As winter closes in around us, it’s good to keep in mind our next summer vacation destination, and here are seven reasons to make Sardinia, Italy your holiday destination in 2014!
This past year, Sardinia’s immaculate beaches were awarded with seven blue flags from the non-profit organization – Blue Flag.
What is a Blue Flag?
“The Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 3850 beaches and marinas i
n 48 countries across Europe, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada and the Caribbean.”
Beaches are awarded the blue flag based on 32 criteria which the beach must meet; should the beach fail to comply with these criteria during the year, the blue flag can be withdrawn. Here are just a few of the criteria needed:
- Environmental Education and Information.
- Water Quality
- Environmental Management
- Safety and Services
- All Blue flags are awarded for one season at a time.
Sardinia’s Seven Blue Flags 2013
- Olbia-Tempio – La Maddalena Punta Tegge – Spalmatore
- Olbia-Tempio – Palau Vecchio – Scimara
- Olbia-Tempio – S. Teresa Gallura – La Rena Bianca
- Oristano – Torre Grande
- Sassari – Castelsardo – Ampurias
- Tortolì – Lido di Orri, Lido di Crea
- Quartu S. Elena – Poetto
I’ve only visited one blue flag beach and that was La Rena Bianca, and it was during an August heat wave; it was beautifully packed and spectacularly stunning.
La Rena Bianca on a hot August afternoon.
My mission for summer 2014 is to visit this year’s list of winners. Should be a splendid beach season!
Here’s to 2014 Sardinia – wishing you success in collecting more blue flags.
Have you been to any of Sardinia’s Blue Flag Beaches?
My Sardinian Life 
I love reading your first hand experiences in Sardinia. Thank you for sharing so generously. My heart is drawn to Sardinia so strongly! There is only one thing that is holding me back from moving there. And I would like to ask your viewpoint.
I have been reading reports from 2019 saying that the nuclear contamination from the NATOs activities is present all over the island. In the groundwater, the soil…. on the beaches…
The article reported not only about the severe cases of lungcancer and malformations in humans and animals in the south west. It also spoke about high rates of ovarian cancer in the north…
Could you please share if you have some newer informations on the situation? And if you personally can attest to the high cancer rates? I know this is not a pleasant topic. I am sorry to bring it up, but I want to be well informed.
Thank you for your thought provoking comment. You are very correct in your statement about NATO’s presence on the island. They have been established on the island for many years. There are cases of malformations and cancers, however, I personally do not know anyone that has been afflicted in this manner in regard to nuclear contamination, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, as it has, and we know this. Sardinia is a complex paradise stuck between NATO exercises and an unspoilt beauty that once witnessed is hard to forget. Thank you for raising this topic with me, it’s an important discussion that the world should know about. Wishing you a great day!
I just stumbled across this blog as I was gathering more info for my first trip to Sardinia this May! Oh, I’m just so excited and trying to live “in the moment”, but this travel on my calendar and your beach pic above make it a bit difficult 😉 Any quick tips you can share with a single female traveler?!
Will you be renting a car? You will love Sardinia, it’s a stunning paradise. If you need anything else drop me a line and Ill see what I can do for you.
Hello, again. I won’t be driving while in Sardinia; I actually look forward to letting others take the wheel while on vacation 🙂 I’ll be staying in 2 different B&B’s, 1 in Alghero and 1 in Cagliari, with a train or bus getting me between the two cities half-way through my trip. While in each town, I hope to find good places to sit, read, drink coffee, and people watch…oh, and nap on a beach or two?! I’m in need of a reset while taking in some scenery, nothing too extreme for this girl. I’ve followed some of the recommended reading links here on your blog, too, thanks 🙂
Sounds like you have it all planned out. You will love it here and there are plenty of great beaches and bars to people watch. 🙂 Thanks again for popping in and commenting, if you need anything else just drop me a line.