Sardinia

Sardinia (Italian: Sardegna, Sardinian: Sardinna, Sardinya, Sardinia – depending on which region) is an Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located just south of the island of Corsica, west of the Boot of Italy, and north of Tunisia. With 24.090 km², it is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily. It has about 1,65 million inhabitants.

The capital of Sardinia is Cagliari, which is located in the south of the island. Other important places on the island are Sassari, Nuoro, Olbia and Oristano. The main ports are Porto Torres, Olbia, Golfo Aranci, Arbatax, Porto Foxi and Cagliari. Sardinia is also an autonomous region within the Italian Republic.

The island has a subtropical, Mediterranean climate. Summers can get very hot, and winters are generally mild, with snow in the mountains being no exception. The coastal regions are usually protected from snow. In addition, the island is always under the influence of the wind: the mistral (maestrale as Italians say), scirocco, libeccio and levante.

Prehistoric tribes that lived here have left impressive monuments. Such as the Domus de Janas (from the neo-lithic period) and the thousands of Nuraghi scattered here, built from loose stones and used as towers or entire fortresses. Later came the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians (500 BC). Then the Romans, the Vandals, the Byzantines and in the 11th century the Saracens. Partly because of this, the island contains a melting pot of peoples and cultures, brought together on an area of ​​less than 25.000 km².

The many churches and basilicas are particularly beautiful in a picturesque landscape setting. The highest mountain peak reaches almost 2 kilometers. The island is further surrounded by a large series of small rocky islands, sometimes inhabited, sometimes used by ranchers who return home at night to the mainland.

Innumerable are the small sandy coves, surrounded by many cliffs, while the sea water on site has a specific color. The Grotta di Nettuno is a sight to behold. Porto Cervo in the northeast has a spacious harbor and is a starting point for various routes across the island, such as to Cagliari, the capital, but also to Olbia or Sassari.