Olbia Area holidays

The Olbia area has a 30-mile coastline. Along it, you’ll find fine white-sand swathes to stroll along, plus lots of secluded Mediterranean bays that look like they belong on the front of a Costa Smeralda holiday brochure.

If a roomy sunbathing spot sounds right up your street, Liscia Ruja Beach is the one to bookmark. It’s the longest in the region, and is considered to be one of the best, thanks to its powder-fine sand and yacht-view sunlounger facilities. You’ll need to take one of the woodland driving routes from Porto Cervo to get here, which takes about 20 minutes, but it’s worth it – especially if you fancy taking to the seas. Mediterranean boat rentals are in no short supply around here.

Maddalena Archipelago boat tours regularly take off from the Olbia area, giving you the chance to flit between the seven-island cluster that sits between northeast Sardinia and Corsica. Spiaggia Rossa’s pink sand is an ideal place to take beachy snaps, while Cala Corsara’s white-sand coves give you somewhere secluded to paddle.

If Porto Cervo’s pricey stores are out of your budget, you can trade window-shopping for filling your boots with local produce at the Cannigione street market. It’s on Mondays, and is just a 15-minute drive from Baia Sardinia. Head there for food-based souvenirs like pecorino cheese, spicy Sardinian salami and traditional Italian olive oil.

Corso Umberto’s the main shopping avenue in the Olbia area, and it’s easy to spend a few bob here if you’re in the mood to splash some cash. Local Italian fashion boutiques set up shop along this paved avenue, along with home furnishing stores and pop-up market stalls selling various knick-knacks. Age-old churches and outdoor cafés are nearby, too.

You can dip your toes in the high-end Sardinian retail scene when you visit Porto Cervo’s designer outlets. Prada has a flagship store here, and it shares a postcode with the likes of Hermes and Balenciaga. Ideal if you’re in the market for some luxury Mediterranean fashion pieces.

The Piazetta – or central square – in Porto Cervo is an ideal place to spend a chilled out evening. It’s home to a sprinkling of harbourfront cocktail terraces, where you can watch the yachts pull in after a day at sea, as well as a handful of exclusive Sardinian lounge venues that pour cocktails ‘til long after sunset. The bar culture’s strong here, too. You’ll often find people scouting out the most elite people-watching spots before ordering their fave tipple.

Sticky dancefloors and stuffy air aren’t a thing when it comes to going ‘out out’ in the Olbia area. Open-air beach clubs are the norm, with lots offering four-poster beach daybeds where you can put your feet up after busting your best moves. Late-night DJ events keep people dancing on the Mediterranean shoreline until sunrise, too.

Traditional wood-fired roasting is the method of choice among lots of chefs in the Olbia area. They whip up herb-infused lamb specialities and authentic Sardinian suckling pig, which is cooked on a wood-fire spit.

Pane carasau is a thin crispy bread, made in a circular shape. It was originally made for shepherds setting out on long journeys, as it stays fresh for longer than your usual loaf, but now it’s a typical appetiser in local restaurants in the Olbia area.

This one’s worth trying, whether you’re a caviar connoisseur or have always wanted to try the salty delicacy. Bottarga is cured fish roe, made from the eggs of tuna or grey mullet. This fancy Sardinian seafood is traditionally accompanied by pasta, with restaurants either chopping it up in sauces or grating it over spaghetti. Olbia area locals eat it on bread, too.

Aragosta arrosto is fresh Mediterranean rock lobster, and follows along the lines of lots of simple Sardinian seafood recipes used in the Olbia area. Usually, it’s served chopped in two, after being covered with olive oil, local parsley and breadcrumb topping, and getting baked in the oven.

It’s sticky, sweet and seriously versatile, so it’s no wonder Sardinians love to put honey in their desserts. Tilicas, also known as caschettas, are traditional honey pastries, filled with almond paste and shaped into parcels. Aranzadas – orange peel cakes flavoured with honey and almonds – are another fave in the Olbia area.