Which island has more beautiful beaches: Which coastal paradises – Sicily and Sardinia?
We know from experience that beaches in Sardinia are far superior: cleaner, whiter sand, clear blue sea and less spoiled natural products than the coast of Sicily.
I’ve been able to explore both islands extensively and can tell you Sardinia’s beaches are in a different league altogether. Locally there are over 80 beaches in the Costa Smeralda with powdery white sand and impossibly clear waters, that can reach 15 meters of visibility. There’s the famous La Pelosa beach near Stintino with Caribbean like waters and sand so fine, it feels like silk between your toes. Sardinia’s coastline: unlike the often darker volcanic beaches of Sicily, Sardinia’s coastline boasts pristine granite formations which form natural pools and coves.
It’s these preservation and accessibility that really define what makes Sardinian beaches so special. Sardinia’s beaches are marked by many hidden coves and secluded beaches that somehow, never get crowded — in fact as some of Sicily’s popular stretches can get very crowded, especially in peak season. Cala Goloritzè, a beach that can only be reached by boat or 4 kilometer hike, provides visitors with crystal clear waters and giant limestone cliffs looming 200 meters from the sea.
Natural Beauty Comparison: Diverse Landscapes of Sardinia vs. Volcanic Terrain of Sicily
Sardinia’s terrain provides more diversity of a natural landscape and unspoiled beauty that Sicily’s. The more varied, and certainly more pristine, natural environments of Sardinia range from the rugged Gennargentu Mountains which stand 1,834 meters above sea level, to the dramatic limestone cliffs of the Supramonte. The island’s idiosyncratic geological history is responsible for all kinds of things, like the Tiscali archaeological site sunk within the peck of a mountain cave, and the Gorropu Gorge, Europe’s largest canyon: walls approaching 500 meters.
It’s the mountain and sea that make Sardinia so special; there’s not a major divide between them. At its best, this perfect marriage of landscapes lives out along the 45 kilometer Selvaggio Blu trail that runs along the eastern coast. Sicily is predominantly volcanic, and limestone cliffs plunge directly into turquoise waters here, a spectacle Sicily’s general volcanic terrain can’t even compare. The 62 islands and islets that make up the Maddalena Archipelago also give another dimension – pink granite formations and beaches which rank among Europe’s finest.
Costa Rei
In southeastern Sardinia, Costa Rei presents a quiet enclave that is able to represent both the wild outburst of the island and a more laid back, family friendly aura. With long stretches of fine, golden sand, and impossibly clear water, the beaches are the sunbather and swimmer’s dream.
Beyond simple relaxation, the turquoise sea provides ample opportunities for snorkeling and diving: Marine life in its greatest range can be found here; colorful fish, vibrant coral formations are found in these hidden coves along the coastline.
Costa Rei perfectly meshes with the idea of ‘island paradise’ so often searched by travellers, encircled with a soft hilly and richly aromatic Mediterranean vegetation, yet at the same time well supplied by car or local transport. Costa Rei has the ideal mix of modern comfort and unspoilt nature.
It is one of the attractions to visit Costa Rei because it offers several nearby attractions that wonderfully represent the unique cultural and natural heritage of the region. You will experience a strong sense of Sardinian identity in every experience from gentle hiking trails along pristine coastlines to exploring historical landmarks in nearby Castiadas.
The area’s cuisine is also not to be missed: With fresh seafood, handrolled pasta and sweet things like seadas, you can dine on these all with a glass of Cannonau wine — local wine grown in the sun soaked Sardinian hills.
The small towns surrounding Costa Rei have local festivals at different times of the year, bringing their centuries old traditions to life with folk music and dancing and tasting food. The combination of these features make Costa Rei more than a nice beach holiday – it’s a complete holiday experience in which you can fully engage with the culture and really fall in love with Sardinia.
Cultural Heritage and Historical Sites: Sardinia Ancient Mysteries vs Classical Ruins of Sicily
More mysterious and exclusive historical experience is to have within Sardinia’s unique Nuragic civilization and better preserved sites, rather than in Sicily which has impressive Greek and Roman ruins.
Over 7,000 nuraghi (ancient megalithic structures) left behind by the Nuragic civilization litter the landscape of Sardinia and have made an indelible mark on the island. 15 meters tall and built from over 3,500 years ago, this Su Nuraxi di Barumini is the crown jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Less classical, more enigmatic, and lesstouristed are these structures in Sicily’s more hen of Sicily.
But Sardinia’s historical sites are usually better mapped on the natural landscape. The two Giants’ Tombs, Coddu Vecchiu at 30 meters long, and the Sacred Well of Santa Cristina illustrate how ancient Sardinians lived with their environment. Given that Sicily’s often rebuilt monuments are the usual fare in ancient historical experience, these sites’ preservation is trumped by how many remain, as they did millennia ago, standing essentially as they were.
Which destination offers the most beautiful coastal experience: Sicily or Sardinia?
However, Sardinia certainly holds the winning ticket for coastal beauty with its Caribbean like waters, pristine beaches and wildly dashing limestone cliffs that combine to make something truly Mediterranean magic.
Over 55 kilometers of pristine shoreline, powdery white sand beaches and impossibly clear waters – it’s clear why Sardinia’s coastline is so superior, the Costa Smeralda region being the perfect example. This water visibility regularly exceeds 20 meters and this makes it the perfect location to swim and snorkel. But there’s a Maddalena Archipelago of 62 islands and islets, still there from the Stone Age when the island was known as Sulcis — pink granite formations plunge into the turquoise waters to a degree that doesn’t happen anywhere else in Sicily. The famous limestone cliffs strikingly rising from crystal clear waters that characterize the beaches of the Cala Luna and Cala Goloritzè are accessible only by boat or hiking and are an experience on its own sort.
