Stunning Italian island with glorious beaches – just 3 hours from Scotland

WE all have that one tantalisingly close holiday destination that we’ve always wanted to visit.

And for many of us, there’s only one thing making you look elsewhere for your summer getaway, the dreaded connecting flight, as there are no direct routes.

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I’ve always found the prospect of a prolonged travel itinerary off-putting.

It’s a necessary evil for long haul destinations but when all you want is a week in the sun it just never seems worth all the faff that goes along with not flying direct. Not to mention eating into your beach time!

That one destination for me was the gorgeous island of Sardinia.

So when I learned that British Airways were launching seasonal direct flights from Edinburgh to Olbia this summer I jumped at the chance to take my wife, Bev and kids Aaron and Lucia away for some fun in the sun.

Launched only in May this year the new BA Cityflyer route operates a weekly flight, departing Edinburgh at 7am every Saturday. With a flight time of only three hours, we were basking in the glorious Sardinian sunshine in no time!

Sardinia is Italy’s second largest island behind Sicily. Olbia, on the northeastern coast of the island, is the gateway to the Costa Smeralda region, famed for its glorious sandy white beaches.

Olbia takes its name from the ancient Greek word for happiness and when you first spot the stunning turquoise waters that hug the shore as you come in to land, it’s easy to see why.

We were keen to avoid the package holiday experience so we booked our accommodation through Vrbo. They have several hundred properties to choose from so it wasn’t hard to find one that suited our needs and budget.

We opted for Le Dimore di Nettuno in the small coastal town of Pittulongu on the outskirts of Olbia.

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It’s a charming villa consisting of five separate apartments with a lovely outdoor pool that sits within a beautiful, immaculately kept garden.

Pittulongu is a sleepy little place but the surrounding trattorias and pizzerias we found were great value. Pittulongu beach is a short walk from the villa and has an excellent view of the imposing isle of Tavolara.

The further we ventured however the more breathtaking the beaches became. We enjoyed an afternoon at Spiaggia Bianca, only a 10 minute drive away.

A little further north still we found the gorgeous beaches of Capriciolli which quickly became our favourite.

Back in Olbia we browsed the market stalls in the old town before strolling the long stretch of shops, bars and restaurants of Corso Umberto.

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Be sure to seek out Chiesa di San Paolo, a small church with a beautiful multi-coloured dome on a side street which makes for a pretty picture op.

Hiring a car allowed us to explore further afield. My family indulged me, albeit grudgingly, in a visit to Arzachena to see Giant’s Tomb of Li Lolghi, an early Bronze Age funerary site believed to be over 4000 years old.

On the island’s west coast, just north of Algherro is Neptune’s Grotto, an otherworldly network of naturally formed caves that sit 360ft below the cliffs of Capo Caccia.

This is a must see tourist attraction, although with 654 steps down to the cave and back again we decided to arrive by sea, setting sail from Alghero Harbour to arrive at the cave mouth. The view of the cliffs from the boat are spectacular.

Our time in Sardinia was short but ‘dolce’. The holiday blues were kept at bay however with the quick and hassle-free return journey.

No endless hours hanging around airports waiting for a connection.
With a short hop, skip and jump we were home in no time with the memories of a marvellous family holiday still fresh in the mind.


GO: SARDINIA

GETTING THERE: British Airways weekly non-stop flight from Edinburgh to Olbia runs until August 10th with flights from £324pp. See BA.com for more details.

STAYING THERE: : Seven nights at Le Dimore di Nettuno apartment is from £1,546 for up to four sharing. See vrbo.com.