“Sardinia is Different“ DH Lawrence

Sardinia is one of the world’s most loved island holiday destinations boasting golden beaches, stunning blue-green crystal clear waters, medieval villages, delicious food, and most notably a relaxed pace of life. The landscape is dominated by volcanic mountains turning it into an arid and rugged region with wheat fields, cactus, grapevines, bougainvillaea’s, and infinite rows of olive trees. It has a coastline that measures around 1850km, and which itself is a blend of these natural wonders many of which are UNESCO world heritage sites. The island is also a culinary haven with distinct takes on pasta, bread, and dolce, its own wines and cheeses. 

I started my adventure in Sardinia exploring Cagliari, the capital city, and the most Italian of all the cities in Sardinia.  Like many of its Italian counterparts, Cagliari proudly wears its history on its sleeve. Everywhere you walk will be through ancient Roman ruins, historic arches, ancient churches, and beautiful palazzos. Every stone bears a story and every arch has a tale. Because the area is mountainous, its streets wind uphill and downhill in a way that is very typical to Italy’s mountainous provinces. These picturesque streets are lined with small cobbled pavements, cozy town squares, and dotted with shops and hundreds of tiny cafes and gelato bars where tourists, as well as the locals, hang out. 

Finding my way around was easy as most of these iconic touristic historical locations are easy to identify once you are in the heart of the city. One key thing to keep in mind, so you can get the most out of your day and enjoy discovering the place in a comfortable manner, is to wear the best walking shoes you have (shoes or sandals with decent soles but nothing with thin straps that are flimsy).

My time was planned for just a day in Sardinia and I was more focused on photographing all the major touristy sites. So, to avoid lugging a lot of lenses, I was content to just carry a single wide-angle, my xf10-24mm, my xf16-55m, and a polariser, and last but not least my iPhone! My day ended at a local restaurant with an amazing meal of Culurgiones and the most decadent of Italian dessert. (Note: there is no bad Italian gelato or dessert!)

Another highlight I’d recommend when visiting Sardinia is to book a sailing boat ride. So, on the recommendation of the hotel, I headed down to the local Marina and went on a two-hour sailing experience to see and discover more of this beautiful, rugged coast. I was lucky to have an amazing skipper who was knowledgeable about historical events and local legends that carved out this spectacular shoreline.

The purpose of my trip to Sardinia was really to discover the island visually through photography, and I had planned this trip with a group of like-minded photographers. So the next stop on my itinerary that day was to meet up with them; the plan was that we would spend the next 6 days driving across this legendary island and, ultimately, discovering beautiful locations. 

Our photo experience commenced in Cagliari photographing the beautiful flamingos that the city is famous for. We then drove from there to Ogliastra in the East of Sardinia, a beautiful location embedded between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mountains of Gennargentu. There is a multitude of incredible locations to visit in Sardinia and our instructor made sure we were in the right places to capture the best light of sunrises and sunsets. The landscapes never failed to disappoint and Sardinia is definitely a place that captures the soul. 

Sardinia beaches are world-renowned and for good reason. As part of the Sardinian experience, we spent a full day island hopping the east coast of the island, of which many locations are UNESCO heritage sites. The shores are bathed by the beautiful turquoise blue sea of the Mediterranean and the beaches vary between pristine sandy beaches and the pebbly beaches of the beautiful Cala Goloritzé, Baunei, and the infamous Gulf of Orosei National Park .the beaches have lots of other natural wonders like the enchanting caves of the Fig (Grotte del Fico), the caves of Su Marmuri, and the spectacular gorge of Su Gorroppu; these are also beautiful spots that are not to be missed. 

 Next on our itinerary was the beautiful city of Villasiumus that boasts a coastline among the most spectacular in Sardinia. It varies between long sandy beaches, majestic cliffs, tiny bays, and wild untouched beauty. Apart from the spectacular sunrises and sunsets our instructor also managed to squeeze some astrophotography sessions which portrayed the beauty of the beaches under the starlit skies 

But probably my most memorable moment in Sardinia was learning how to fly a drone and learning the concepts and principles of drone photography. The contrast between the turquoise water of the beaches and the black rock of the coastal areas creates a stark visual contrast that makes for stunning breath-taking seascapes.

A natural blend of rugged landscape, beautiful rock formations, beautiful seascapes, and amazing historical landmarks, the trip exceeded all expectations and just made me want to come back to Sardinia again and to explore and experience more of its untouched and pristine beauty.

Camera gear : Fuji filmxt1,Xh1

Lucroit filters ND 3, ND6 ND 9  

GND filter 

Photo tour guided by Raffaele Cabras Keller @mixyourshot