Sardinia 7-Day Itinerary 2026: The SS125 Between Tortolì and Cagliari Is the Most Dramatic Coastal Drive in Italy, the Costa Verde Has the Tallest Sand Dunes in Europe at 50 Metres, Bosa Is the Most Colourful Small Town in Italy, and September in Sardinia Means 27°C Sea and Empty Roads
Autore: La Redazione di www.tourleaderpro.com
Last updated: May 2026 — verified by the editorial team of www.tourleaderpro.com
A Sardinia itinerary 7 days (un itinerario di 7 giorni in Sardegna) is the optimal single Sardinia circuit format: enough days to drive the anti-clockwise coastal circuit without feeling rushed, enough beach afternoons to actually swim, and enough archaeological depth (Su Nuraxi, Tharros, and Nora) to make the trip something more than a beach holiday. The specific 7-day Sardinia programme uses Cagliari as the arrival and departure point (the busiest single Sardinia airport with the most flight connections to European cities) and builds a counter-clockwise coastal circuit that covers the south coast, the Sinis Peninsula, the Costa Verde, the northwest (Alghero and Bosa), and the northeast (the Gallura and the Costa Smeralda) in 7 days of driving, swimming, and eating.
Sardinia 7-Day Itinerary: The Circuit
Days 1-2: Cagliari and the South Coast
See the Sardinia 5-Day Itinerary for the specific Cagliari and south coast programme. The 7-day addition: the Villasimius day trip (GPS: 39.1261°N, 9.5069°E — 50km east of Cagliari): the most specifically complete single southern Sardinia beach resort (the Spiaggia di Punta Molentis (GPS: 39.1042°N, 9.5697°E) — the most specifically photogenic single Cagliari-day-trip beach: the twin cove with the specific transparent turquoise water visible from the specific viewpoint 300m above the beach on the SS125E).
Days 3-4: Barumini, Oristano, and the Costa Verde
The Su Nuraxi morning (see the Su Nuraxi Guide) → the Costa Verde afternoon drive (GPS: 39.4700°N, 8.5000°E — the most specifically wild single Sardinian coastal zone: the specific coastal mining ghost town of Montevecchio (GPS: 39.4778°N, 8.5811°E — the most dramatically abandoned single Italian industrial archaeology site: the 19th-century lead and zinc mining complex (the Montevecchio mine — the largest single Sardinian mineral mine, operational 1848-1991) whose specific 140-year mining history left a specific ghost village of workers' houses, the mine director's Art Nouveau villa (the villa direttoriale — the most specifically incongruous single Italian Art Nouveau building in a coastal wilderness setting), and the specific mine infrastructure (the cages, the processing plants, and the railway tracks) in the most completely preserved single Italian mining archaeology site)). The Spiaggia di Piscinas (GPS: 39.4700°N, 8.4700°E — the most dramatic single Sardinia beach arrival: accessible only by the specific dirt road through the Montevecchio mining area (8km unpaved — 4WD recommended in wet conditions, manageable in a standard car in summer)). Overnight: the Hotel Le Dune di Piscinas (the only accommodation at the Piscinas beach — verify at ledunehotel.it: approximately 100-160 euros per night for the most specifically isolated single Sardinia beach hotel).
Days 5-6: Bosa and Alghero
Bosa (GPS: 40.2983°N, 8.4972°E — the most specifically colourful single Italian small town: the specific Bosa Sa Costa neighbourhood (the medieval workers' quarter of coloured houses (the casette colorate — the specific pink, yellow, orange, and turquoise house facades that cover the Bosa hillside below the Malaspina Castle): the most consistently "most colourful Italian town" single judgement in any comparative Italian town aesthetic ranking)). The Castello Malaspina (GPS: 40.3000°N, 8.4975°E — 11th-century castle: 3 euros, the most specifically complete single medieval Sardinian castle). Drive to Alghero (60km, 1h). See the Sardinia 5-Day Itinerary Days 4-5 for the specific Alghero programme.
Day 7: Gallura and Costa Smeralda
Drive east to the Gallura (GPS: 41.1°N, 9.3°E — the northeast Sardinia granite landscape zone whose specific giant rounded granite boulders (the graniti del Limbara — the most specifically "giant marble balls" single Italian geological landscape) create the most dramatic single Sardinia inland vista): the Capo Testa (GPS: 41.2358°N, 9.1337°E — the most specifically sculpted single Sardinian granite cape: the specific giant sculptured rock formations at the Capo Testa promontory create the most specifically dramatic single Sardinia coastal walk (the 40-minute loop trail around the cape: free). The Costa Smeralda (see the Costa Smeralda Guide): the specific Spiaggia del Principe (GPS: 41.0644°N, 9.5289°E — the most specifically royal single Costa Smeralda beach (Aga Khan's personal beach, now public): access from the SS125 turnoff, free).
Q&A: Sardinia 7-Day Itinerary
What is the single best Sardinia beach in a 7-day itinerary?
The Cala Goloritzé (GPS: 40.0742°N, 9.6564°E — accessible only by boat from Santa Maria Navarrese or by a 2.5-hour trek from Baunei): the most specifically beautiful single Sardinian beach (the 2013 Italian Touring Club "most beautiful beach in Italy" designation) whose specific 143m white limestone pinnacle (the "arco di Goloritzé" — the specific coastal arch) and the specific 100% transparent water make it the most cinematically dramatic single Italian beach experience. The boat access: approximately 25-30 euros per person return from Santa Maria Navarrese (GPS: 39.9694°N, 9.6614°E — book at bauneiescursioni.com). The specific 7-day itinerary Cala Goloritzé detour: best on Day 4 or 5 as a day trip from the Oristano or Tortolì base on the east coast circuit.