Olbia

Lodged between the shimmering white cliffs and scintillating sea waters of northern Sardinia, Olbia represents one of the favoured entry points to this much-loved section of the island. Connected with Rome via Civitavecchia, the town is a hubbub of ships and yachts during the high-season, although most who alight here quickly disperse into the winding, James Bond roads that cling to the hillsides up and down the coast. However, some opt to linger in town, where one charmingly untouched historic old district still belies a medieval boom with its exquisite Romanesque churches and chapels, and where countless café terraces spill onto the street, issuing the smells of coffee and Sardinia’s famous seafood platters forever into the air. Olbia tour guides are also quick to champion the region’s fantastic beaches, which come in the form of Spiaggia Pittulongu in town or the likes of popular Spiaggia del Principe further north in the upscale Costa Smeralda.