How does the natural landscape on the two Mediterranean islands compare?
But not only does Sicily hold Mount Etna, Sardinia’s mantle of diverse terrain promises a fuller, unspoiled natural experience: pristine mountains, untouched coastlines, and weird geological formations.
Sicily is the nicer destination, whereas the Gennargentu National Park in Sardinia offers an extraordinal range of landscapes. Areas range from rugged peaks rising to 1,834 meters here, which result in dramatic scenery that flows immediately on to the coast. If it’s glaciated landforms you’re after, northwest Sardinia has some of the most impressive, including the Gorropu Canyon, which drops some 500 meters at its heart. What makes Sardinia so unique is all these natural features are still pretty unspoilt, many of the more developed parts of Sicily.
Why are Sardinian beaches better than the ones of Sicily?
Sicily’s darker, volcanic beaches also tend to be less pristine especially compared to those on Sardinia’s finer sand and clearer waters.
Obviously both islands have been explored extensively by me and I can say that the Sardinia beaches surpass any other in the mediterranean. In Stintino, La Pelosa beach with sand so fine you almost feel talcum powder between your toes and water clarity down to 15 meters deep is common. Sardinia’s coastline features pure white sand, which is far darker than the volcanic sand you often find in Sicily’s beaches and creates a beautiful contrast with the turquoise waters. Beach of Cala Mariolu, only reachable by boat, is an example: small but pink pebbles and crystal waters comparable to any tropical paradise.
Which island is best in terms of historical and cultural experience?
Sicily has Greek and Roman ruins, but Sardinia’s Nuragic civilization has uniquely rocked a more mysterious, more exclusive historical for which there’s no other place in the world…
Sardinia has 7,000 nuraghi towers, some of which are over 20 meters high and the Nuragic civilization is sure to have left an incredible legacy in the Land of the Dead. Su Nuraxi di Barumini, the crown jewel, shows sophisticated engineering nearly 3,500 years old and a more enigmatic experience than Sicily’s classical ruins. Giants’ Tombs of Coddu Vecchiu, 30 meter in length, is a site that has been preserved and demonstrates the Sardinians ancient practice of working in harmony with the environment, making sights such as the Sacred Well of Santa Cristina as they are still over a millennia later.
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Sardinia vs Sicily: The One Mediterranean Island you can’t miss
It’s undisputed that Sardinia provides a far more compelling experience, with its immaculate beaches, untouched nature and unadulterated culture, after hours of striding around both islands.
The advantage of Sardinia is without any doubt being in a pristine coastline and at/with a marvelous beach. I can say having visited several Mediterranean destinations, Sardinia’s beaches are some of the best. The region where this superiority is exhibited is the Costa Smeralda area with its powdery white sand, water so clear you can see it and can dive to 20 meters on the bottom. Whereas the often darker, almost black, volcanic beaches that make up and are famed for Sicily, the Sardinia coastline has pure white sand like powder, with stunning contrasts to turquoise waters. One of the famous La Pelosa beach near Stintino has Caribbean like conditions that aren’t visible anywhere in Sicily, and hidden gems like Cala Goloritzè offer experiences only accessible by boat (or through scenic hiking trails).
The Sardinian Cultural Heritage vs The Sicilian Historical Sites
Sardinia’s Nuragic civilization, while impressive, is a more mysterious and exclusive historical experience than that provided by Sicily’s ruins of Greek and Roman times; nothing like it exists anywhere else in the world.
Filling the island with over 7,000 nuraghi towers – towers of the Nuragic civilization – which could reach as high as 20 meters. Su Nuraxi di Barumini is the crown jewel, an expression of sophisticated engineering from more than 3,500 years ago showing a more enigmatic experience than the Sicilian classical ruins. Sites such as the Coddu Vecchiu Giants’ Tombs – 30 meters long – preserved in Coddu Vecchiu, a place in which they used to work together with their environment, demonstrate that from the very beginning, ancient Sardinians lived in a relationship of peace with their environment.
Wines and gastronomic excellence.
Sardinia’s cuisine is a more authentic, heart healthier option involving the Blue Zone regions of the world where people live longer, healthier lives.
It has traditional ingredients and takes to the more simple preparation method which makes it a more genuine gastronomic experience. There are more authentic, country-based dishes like malloreddus (Sardinian gnocchi) and pane carasau on the Sardinian food scene than in Sicily’s more touristy kind. Sicily’s larger wine operations offer more formal, commercialised experiences whilst its wine regions, especially those producing Cannonau or Vermentino, allow more intimate tasting experiences away from main roads in less commercial settings.
Getting Out and About, Outdoor Activities and Adventure Opportunities
The fact that Sardinia offers much better outdoor experiences, because the hiking trails are much harder, the water is clearer for diving, and the environment is better preserved for discovery.
Sardinia’s advantage of being an island with plenty of outdoor activities is recognised through Selvaggio Blu trail of 45 kilometers for the eastern shore. A legendary route for hiking and climbing with cliffs made from limestone plummeting into turquoise waters an experience like no other in Sicily. With 62 islands and islets, plus pink granite formations and beaches that rank among Europe’s finest, the Maddalena Archipelago is another dimension.
Living life like a native of the village and enjoying the local cultures they have.
Sicily’s often touristy settlements are not a match for the more unspoiled experience Sardinian villages have to offer.
A little more quiet than Sicily’s most popular destinations but not so quiet as to feel far away from it, towns like Bosa and Castelsardo retain their authenticity. By integrating a traditional life with modern amenities, it makes the experience for the visitors a more balanced experience, if they want to have a cultural immersed experience. Local customs, ancient crafts as well as traditional music (Cantu a Tenore) are better preserved on the islands, showing the unadulterated Mediterranean living.