Sardinia
General
Sardinia is rather an exception as a place to visit in a camper, as most campsites are closed from October until May (often from mid September until the 1st of June) so “wild camping” is accepted in a lot of areas. We travelled “out of season” (from 9th April until 17th June) when prices are often lower, or no charge is made and a lot of places are closed – i.e. the beaches deserted and hotels empty and no-one charging on campsites. They provide a lot of Camper Service spots around the island, which are basically places where you can fill and empty your van, cost is between €5-10, sometimes free.
Your chance of meeting other UK campers are slim in the off season and there are not many campers at all, so lots of space.
Getting There
We went overnight from Genova (Italy) to PortoTorres on GNV (www.gnv.it), for about €120 single including a cabin in April. We came back with Moby €139, no cabin, but day chairs (was day time) in June to Genova again. There are lots of different routes, but this was the cheapest and actually shortest if you take the driving into account.
There is a good “Sosta”(free stop) Vignole Berbora in Liguria which is about 25K north of Genova
GPS for the Sosta north of Genova N 44 42 31, E 8 53 07. If you don’t have GPS (we don’t) take Autobahn turnoff sign posted Vignole Berbora. As you exit the toll, go straight over the road, go for about 1k then it is on your left just before the cemetery and the bend in the road. The town is quite sweet, little square, supermarket and a couple of cafes if you want a wander around. It is also on the edge of a sort of “undiscovered” hill area of Italy or so Lilias was told by the Mayor (long story!).
Sosta's
The web site we found all the info on says
The “Sostas” are graded as AA - Area Attrezzata (Overnight/day parking and service)
PS – Safe parking
CS – Camper Service
We “Google Translated” to this Translated sostas alpha.doc (121,5 kB)
A thing to be aware of: There are practically no public loos at all. You will sometimes find them in shopping centres but rarely on beaches or in towns etc.
Supermarkets
There are actually loads – just need to know them. Meat is better from butchers (Maccelleria), you have a better choice of amount. Cheap and Cheerful SMkts: LIDL, DICO, EKON and LD Market.
Normal ones; Billa (quite good), SISA and Geiffe (my favourite two for quality but not price), Conad, Pellicano, DeSpar, Auchan, Carrefour (both OK, French ones) Sigma, Cria and several other little ones!
Laundries
Self Service Laundries were not always easy to find, but quite a few towns did have them, basically ask for “Lavendaria Self Service”. Cost is about €4 for a wash and €3 for a dry, but the driers seem to take at least 2 washes if not 3!!
One in Palau, charges €4 for a wash and €4 for 20 minutes drying (2 washes to one dry)
Tortoli, on road through from Girasole (saw, did not use)
Pula – easy to find on the Via Monte Santo on the right as you drive in. This street is a turn off from the SS195 (just before the Conad Supermarket). Charged €5 per wash and €3 per dry, one dry would do 3 washes.
Oristano – on the Via Enrico Martei (not far from Sosta). €3 for wash and €4 for dry (drier would take 3 washes!). GPS (as our friends had one and found it) N39,5 45.5 E8 34 59.9
WiFi
Picked up signal in P Torres on Via Balai
Picked up signal in St Teresa, again on the
main street (also in large car park at the bottom, but it dropped out).
Once we got the TIM sim for the dongle, we stopped looking for it, basically we have an unlocked dongle and it worked really well, rarely could not get a signal and it cost about €25 for 30 days with enough download as long as you don’t want videos!
Recycling
Rubbish and recycling is fine 70% of the time, but a few places we visited had nothing. The Sinis peninsula was a case in point, we had to take it all back to Oristano with us each time we went.
Good Stops with something to offer which we liked, but not on “Sosta List”.
Tancau Beach – take road to Saint Maria Navarasse, it is signed as Area Attrezzata. Out of season you can just park on the car park outside the main “Sosta”. The usual €5 for the Camper Service. On edge of beach. He charges €10 when he is open. Can windsurf off the beach and walking distance to the harbour town (village) for a meal etc. Not too far from Tortoli, big town with everything you need.
Lido di Orri. Another Area Attrezzata on the other side of Tortoli. Nice location, again has beach over the road to windsurf, swim etc. Was €10 per night including CS (CS only €5). Cycling distance to town, about 5k
Chia – Nice spot with a Sosta at €13 for 24 hours with electric (Camper Service €5) (see separate document). You can also stay on the free ground before the Sosta if it is not too wet, we did for about 4 nights. Good for a windsurf, snorkel, walks, bikes etc, has a little supermarket, restaurant in walking distance. (just)
Tuili is only €6 with CS and is a really inland village, the people were really friendly. Near to Su Nuraxi (the biggest Nuraghe on the island and worth a “cultural” visit) and then up the hill to the Altopiano NP – with ponies and great walks.
Sassari if you want to be there for the night, car park at the top of Via Roma next to the petrol station, but would only suggest it if you are planning to visit the Fiesta in May, no other reason to visit the town otherwise. To get parked, need to get there during afternoon siesta time (13-16 hours)
Argentier car park near the little beach, or if the track is OK anywhere along the track to the point, various points can park and stay.
Torre Saline see the RRD flags and little bar, whole road and car park makes an easy overnight stop, nothing special, except lovely beach for a swim.
Marceddi we stayed in early June, was sort of interesting and quite liked it, but nothing really there!
In addition to all the other general information on where you can stop
Porto Pollo, you can stay on the car park (out of season) with a good your range of kit anyway!. There is a campsite at the end, which was open in April and was good for filling/emptying etc, obviously could stay there for a change as well.
Mugoni Beach . Just flat water sailing, but good for other things as well, cycling, walking, caves, snorkeling, nice area to stay on and not far from Alghero for stores and other entertainment.
Funtana Meiga is another windsurf spot on the Sinis Peninsula not mentioned elsewhere and where you can stay the night – no facilities but quiet out of season. It is at the end of the holiday village – go to end of tarmac road (right turn as you come into village), onto dirt and turn to sea (you are near a house with no-one in). If wet, just stay on tarmac road. This is a wave spot in a NW wind, nice wave, can get big, trouble is the launching is between rocks, it’s easy actually, but a bit off putting. Good thing is the wave does not break that far in, so you are not contending with white water as well.
Book Swaps
There is a hotel in Alghero – Hotel Riviera on the corner of Via Ales and Via Fili Cervi (one back from Via Lido) which had a lot of English books and she was happy for me to swap mine (I had 11 to swap).
Windsurf shops
Main Street of Valledoria, just “south” of the ISIS supermarket.
Porto Pollo and Palau
Olbia – Via Torino 21
Via Sardegna in San Teodoro
Windsurf Spot Guide
Spots for different wind directions, flat =----, waves =~
Spot Guide In Brief.docx (26,6 kB)
Weather Links
https://www.ilmeteo.it/meteo/Oristano
https://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=278
https://www.windfinder.com/forecasts/superforecast_italy_sardinia_akt.htm
https://www.godsavethewind.it/
https://www.sar.sardegna.it/servizi/meteo/bollettinomare_it.asp?scad=1