Why the warm Sardinia weather in September calls for a road trip
The searing summer temperatures of July and August have cooled, but the Mediterranean is still warm enough to swim. With many of the holiday hordes now departed, it’s easier to savour the sights of this island’s villages and beaches at your own pace.
Arriving in Olbia? A car and scooter rental in Olbia provides a handy way to get your adventure started. The local company in Ellepi has been in business for more than 40 years, and you’ll find them located a stone’s throw from the Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport arrivals hall. Booking a vehicle with them means the first part of your holiday will be taken care of by a professional, English-speaking outfit who will ensure any flight delays are promptly dealt with.
Why visit Sardinia in September?
Sardinia in September is still warm and sunny. Temperatures linger in the high twenties. The sea is balmy from a summer of sunshine; it’s one of the best times to take to the water for swimming, snorkelling or boat trips.
The peace and quiet is another bonus. Popular beaches and resorts are less crowded. Restaurants and sights are less frazzled. And the warm, sunny weather is perfect for sightseeing, hiking or just pootling around behind the wheel of your car.
Because September is a fabulous time for a driving holiday. You get summer weather, but life goes at a more leisurely pace.
Explore the North East
Olbia is the ideal base town for northern Sardinia and the Costa Smeralda. The most famous town of this coast is Porto Cervo, a small but luxuriously appointed port town of bars, boutiques, restaurants and buildings painted the colours of the Mediterranean, all of which cling around the pretty marina.
While this town warrants a bit of fashionable living, some of the neighbouring coastline and beaches more than merit immediate exploration. Capriccioli, Cala di Volpe and Spiaggia del Principe are just three of the beaches boasting silky white sands and water clarity that citizens of the North Sea can only dream of.
For a trip further afield, rent a car and go off to navigate those indescribably small roads (hopefully they’ve been recently updated) and explore some more of Gallura’s granite supergiants (pack some pencils to take a rubbing or two), and cork forests or vineyard-carpeted valleys and farmland. And September for car travel in these landscapes? It can’t come recommended enough!
Take the ferry to La Maddalena
Go north along the coast and pick up the boat from Palau to La Maddalena. This island is just one of the steps into a cluster with seawater so clear and wind-polished granite rocks.
Main La Maddalena is great for driving. There are lots of viewpoints to stop and look out over the sparsely populated island. Go over to Caprera and drive on the small network of roads through the pine-covered island for cool shade in between trips to peaceful inlets.
September’s an excellent time to do this trip, when the Mediterranean waters are warmed by the summer sun and exploring in the car or on foot is made much more pleasant by the fresh air.
Get the crossing times sorted out early, especially for a day trip. Where you disembark is usually up to you, and that’s ideal if you believe the best bit of a driving trip around an island is simply to stop when you see a beach or view that takes your fancy.
Alghero and the character of Sardinia’s west
Cross Sardinia from east to west and a different island reveals itself. The Catalan influence is prevalent in the western town of Alghero: the old town, architecture and food culture show the remnants of roots in another country. A walled hilltop hamlet overlooks the sea, and is a wonderful place to walk after dusk.
North up the coast, and Capo Caccia’s limestone promontory dominates. You must visit Neptune’s cave: a boat will take you, or you can brave the Escala del Cabirol. A flight of 65 precipitous cliff-face steps.
But there’s countryside to enjoy too. Inland roads twist and turn through hills carpeted in vineyards, olive groves and wide open spaces, so you can potter about to your heart’s content.
Bosa brings colour to the journey
Kicking back in Bosa is an exercise in recalibrating the pace of life. In a more vital city, the castles and pastel-coloured facades of the town’s buildings would appear merely charming; but in this backwater, the place looks positively theatrical, particularly the Serravalle Castle, perched on a tiny ridge that juts from a hilltop.
Sa Costa’s old quarter is a joy to idle in. The narrow streets, small plazas and authentic architecture are all a world away from holiday resorts of the north-east.
Get there in time to watch the sun this September. The light softens as the day closes, the Temo River is tinged with amber, and you will find the temperature perfect to walk around in. Which you will do before sitting down in a local place to eat local food and drink local wine.
See ancient Sardinia
But the island is more than just sand or sea, few other places in the world have such a high concentration of nuraghi, the ancient megalithic structures typical of the Nuragic civilisation.
The archaeological site of Su Nuraxi at Barumini, which consists of a complex of Nuragic buildings, appears to be one of the island’s most important ancient sites and will also unveil a number of secrets of the island’s ancient inhabitants. The temperature will be milder and the sun less scorching than in the summer months, so it’s the most comfortable time to visit these outdoor archaeological sites.
If you are interested in history, just rent a car and do a road trip that will allow you to see the main sites and the countryside and smaller archaeological sites.
Finish in Cagliari
Your Sardinia road trip ends here in the island’s capital. Spend a few hours wandering through the alleys of the city’s Castello neighbourhood, the old town, and soon you’ll find yourself spilling out onto view after view over the Gulf of Cagliari. The best? From the ramparts at the Bastione di Saint Remy, especially at golden hour.
When you’re done, drive to Poetto Beach for your final day in the sea (some of you, no doubt with some glee). And there’s no better place to enjoy a last taste of Sardinia with hearty restaurants serving up delicious dishes that you’ll have come to know and love: wild boar pasta, culurgiones, seafood and Sardinia’s deliciously salty pecorino cheese.
Enjoy the freedom of the open road
The real pleasure of a September road trip is being able to mix up Sardinia’s many sides. One day is for a sea swim in the morning, an archaeological site in the afternoon and a drive along the coast just in time for sunset.
Ellepi also lets you spread your payments with a variety of debit cards, Maestro, Visa Electron and cash. Fast vehicle return makes that departure nice and easy, with even faster deposit returns, and if you want a personalised ‘pick up from anywhere’ service, direct to your hotel or port, they can do that too, plus share their favourite local spots so you can spot the best in restaurants, beaches and secret places away from the tourist route.
Sardinia is an ancient island just waiting to be explored, and September makes the perfect real experience with its warm seas, sunny weather and generally quieter roads, along the coast, into the heart of the island, with impromptu stops along the way.
By L. Gonsales
Image – Pexels
