Gratis gids 10 verborgen natuurplekken in Europa
Gratis gids 10 verborgen natuurplekken in Europa. Meld je aan voor onze nieuwsbrief en ontvang inspirerende reistips en routes voor je volgende groene reis.
Sardinia
You can smell Sardinia even before you see it. The macchia (rosemary, myrtle, and rockroses) hangs over the island like a constant reminder that this is no ordinary vacation destination. And that’s true. If you drive an hour inland from the Costa Smeralda, you’ll find yourself in a different Sardinia: granite mountain peaks, deserted shepherds’ trails, cork oak forests teeming with mouflons, and villages where time moves at a slower pace.
The Gennargentu Mountains, the Gorropu Gorge, and the coastal trails near Baunei are just as impressive for hikers as any beach. Come in the spring or fall. That’s when the island is in bloom or the water is still warm, and you’ll have the trails mostly to yourself.
Nature Travel Lab selects small-scale accommodations scattered across the island, which can be booked directly with the owner.
All about nature in Italy
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The most beautiful regions for nature lovers
South Tyrol
Tuscany
Abruzzo
Piedmont
Valle d'Aosta
Sardinia
Sicily
Umbria
Molise
Le Marche
Veneto
Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
Liguria
Trentino
Puglia
Lake Como
Lake Garda
Lazio
Emilia-Romagna
Campania
Basilicata
Small-scale nature stays Italy
Choose your favorite region and discover our tips for the best small-scale Nature stays with a sustainable focus. You book directly with the owner, so you are guaranteed the lowest price.
Special accommodation in Italian nature
Find unique small-scale Nature stays in Italy. From glamping to luxury boutique hotel and from B&B to vacation home or agriturismo. They are all special and different, but they all have an eye for sustainability.
Our sustainability criteria for overnight stays
Using these sustainability icons, you can easily see in what area an overnight stay is active with its sustainability policy.
Zero footprint
Architecture
sustainable/local construction
Food
organic/local cuisine
Social
family/local runned/social projects
Wellbeing
Sauna/yoga/wellness/treatments
Surroundings
Environment/recycling
Choose your region
Sicily
Tuscany
Valle d’Aosta
Piedmont
Basilicata
Puglia
Campania
Veneto
Lombardy
Lombardy
Lake Garda
South Tyrol
Sardinia
Emilia-Romagna
Umbria
Le Marche
Trentino
Abruzzo
Liguria
Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
Lazio
Nature in Sardinia
Sardinia is more than just an island with beautiful beaches. It’s a landscape that will surprise you: rugged granite cliffs, deep gorges, vast cork oak forests, and the fragrant macchia that you can smell from afar. The island is home to unique animal species such as mouflons, pink flamingos, and the iconic Sardinian donkey—wild inhabitants of an island that has followed its own evolutionary path, far from the European mainstream.
The flora is impressively diverse: centuries-old cork oaks, rare orchids, and fragrant herbs adorn the landscape. In the spring, the island turns green and everything is in bloom. If you skip the summer months and choose to visit in the spring or fall, you’ll have the island almost to yourself—and you’ll see Sardinia at its most beautiful.
Three national parks protect the island’s most vulnerable areas: the Gennargentu Mountains in the heart of the island, the La Maddalena Archipelago in the northeast, and the island of Asinara in the northwest. Each has its own character, each its own tranquility. This is nature that wasn’t created for tourists, but has simply always been this way.
Hiking in Sardinia
Sardinia isn’t an island that markets itself as a hiking destination. And that may be exactly why it’s so special. Off the beaten path, Sardinia is a hiker’s paradise for explorers, with trails through desolate Nature reserves, past bizarre rock formations, and to beaches that can only be reached on foot or by boat.
The highlights are well known: the hike from Cala Fuili to the white-sand beach of Cala Luna along the Golfo di Orosei, and the trek to the Gorropu Gorge in Central Sardinia, with rock faces over 300 meters high. Some call it the Grand Canyon of Europe. But the lesser-known routes are also well worth exploring: through the Porto Conte Nature Park in the northwest, across the Capo Testa peninsula, or along the coastal trails near Baunei.
Spring and fall are the best seasons for longer hikes. The heat from mid-June through mid-September should not be underestimated. Good shoes, plenty of water, and a healthy dose of a sense of adventure—that’s all you need.
Staying Overnight in Sardinia
When you spend the night surrounded by nature in Sardinia, you’ll quickly notice that the island has a pace all its own. No rush, no hustle and bustle—at least, if you know where to look. Nature Travel Lab selects accommodations that match that pace: small-scale agriturismi, rustic B&Bs, and unique lodgings deep in the interior or right by the sea.
Imagine an agriturismo near the Gorropu Gorge, where you set out in the morning for a day hike and return in the evening to a table laden with local cheese, wine, and homemade pasta. Or a stay in the north, within walking distance of the turquoise bays of the La Maddalena archipelago. Accommodations booked not through an OTA, but directly with the owner: so you know who’s welcoming you, and they know who’s coming.
Sardinia is best enjoyed outside of peak season. Prices are lower, the trails are quieter, and the owners have time for a real conversation. That’s exactly what traveling is all about.
“Nature is our greatest ally and inspiration.”
– Sir David Attenborough
Special spots in nature
We select the nicest accommodations with all a focus on sustainability policies. Think luxury Treehouses in the middle of nature or a boutique hotel in the countryside. Sustainability categories range from organic cuisine and mindfull focus to waste separation and zero-waist policy.
Luxury overnight stay in nature
The accommodations all have something unique and of course a location in or near nature. Spending the night in nature does not always mean sleeping in a tent. Find special and luxurious nature stays for your active vacation or just for your slow travel experience.
Comfortable overnight stay in nature
The overnight focus on sustainability policy gives attention to comfort and quality.
They often use their own vegetable garden or local cuisine. Much attention is paid to the quality of the accommodation, the environment and the guest.