Tourism
Two UNESCO sites: Su Nuraxi di Barumini and, since 2025, the domus de janas. Coasts among the busiest in Italy with the season concentrated between June and September; beaches with daily caps and booking (La Pelosa at Stintino, Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu at Baunei, Tuerredda, Punta Molentis), ban on removing sand. Asinara and La Maddalena parks. Little-visited interior.
Sections: Attractions · Museums · Nature · Itineraries · Excursions · Accessible visits
Sites and interior
Su Nuraxi di Barumini, the best-known nuragic complex, has been UNESCO heritage since 1997; in 2025 the prehistoric funerary tradition of the domus de janas, rock-cut tombs spread across dozens of sites, was inscribed. The island has thousands of nuraghi, giants' tombs and sacred wells (Santa Cristina), the Punic and Roman towns of Nora and Tharros, Cagliari with its Castello district, Catalan Alghero, Bosa, Castelsardo, Sassari and the murals of Orgosolo. Canto a tenore singing, the masks of Mamoiada and the traditional festivals are the other draw of the interior, which can be visited all year and is almost never crowded.
Coasts and regulated access
Beach tourism is concentrated between June and September, peaking in August, when ferries, flights and accommodation are at their most expensive: Costa Smeralda and Gallura (Porto Cervo, San Teodoro, Palau), Alghero and Stintino, Villasimius and Costa Rei, Chia and Pula, the Gulf of Orosei and the Ogliastra, the Sinis and the Costa Verde. Many municipalities limit access to the most fragile beaches: La Pelosa at Stintino has a daily cap with booking and a fee set by the municipality; Baunei regulates arrivals at Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu with maximum numbers and tickets; Teulada (Tuerredda), Villasimius (Punta Molentis) and San Teodoro (Lu Impostu, Cala Brandinchi) apply similar quotas. The Asinara National Park can be visited only with authorised transport from Stintino and Porto Torres; in the La Maddalena archipelago the Spiaggia Rosa on Budelli is closed to landing.
Practical rules
Regional law bans the removal of sand, shells and pebbles from beaches, with heavy fines and checks at ports and airports. The tourist tax is applied by Cagliari, Alghero, Olbia, Arzachena, San Teodoro, Villasimius, Stintino and most coastal municipalities, often only from April to October, with per-night amounts set by each. Off season most coastal establishments close and connections are reduced; Cagliari, Alghero and Sassari remain active all year.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/20/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-10-31
No questions in the community · Ask the community