Flexible Beach Holidays - Sardinia - Italy - Alghero & Stintino

Welcome to Flexible Breaks in Sardinia

Many of our ski and snowboard customers who love our flexible formula have been asking what we can offer them, with the same flexibility, in the summer. We now offer a choice of two resorts on the on the incredibly beautiful Italian Island of Sardinia. Reached by daily Ryan Air flights from Stansted and from Liverpool.  You can be on the beach in just over 3 hours of leaving these airports.

Stintino was our first resort in the summer of 2005 and is a very popular short break destination. Just 40 minutes away from Alghero airport (Fertilia), and virtually unknown to foreigners, situated right on the north-western tip of the island, it has been a well kept secret amongst Italians for many years (but they only holiday for 2 weeks in August). It has stunning white beaches and crystal blue seas, more reminiscent of the Caribbean, than Italy. The resort is centred around a small traditional fishing village with half a dozen or so restaurants and a couple of bars extending onto a sandy peninsula, where you will find the most stunning beaches (including the famous La Pelosa), as well as more restaurants and bars. Stintino is the perfect place to get away from it all and wile away the days on beautiful beaches surrounded by tranquil turquoise sea. In addition to all this, the resort has a great deal to offer the sports enthusiasts with a host of water sports available all along the peninsula including diving in the marine national park, kayaking, dinghy and hobycat sailing as well as windsurfing and motor dinghy hire. There are several dive schools offering all levels of diver the chance to explore the stunning marine national park surrounding the nearby island of Asinara. You can even take a fishing trip with the local fishermen who will show you how they catch squid and octopus before cooking you a delicious seafood lunch. Land-based activities include horse riding, and the hire of mountain bikes, scooters and quad bikes to explore the more remote beaches and coves and the stunning countryside. about Stintino

We also offer the bustling, historic seaside resort of Alghero, which is just 10 minutes from the airport, making it ideal for a mid-week or weekend break. Alghero is ideal for those wanting a livelier holiday as it is a well-established tourist resort, popular with Italians and Spanish for many years already and recently discovered by the British as a result of the recently arrived low cost flights from Ryan Air. As a result the already bustling resort has developed and expanded to include several excellent hotels as well as many apartments and villas for rent. The old walled town, which is of Spanish origin (locals still speaking a dialect of Catalan origin) is one of the most famous tourist attractions of northwest Sardinia. The town has a myriad of criss-crossing cobbled streets, which are full of life and shops as well as bars and restaurants spilling over into the car-free streets. Outside of the town there is a scenic marina, surrounded by more bars and restaurants, as well as a long sandy beach, sheltered by pine forests and sand dunes, which extends over 18 km, giving the impression of space even in the height of the season. Here too you will find lots of water sports available, as well as boat trips to the famous Neptune caves (Grotto di Nettuno) with their marvellous geological formations and underground lake as well as boat trips for dolphin spotting or simply sight-seeing along the stunning coastline. Car hire, cycle hire and moped hire are also available as well as trips to vineyards and to other resorts in Sardinia. about Alghero

In both resorts, we have carefully selected a variety of accommodation to suit all budgets including 3 or 4 star hotels, self-catering apartments and villas. Accommodation is available on our usual flexible basis – anything from a 3 night midweek or weekend break to the standard 1,2 or 3 week holiday, arriving any day (except during August, when some accommodation may only be available on a Saturday to Saturday basis).

About Sardinia

Sardinia has been popular with Italians during their summer vacations in August for many years, but it has only recently been discovered by the British. Any Italian will tell you that Sardinia is the most beautiful island on earth. You may think they are being prejudiced or using typical Italian embellishments, but you have to visit for yourself to see the true, unspoilt raw beauty of the place. The Costa Smeralda and Porto Cervo (developed at the end of the 1950’s and made famous by the Aga Khan), are world renown and very exclusive with prices to match, but travel almost anywhere else in Sardinia and you will find the same stunning beaches, the same emerald-coloured crystal clear water, without the designer price tag. With the arrival of cheap flights into Alghero, many resorts within striking distance of the airport are becoming quite popular and are developing accordingly.

