A quick comment on my choices: Sardegna is, of course, is an island region, and the natural beauty all around the coast is unparalleled. I chose the southern areas of Villasimius and Chia because I have spent time there. Still, I have friends that have travelled more extensively on the island, and as expected, every stretch of coastline and every cove is striking, often unspoiled and serene. I hope to plan another trip to the north coasts of the island very soon.

The sparkling waters at Punta Molentis — The sparkling waters at *Punta Molentis*

While in Villasimius, you should absolutely visit Punta Molentis. It is one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited (considering Mallorca, Crete, El Nido in the Philippines and the Caribbean to name a few competitors). Find out more about the varied, incredible beaches in the area in the spots section.

Regarding where to stay in the area, I was quite undecided and found booking accommodation to be one of the trickier undertakings. This is, in fact, because development in the area did not really start until the 1950s-1960s. As mentioned in the introduction, Sardinia is still refreshingly different from the Amalfi Coast or Cinque Terre in this regard. That said, Villasimius does have a rather newly developed ‘town center,’ and now that I understand the lay of the land, I understand that one option would be to stay ‘in’ the town of Villasimius. This would have one benefit. At night, you could park the car and be done for the night. It would be possible to walk to restaurants at night after a long beach day. Again, however, the driving is not too stressful with the support of Google maps, so this just depends on your preferences. The little town of Villasimius does have a main ‘drag’ called the Via Umberto I with some of the usual suspects in Italian shopping, Calzedonia, for example, especially if you are inspired to purchase a new suit. There are options for hotels and Airbnbs within the town center amongst restaurants and more casual pizza takeaways. If you look on travel forums, you might read that the town of Villasimius does not have much of a ‘soul’; I am all about soul, but the beaches and natural beauty in this area provide more than enough of that. To be honest, it was kind of refreshing to have a simple, modern town. It felt ironically authentic. I would be remiss if I did not mention that there is an archeological museum here; we did not go, but if you need a sun break, you might want to check it out.

We stayed at a hotel, self-proclaimed resort, with ample parking called Resort Cruccuris, and it suited our needs well. At least one of the restaurants I will recommend is out of the ‘town’ proper, very near our hotel, and it was one of the best, so keep this in mind as well. This resort we stayed at in Villasimius was a nice middle ground between an Airbnb and a very expensive luxury resort, in my opinion. The grounds are well-kept with a lot of plant life and paths leading to discrete bungalow style rooms. The decor was a bit dated, but the rooms were very clean and comfortable. We had a quite patio on which to sit and enjoy some Sardinian wine after a relaxing beach day. There is an attractive pool area with patio furniture.

As the resort is slightly elevated, you can see down to the water’s edge. In fact, you can reach a nearby beach called Campus in a 20 minute walk, or a very quick jog; it is only 1.5 KM away. Campulongu, one of my recommended beaches, is a bit too far to walk, but it is a quick and easy 5 minute drive. We found that parking was not a problem at the beaches in the Villasimius area, at least not at the end of June.

Introduction to the city of Villasimius

Introduction to the region: Sardegna

Introduction to the ‘city’ of Chia