Sardinia

Introducing Sardinia

Sparsely-populated Sardinia is markedly different from the rest of Italy. Curious place names and mysterious stone-age structures remind us of prehistoric civilisations on this island, that later Roman and Christian conquerors were not able to erase. Over 7,000 Nuragic stone fortresses, some almost 4,000 years old, are set in unique landscapes of micro-climates and plant life found nowhere else on earth.

Sardinia is relatively dry, with few rivers, so it lacks the intensive agriculture you’ll find in other parts of Italy. Instead, wide plains and rocky outcrops stretch out to sea vistas, making this the perfect place for photographers to capture wild, untouched Mediterranean scenes. The shallow waters of its coastline make for clear turquoise bays and wide, sandy white beaches.

The dramatic sea walls of Alghero remind the visitor of Sardinia’s importance as a strategic military possession. Traces of the long Aragonese occupation are found not only in the art and architecture of beautiful towns like Oristano, but also in the Catalan language still spoken in some parts, alongside Italian and the ancient Indigenous language of the island.

I have a summertime series of coastal Sardinia, including beaches in the Costa Smeralda and in the Northwest. I have a winter series on central Sardinia, including of the spectacular parade of Boes e Merdules in Ottana and of some heavy snowfall in Nuoro.