the small islets scattered along the coast add interest to the panorama. All around the island can be found around 7,000 ancient prehistoric remains : the megalithic “Tombs of the Giants” – tombs dug into the rock – and the nuraghi, truncated cone towers in huge fortified dwellings of the earliest inhabitants.

there are also Phoenician and Roman remains at Tharros and Nora, and Roman relics at Porto Torres and Cagliari. DH Lawrence is now recognised as one of the finest travel writers in the English Language, and his book “Sea and Sardinia”, written in 1921 describing a journey from Taormina is a delightful way for would-be travellers to have a wider viewpoint of this area of the Mediterranean.