OUR TRIP TO SARDINIA IN THE OFF SEASON

If you spoke with any well-traveled human or any random Italian, they would probably tell you you’re crazy for going to Sardinia in the off season. The reason for that is because basically the whole town shuts down once summer is over. And while that’s true, we made the absolute most of it and ended up having an unforgettable trip.

Sara and I had a “work” trip in Verona (I put it in air quotes because it was for the Calzedonia Leg Show and didn’t feel like work AT ALL) and my 26th birthday just so happened to be a few days before, so we decided to add a stop in Sardinia. Oh, and we took our boyfriends (if you’re new to this blog, our boyfriends Rudy and Diego are best friends) along for the ride. With none of us being big planners, no one really did any research before our trip. We had no idea basically the whole island would be empty. I mean, WHO DOESN’T DO THIS KIND OF RESEARCH BEFORE A 4 DAY TRIP? Us.

We found a cute little AirBnB in Porto Cervo (great location, in the marina). Once we got there we all became so excited at all of the touristy activities/shows/beaches/boat rides that were being advertised in the Sardinian airport. Still having no damn clue that almost all of it is closed.

Low and behold it’s my birthday at midnight the night we arrived. We quickly shower up and get changed before everyone comes in the room with champagne, singing along to the birthday song by DJ BoBo. If you haven’t heard it, look it up.

We finally head out to go bar hopping before realizing everything’s quiet and closed. Oh cooool. But then we see a little neon light in the distance and suddenly there was hope. It was Lord Nelson’s Pub, which came to be our favorite little spot of the trip that we frequented every night from then on. And it just so happened to be foot steps away from our AirBnB so that was killer.

We woke up the next day not knowing where the wind would take us but excited for the adventure. We stopped for lunch at Cafe Du Port and ate some lobster pasta, then asked our waiter for some reccos. He gave us the contact of the boat guy and the scooter rental guy, which happened to be the same person. This random waiter has no idea he completely made our trip because from that moment it was smooooth sailin’.

This was the type of trip where everything happened so conveniently and easy. For ex. if one of us said “oh I could really use an ATM,” then an ATM would pop up around the corner a few seconds later. Everything worked out so perfectly, which doesn’t always happen but it’s great when it does (especially if you don’t plan shit).

We rented scooters, ate at amazing restaurants, enjoyed sunset drinks at different hotels, cruised in a boat along the little islands of Sardinia, and lived the island life. It was mellow because basically no tourists were there, and cheaper because we had “off season prices”. Everyone told us how crazy it was during the summer time. It sounded like a completely different experience and it would be cool to visit during that time to compare. Like anything, I think there are pros and cons to visiting off season but for this birthday trip I wouldn’t have traded it! It was a calm and relaxing adventure with my crew.

Restaurants I recommend:

Aruanà Churrascaria: Brazilian steakhouse, all you can eat. Pricey but great food and cool ambience.

Cafe Du Port: it’s right on the water and they have really good seafood pasta dishes!

Sole Mare, Baia Sardinia: this is where the pizza pictured above is from. Holy shit, best pizza. You gots to go. Cheap, right on the water, yummy pizzas.

Frades La Terazza: Sweeping panoramic views of the Mediterranean and unique dishes on the menu. Rudy ate pig brain and Diego ate lamb stomach. Not for me so I went with the salad hehe.

Hotel Cala di Volpe: please go here for sunset drinks. You will be amazed. Drinks are 30 euro each but you pay for the outdoor view. Get the peach bellini.

Other recommendations:

Rent scooters and explore the island. You will see WAY more. Car is good too but scooters are more fun IMO. BUT, I probably would have opted for a car if the streets were packed/scary.

Rent a boat with a skipper who can take you to all of the different islands. The water is turquoise blue and the rocks are gorgeous. Stop at the cute little town of La Maddelena for lunch!