The island is characterised by an interior of dramatic, rolling uplands covered in dense grassland, mingled with myrtle, wild thyme, prickly pears and dwarf oaks – and a coastline of beguiling translucent sea, isolated coves, long sandy beaches and caves.

The food

The sea obviously has a huge influence on the cuisine of the coastal area. Sea urchins, snails and shellfish are local delicacies, as well as a local ‘caviar’ made from tuna fish roe. If you are looking for a reasonably priced meal for all the family, look for a restaurant advertising ‘Pizzeria’ as well as ‘Ristorante’. You will be able to purchase a pizza from €4.50. Seafood is sold by the 100g or ‘etto’ and you should expect to pay from €3.50 to €5.00 per 100g for white fish. Lobsters are sold by weight and are often brought to your table live for you to select. There are usually reasonably priced pasta dishes (€5.50 to €9.00), as well as meat dishes (€9.00 to €14.00) including horse steaks (cavallo). Salads are usual pretty basic in Italy so don’t expect much ore that lettuce and a chopped up tomato from a mixed salad.

Another local speciality is suckling pig or ‘porceddu’, which is usually a baby pig of around 5kg, spit-roasted with myrtle and bay leaf. This usually needs to be booked the day before, but is well worth the effort!

The ‘Culurgiones’ or ‘Culunzones’ are large oval shaped ravioli stuffed with fresh Sardinian ricotta and potato, sometimes with parsley or mint. It is served with a simple tomato sauce and is extremely filling.

Sardinian hams and sausages (another local speciality) are particularly tasty owing to the fact the pigs are bred free range.

Peculiar to Alghero, due to it’s Spanish influence you will find several Spanish dishes on some menus, and in particular ‘paella’ a rice dish with seafood or chicken, which is usually cooked for a minimum of 2 people and often needs to be booked in advance. You will also find a dessert called ‘crema catalana’ which is a delicious combination of crème Brule and panna cotta.

And finally a mention for the Sardinian desserts and pastries, which are sweet and delicate and well worth a try. The most popular one being ‘seadas’, which is a fritter, made of batter, filled with fresh cheese and grated lemon and served hot, dusted with sugar or honey. Another speciality is nougat, made with any nut imaginable and mixed with local honey.

The wine

An Italian would say that no meal in Sardinia is complete without a bottle of wine. You can usually purchase an excellent bottle of local wine for around € 12 (some of the best wine’s in Sardinia are produced around Alghero, with two of the most famous vineyards being based there – Sella & Mosca and Santa Maria La Palma). House wine is cheaper (vino della casa), but always local and always drinkable. Note that Sardinians often drink their red wine chilled.

Sardinia is renown for it’s red wines, especially ‘ Canonau’, which is a must if you like full-bodied red wines, as it is often as strong as 14 percent. An excellent one to try at around €12 is ‘Costera’. Sardinia white wines are equally delicious, slightly fruity and again can be as strong as 14 percent. The most popular of these takes it’s name from the ‘vermentino’ grape. It is often served as a house wine. Another excellent white wine is ‘Vernaccia’, often around 14 percent, a strong, mellow wine with a hint of sweetness and a deep yellow colour.

The Liqueurs

Sardinia is most famous for its ‘Mirto’, a liqueur made from the leaves and fruit of the myrtle bush. Served chilled at the end of a meal, it is said to aid digestion. There are two varieties, white and red and served chilled at the end of a meal, they are said to aid digestion.

