General information Local crafts such as carpets , tapestries and fabrics . Visit Sassari on the west coast of the island , a town with a mediaeval quarter , cathedral and Renaissance Fonte Rosello . Alghero has a very Spanish feel and from here you can take a boat trip to the Grotta di Nettuno , a spectacular , deep , natural cave . Tour the interior of the island , dotted with about 7,000 nuraghe , truncated stone structures built from basalt blocks . In the centre of the island are the dramatic Gennargentu mountains , whose highest point is Punta la Marmora at just over 6,000 ft ( local traditions are keenly preserved in this region ). To the north of the Costa Smeralda is the Maddalena Archipelago , of about 14 rocky islands and islets , beautifully scenic and with a rugged coastline . The Costa Smeralda itself consists of pink granite headlands , sandy creeks and bays with wooded hills and mountain ridges behind .
Cultural highlights Visit the church of Santissima Trinita di Saccargia near Sassari for its 13th Century frescoes . The Catalan�Gothic 16th Century Cathedral on Alghero . Nuoro has been the home of some of Sardinia ' s most important literary figures including Grazia Deledda who won the Nobel prize for literature in 1926 . The Museo Nazionale Archeologico in Cagliari houses bronze votive statuettes of the nuraghic people .
Gastronomic highlights The gastronomy of Sardinia is based very much on produce from the land , especially milk products and meat . Ewe ' s milk produces Sardinian pecorino cheese , used to flavour many regional dishes . Meat is often cooked over hot embers or roasted on a spit . Specialities include ' Prosciutto di cinghiale ' ( wild boar ham ) and ' Succutundu ' ( strong meat stock with semolina balls ). Roast lamb with rosemary and thyme features regularly on menus . Nougat is a local speciality . Sardinia produces its own red and white wines , with Nuragus and Vernaccia being the best known .
Festivals Cavalcata Sarda festival in Sassari on Ascension Day . Sagra del Redentore festival in Nuoro illustrates traditional dancing and dialects of the region . Feast of the Mamuthones in Mamoiada includes a ritual dance full of the fierce folkoric tradition of the Gennargentu mountains .
Our two centre recommendations Our recommended suggestions include Sardinia and Florence , Sardinia and Rome and Sardinia and Tuscany .
How you get there By air Airport at Olbia with charter flights from British Airways and the ' No-frills ' carriers or charter airlines . Hire�cars We include a hire�car with our holidays to Sardinia as it is useful to be able to get out and about , although private transfers can be organised for you for all holidays instead of the hire-car .
Mediterranean vegetation
Old town centre in Sardinia
A dramatic island of clear emerald seas , rugged scenery and beautiful coastline
Alghero
Porto Cervo
SARDINIA
Olbia
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Sardinian scene
Cagliari
Average temp . in ° Centigrade for Cagliari . Source : Italian State Tourist Office .
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