Sardinia's borghi are divided between coastal jewels and mountain strongholds where traditions survived that disappeared everywhere else in Italy.
Plan a trip here →Candy-coloured houses on the Temo River. Malvasia di Bosa wine. Former tanneries becoming artist studios. Castle above. Pop: 7,700.
A citadel jutting into the sea on the north coast. Basket-weaving tradition. Cathedral with a mysterious crucifix (Lu Lunissanti procession, Monday before Easter). Pop: 5,800.
Over 200 political murals on every building — started in 1969 as protest art, now a permanent outdoor gallery. In the Barbagia mountains, historically bandit territory. Pop: 4,200.
4. Carloforte — Ligurian-speaking island town on San Pietro, tuna mattanza tradition. 5. Atzara — Mandrolisai wine DOC, carnival masks. 6. Aggius — granite village, carpet-weaving museum, one of Italy's most beautiful borghi. 7. Posada — medieval castle above a river delta and beach. 8. Sadali — waterfalls inside the village, cave of Is Janas.
Tell our AI your dates, budget, interests, and travel style. Get a day-by-day plan with real local picks.
Plan my trip — free