About Stintino

Stintino is a small fishing village, previously known only to a few non-Italians, with a population of just 100 in the winter months. It has become popular with Italians only in the last 5-10 years, but remains unspoilt and tranquil out of the peak month of August. There are many unspoilt beaches, some of which are only accessible by boat. You can hire motorised dinghies and explore stunning Caribbean-like coves, with their deserted beaches and watch the dolphins and turtles swim nearby or visit some of the offshore islands. The history of Stintino is short, but interesting and start as recently as 1885, when the first inhabitants arrived from the nearby island of Asinara. Forty five families made up of fishermen and shepherds were forcibly re-housed on the mainland when the island became a penal and leper colony. They chose to live on a narrow piece of land between two inlets (insenature or ‘isthintini’ in local dialect), and hence the dreivat9ion of the name of Stinitno. The original home of these first inhabitants can still be seen today just outside the town at Tonnata Saline, which is where they landed on the 15^th August 1885. For many years Stintino survived as a fishing hamlet, benefiting from a sea rich in lobster and tuna and in the winter months it returns to everyday life as simply a fishing hamlet.

Sea and beaches

The most popular beaches of Stintino are spread to the north of the town for over 5 km along a narrow peninsula and locals refer to the two seas surrounding it as the ‘inside’ and the ‘outside’ sea. The sea on the inside or eastern side being protected by the Gulf of Asinara, and characterised by snow-white beaches and calm, warm seas ranging from turquoise to royal blue in colour. A paradise for bathers, snorkellers and divers, the sea is shallow for long distances, before descending into deep blue waters that are amongst the clearest and most beautiful of the whole Mediterranean. The outside sea on the western side is instead characterised by sheer rocks and splendid coves with an emerald coloured sea, which is often wild and dramatic. The local beaches are renown for their fine white sand and two of the most famous, popular with Italians from all over Italy are ‘Le Saline and ‘La Pelosa’.

About Alghero

Alghero is a little bit of Catalonia in Italy. The most charming town in Sardinia, it has been strongly influenced by the Catalonians, due to occupation by them in the 14th century. Catalan is still the official language with locals speaking a dialect called ‘Algherese’ which is close to Catalan. The culinary traditions and many of the buildings also bear homage to the Spanish ancestry, as do street signs, which are in both languages. The main sights include the old city walls and the seven defence towers, which divide the old town from the new. The most impressive of its buildings is the Catalan-Gothic cathedral in Piazza Duomo. Nearby and similar in style is the 16^th century Palazzo Albis in Piazza Civica, which was once home to Alghero’s governors. The restored 14^th century Chiesa di San Franceso is the city’s most enchanting church.

In addition to the stunning beaches and host of water sports available, Alghero offers boat trips and trips to the nearby famous vineyard of Sella & Mosca, where you can tour the museum and wine cellars. The old town is also a mecca for shoppers, with row upon row of tiny shops selling clothes and jewellery, including the famous local coral. Restaurants and bars are not in short supply in this bustling town with something for every palate and every budget.

Just outside Alghero you can visit one of the most famous and stunning underground series of caves – ‘Neptune’s Grotto’ or ‘Grotto di Nettuno’ with their stalactites, stalagmites and underground lake, which create an unreal world in these most beautiful caves. They can be visited by boat from Alghero or on foot from Capo Caccia by descending the 654 steps. For the historian there are several ‘Nuraghic’ sites (conical towers of vast stone, left by Sardinia’s Bronze Age civilisation) in the area, as well as the ‘Necropolis Anghelu Ruju’, an ancient (3000 BC) burial ground.

Sea and beaches

Alghero is situated on the shores of a beautiful bay on the northwest coast of Sardinia, known as the Coral Riviera. The coastline stretches for 75 km from the limestone promontory of Capo Caccia to the north and the beach of La Speranza to the south. Here you will find all you need for a relaxing holiday – silver beaches, breathtaking cliffs, rocky coastlines, peaceful coves and superb marine caves. The crystalline sea is ideal for coral and lobster fishing. The town itself has several local beaches, which are all within walking distance and vary from wide-open beaches to narrower ones, closed in by pine forests and sand dunes.  The sea is clear and safe for swimming, snorkelling, diving or sailing. All along the coastline you will find sailing schools and diving schools, where you can hire equipment or take lessons.

We specialise in Flexible summer beach holidays, weekends, flexible, and short breaks with accommodation in apartments, villas and hotels in Italy and France