Sardinia is all beautiful from north to south. Where you go depends on what you are looking for, but if you are looking for the unusual and the most authentic side of Sardinia, then you have to aim for its rocky heart.

From the villages of Oliena and Orgosolo with those beautiful and controversial murales (graffiti) to Mamoiada and its mysterious carnival masks; from the spectacular views of the supramonte of Oliena down to the woods of Gavoi, Tonara, Fonni.

And, if you still miss Sardinia’s blue waters among all this green, head for Tortoli and visit its golden beaches, or go all the way up to the Gulf of Orosei stopping every now and then to enjoy its paradise bays.

There is so much you can do and see in this area of Sardinia, trekking, hiking, visiting some incredible archaeological sites such as Tiscali - yes, this was a Sardinian site long before being a Sardinian web company!

Our last excursion included a visit to Orgosolo and an outdoor lunch with the shepherds - delicious! If you like strong cheese, fresh bread and suckling pig that is.

We also took a guided tour of the mountains (Supramonte of Orgosolo) in an off-road vehicle. It was great, the shape of the rocks, the vegetation and the animals that you can view are unbelievable.

We finally allowed ourselves some time to view the Museum of the Masks in Mamoiada and to discover more about the ancient rite of carnival here. Nothing like you can imagine. Forget about the lovely, elegant masks of the Venice carnival. Here it is a totally different story!

Plan your itinerary very well. Roads are not always very good and because of the mountains you might need to drive much longer than what you expected to cover such small distances.

Orosei is a good place to reach both stunning beaches (e.g. Cala Gonone, Cala Liberotto) and the mountains (Oliena, Orgosolo, Mamoiada and Dorgali) for day excursions.

If you are staying for at least a week, it is worth spending a few nights in a agriturismo (farm house) around here.

From Arbatax you can easily reach the beautiful costs of Tortoli, Barisardo, Santa Maria Navarrese, Baunei and head for the mountains around Tonara, Aritzo, Sorgono where, again, you should spend a few nights.

In both cases you should hire a car, although some places can be reached in the summer season with the Trenino Verde, a tourist train.

www.blog-sardinia.co.uk

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It is the oldest part of town and the highest. Its walls nad bastions are mostly still intact. You can start by climbing the stairs of one of the two remaining marble-white watch towers, Torre di San Pancrazio (Saint Pancras' tower). From the top of the tower you have a full view of the old town, which looks like a boat on the sea. After that you can wander in the narrow streets of the town that has changed little since the middle ages. You will find many artesan workshops and scenic views. You can then end your walk in one of its cafes: I recommend Libarium Nostrum, close to the other watch tower, Torre dell'Elefante (Elephant Tower), where you can sip your drink with a stunning view of the sunset on the eastern lagoon from an old fortified bastion overlooking the lagoon, the sea, and the old Stampace neighborhood.

You will see it from every point of the town. Local buses from central Largo Carlo Felice.

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