If you are planning a vacation in Sardinia and you’re about to finalize your itinerary to make sure you don’t miss out on the island’s natural, historical, and artistic beauties, know that the road trip from Olbia to Cagliari will truly take your breath away.
In particular, the western coastal route will introduce you to spectacular beaches, archaeological sites, industrial monuments, and villages that preserve the most authentic Sardinian soul.
The 5 Best Stops Between Olbia and Cagliari
1- Stintino
One of the most scenic stops on the road from Olbia to Cagliari is Stintino: you’ll easily reach it once you’ve chosen the vehicle that best suits your needs, thanks to the wide and constantly updated fleet at the Ellepi car rental agency, which offers everything from sedans and minivans to SUVs, small cars, and even scooters.
Today, Stintino is one of Sardinia’s most charming tourist destinations in the Sassari province. It was once a small fishing village established by exiles from the island of Asinara.
The village welcomes you with its brightly colored houses, the small Church of the Immaculate Conception, and two harbors, the old Portu Mannu and the new Portu Minori, where boats of all sizes are docked.
Don’t miss a visit to the Tonnara Museum, an immersive experience that, through videos, music, diaries, tools, and boat replicas, will take you through the traditional tuna fishing methods.
While in Stintino, be sure to enjoy its wonderful beaches, from the famous La Pelosa, surrounded by dunes dotted with junipers, to the Saline Beach, with its 16th-century tower, and the quieter Ezzi Mannu.
2- The Costa Verde
Continuing south, after passing Oristano, you’ll reach Costa Verde, a beautiful coastal stretch considered one of the island’s oldest regions, along with Sulcis. You’ll travel 50 km between Capo Frasca and Capo Pecora, a rocky promontory that overlooks the Eggs of Dinosaur Beach: once you visit, you’ll understand why it’s called that, with the incredibly large grains of sand.
However, the most beautiful beach on Costa Verde is located in Piscinas, a place with long sandy dunes and strong winds that feels so remote it seems suspended in time: if you love windsurfing or kitesurfing, you’ll find it impossible to resist the waves here in this extraordinary landscape.
Costa Verde hides small gems that you can’t miss, from the Sa Spendula Waterfall, which flows through a lush forest and stunned even Gabriele D’Annunzio, to the Temple of Antas mentioned by the Egyptian Ptolemy, and the ghost village of Ingurtosu: in this old mining site near the Montevecchio Mine, you’ll walk among abandoned warehouses, ruined houses, and rusty carts.
3- Iglesias
What you may not know is that Sardinia has a significant mining history, and along the road to Cagliari, you’ll find the town of Iglesias, home to an industrial archaeological heritage that has been declared UNESCO World Heritage.
The town was founded, amid wild promontories crossed by paths used since Roman times, by Count Ugolino della Gherardesca in the 12th century. He’s also responsible for building the Salvaterra Castle: inside the fort, you’ll find a permanent exhibition dedicated to medieval torture, with relics that will send shivers down your spine.
Did you know that Iglesias is the main site of a geomineral park made up of equipment, abandoned villages, wells, red hills, and most notably old mines like Porto Flavia? The latter is famous for the extraordinary engineering work built, a sort of gate suspended over the sea, where materials were unloaded directly into the water.
4- Sant’Antioco
Your trip to Cagliari wouldn’t be complete without stopping at Sant’Antioco, in the South Sardinia, built on the remains of the ancient Phoenician center of Sulcis, in a lesser-known area full of invaluable archaeological treasures.
To reach the town, you’ll cross a bridge over the Laguna di Santa Caterina, home to red herons, pink flamingos, and cormorants. There’s so much to see in this town where exceptional bisse (silk) work is still practiced, starting with the Roman bridge, built along the ancient route that connected Sulci to Karalis, and the Basilica of Sant’Antioco: the oldest Byzantine church in Sardinia, located near the Fort Sabaudo, the highest point of the town.
After visiting the Ferruccio Barreca Archaeological Museum, dedicated to ancient Sulci, explore the Tophet archaeological area, a Phoenician sanctuary filled with amphorae and children’s graves, and the hypogeum village of Is Gruttas, with Punic tombs dating back to the 6th-3rd century BC.
5- Santa Margherita di Pula
Book your car at the Ellepi car rental agency and reach Santa Margherita di Pula: remember that all vehicles are regularly updated and monitored so that you won’t have any surprises during your trip.
Santa Margherita di Pula is a small fraction of Pula, and it will amaze you with its coastline dotted with coastal towers, such as the 18th-century Sant’Efisio tower, and beaches, including de su Guventeddu, intimate and windy, offering an unbeatable view of the San Macario islet.
While walking through the village’s streets, you’ll encounter the Church of Sant’Efisio, a Romanesque building from the 12th century located where, according to Christian tradition, the Roman general was executed for embracing Christianity. The building is small but is the focal point of the festival in honor of Sant’Efisio, with the procession taking place in May, moving from the church to Cagliari.
From Santa Margherita di Pula, you can reach the archaeological site of Nora, a city founded in the 8th century BC by the Phoenicians and later conquered by the Romans: among the ruins, the amphitheater will surely catch your attention, still hosting events like the “Night of Poets” in July.
To the south of Santa Margherita di Pula, near Chia, you’ll find the remains of the other Phoenician city, Bithia, with temples, houses, and a Tophet.
Now that you know the most interesting stops on the Cagliari to Olbia itinerary, the next step you should take is to book a car at Olbia Airport, where you will find the Ellepi agency, which boasts over 40 years of experience in the industry. The delivery is fast, and the flexibility in payments and the option to pay in cash will make your rental experience easy and immediate!
