Exploring Beautiful Sardinia – Our Jet2 Italian Escape
Exploring Beautiful Sardinia
Louise recently travelled with her husband on a fantastic package holiday with Jet2holidays to the stunning Italian island of Sardinia — and it completely exceeded expectations from start to finish.
We flew from Manchester Airport and the whole airport experience was swift and seamless. Check-in and security were both really efficient, which always helps start a holiday stress-free! The flight time to Sardinia was around 2 hours 40 minutes, and it honestly flew by.
Arriving in Olbia
We landed into Olbia in northern Sardinia. Originally, our package included a coach transfer, but we decided to remove this and upgrade to car hire for a small supplement instead. We love exploring independently when we travel, and having a car gave us the freedom to discover so much more of the island at our own pace.
The new EES biometric entry process did cause a bit of a delay at the airport on arrival. As it’s still relatively new, there were only a couple of machines available and unfortunately one wasn’t working, alongside only two passport control desks open. Considering it was a small airport with only two flights arriving, the queues did build up for passengers who hadn’t completed biometrics before. However, once we got through, everything was plain sailing and well worth the wait.
Grand Hotel Smeraldo Beach
For our stay, we chose the lovely Grand Hotel Smeraldo Beach on a bed and breakfast basis. The hotel itself was excellent — spotless throughout, with fantastic service from all the staff who genuinely couldn’t do enough for guests. One thing we particularly loved was that there were very few British tourists staying there, which gave the whole experience a much more authentic Italian feel. Breakfast each morning was a huge buffet with plenty of choice, setting us up perfectly for days exploring the island.
Baja Sardinia
In the evenings, we headed into nearby Baja Sardinia where there were lots of lovely restaurants, relaxed bars, and a few small shops to wander around. The seafood throughout the holiday was absolutely incredible — fresh, local, and some of the best we’ve ever tasted.
Sardinian Beaches - a real highlight
The real highlight of Sardinia though has to be the beaches. Think soft white sand, crystal-clear turquoise waters, hidden coves, and stunning coastal scenery everywhere you look. It genuinely felt like somewhere much further afield than Europe.
Exploring Sardinia
During our 7-night stay, we explored several beautiful areas including glamorous Porto Cervo, the harbour town of Golfo Aranci, and Palau where many visitors take boat trips across to the breathtaking La Maddalena Archipelago. We decided against the boat trip this time as my sea legs aren’t the best and it was quite windy during our visit — but it definitely looked beautiful from the harbour!
One of our favourite days was visiting the stunning medieval hilltop town of Castelsardo. The colourful pastel buildings perched dramatically on the cliffs with the medieval castle sitting high above made for an unforgettable sight. We found a gorgeous little restaurant there and enjoyed a long seafood and pasta lunch accompanied by the local Sardinian beer, Ichnusa — which quickly became a holiday favourite!
Weather in Sardinia
We travelled in early May, which turned out to be a perfect time to visit. The island was peaceful and relaxed, with temperatures ranging from around 18–25°C. We experienced a few short rain showers and some patchy cloud, but overall it was a beautiful week away with lovely mild weather for exploring.
Overall Summary
One thing we quickly realised is that Sardinia is far bigger than people often imagine, and in one week we really only scratched the surface. It has all the charm, hospitality, amazing food, and beauty you’d expect from Italy, but with a more traditional, authentic, and quieter atmosphere compared to many mainstream Mediterranean resorts.
I would absolutely love to return one day… although my travel bucket list keeps growing, so there’s a good chance another destination may tempt me first next year! 😊
Thank you to Jet2holidays for another wonderful holiday experience.
Louise xx
