Description
Sardinia Gourmet Tour 7 Days
Introduction
Sardinia is a land of history, nature with its beautiful coastlines and white beaches, traditions and also land of sheep-farming, wine and food. Sardinia has culinary traditions that can be very different from North to South. With our local food expert that will lead you to this fantastic journey you will discover these differences and many other culinary surprises with of course some of the fascinating traditions that made Sardinia famous.
We will visit colorful markets, tasting biological food in farm houses, visit ancient wine cellar, dine in characteristic restaurants unique food and recipes and of course see some of the most beauties monuments of Sardinia.
Day 1 – Meals: D
Highlights: Cagliari walking tour
Overnight: Cagliari
Arrive in Cagliari, meeting with the guide and walking tour of the town.
Cagliari, overlooking the Golfo degli Angeli, is an ancient city founded by Phoenician traders. The city, which has preserved soaring towers and sections of the massive curtain walls which once encircled its medieval Castello district, has the largest and most important Phoenician necropolis in the Mediterranean. Cagliari is also a birdwatcher’s dreamland, thanks to its huge wetland areas of Santa Gilla and Molentargius, with a rich and diverse wildlife, dominated by large colonies of pink flamingos In the heart of the city.
We’ll begin our city tour trough Saint Augustine, Piazza Matteotti and Via Roma. Sights to cross off your list here include the 17th-century cathedral, known for its ornate Baroque interior, as well as two grand-looking towers and the magnificent bastions.
This part of the town is known as ‘Castello’, a once impregnable fortress, which offers great panoramic views over Cagliari
The main monuments include the ancient Cathedral of Santa Maria and the Basilica of Bonaria which is a little far from the city centre and can be view by the bus.
Once we finish our Cagliari tour, we back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 2 – Meals: B, L, D
Highlights: Cheese and Wine tour Tasting with lunch on the vineyards, Archeological Museum of Cagliari
Overnight: Cagliari
Morning
Today we move to the Trexenta Region, land of vineyards. We reach the cheese farm and stop for a visit.
Participants will discover one of the most famous Sardinian Specialty, the pecorino cheese! Sardinian shepherds breed 250.000 cows, 240.000 goats and most of all 3.000.000 sheep!, so in every single spot there is something particular and exceptional worth a tasting on site.
The owner of the farm well lead us through the journey of the cheese making. From the milk to the final product, the cheese. After the visit of the farm we will enjoy a tasting of some different cheese! The tasting is accompanied by a Sardinian snack including typical bread, local sausage and a glass of wine.
After we move to another producer, this time it will be a wine producer.
Of course, Sardinian wine is bottled by the best local wineries and shipped all over the world… but what local people drink? Of course wine is one of the best kept secrets of Sardinia! Many farms proudly grow their private vineyards, then harvest the grapes, produce and bottle their own local wine!
Today We visit one of these local winery and discover the experience of traditional Sardinian wine. Grapes can be Cannonau, Vermentino, but also many local varieties… After The tasting we will have lunch directly on the spot overlooking the beautiful vineyards.
Afternoon
After lunch we move back to Cagliari and reach Piazza Arsenale where we find the National Archaeological Museum. This museum is the most important and prestigious exhibition ground of ancient finds in Sardinia. More than 4000 finds tell about a story dating as far back as 7000 years ago, from Prehistory until High Middle Ages.
After we stop in a typical Sardinian restaurant where will have some specialties of Cagliari cuisine. The Spaghetti with clams and the Fritto Misto.
Back to the hotel for overnight.
Day 3 – Meals: B, L, D
Highlights: Cagliari tour food Market, lunch in historical house, Su Nuraxi Barumini
Overnight: Oristano
Morning
Today we are going to have an unforgettable journey towards the tastes and smells of the fantastic and unique Sardinian cuisine.
We will visit the most famous and biggest food market of Sardinia and one of the biggest and ancient Market in Europe. The market of San Benedetto in Cagliari. Have a walk through this magical area and let you inspire by those fresh and genuine food.
After the visit of the market we move toward Barumini and reach the most famous monument of the island, the Nuraghe Su Nuraxi.
Before the visit of the Nuraghe we stop for another culinary experience. Today we will eat in a historical campidanese house.
Annarella will cook for us some fresh genuine food typical of the Marmilla area.
Afternoon
After lunch we visit the Nuraghe.
The Nuraghe of Barumini is a UNESCO world heritage site.
Nuraghe are the symbol of Sardinia, and were built during the II Millennium bC.
The Nuraghe of Barumini is composed by a Central tower, originally nearly 20 metres high. This tower is surrounded by a fortified court, and by four side towers.
The passage inside the monument is emotional and adventurous, since you pass through the walls and the ancient corridors! After the third circle of Towers, the fortification is surrounded by the village, composed by circular houses built during at least 10 centuries.
Back to the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 4 – Meals: B, L, D
Highlights: Wine tour and Vernaccia Tasting – Cabras Pond and Bottarga – Tharros
Overnight: Oristano
In the morning we leave accommodation and depart to Oristano.
The Attilio’s Winery has been involved in traditional and modern wine production for over a century. Founded in 1898, today it represents supreme excellence within the Sardinian wine scene. The winery is a specialist of Vernaccia wine. This
strong, dry dessert wine is very ancient, known from the Roman times, and it has many specifics: it ages for more then
40 years, it likes temperature changes and it ages in barrels with air inside.
The family’s journey along the path of wine has been long and exciting. Nowadays Attilio, Salvatore’s son, carries on his father’s hard work. He has enlarged the current winery and increased the area of the vineyards.
But how does it feel today to go into the winery?
There you will find the dedication and expertise of Paolo , his grandchildren and winemaker Piero Cella in the selection of the grapes, in the winemaking and in the aging processes.
The company is located on the Sinis peninsula, just a short distance from the Phoenician city of Tharros, the village of San Salvatore and the archeological site of “Sa Osa”, where grape seeds from 2000BC have been found, which are the oldest evidence of wine cultivation in Sardinia.
After we move to the Extraordinary Pond of Cabras: with its 3000 square km and more, it is the biggest in the whole island and it’s protected by international agreements. The pond is still in use as a fishing reserve, thanks to its several Peschiere. We will visit one of those, and discover how man and nature interact in order to create a unique cultural landscape. The main product of this region is the Grey Mullet, a fish able to live both in salted and sweet water. Young mullets from the sea enter the mouth of the ponds looking for sweet water. This is why the Peschiera or (fish tank) is created at the mouth of the pond: once fish is in, it can’t get out. In this beautiful landscape we will admire all the historical buildings of the Peschiera, the fish traps and the Canals.
Once we finish the tour we head to a typical restaurant in the area to taste these fishes and their famous red dried eggs, the Bottarga.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we pay a visit to the famous Phoenician town Tharros. Tharros is a phoenician port of VIII centurt b.C. Situated in a strategic position repaired from all kinds of wind because of being a peninsula. Tharros was very important for the traffic between East and West Mediterranean areas. Many Egyptian scarabs were found in Tharros and that mistery is more interesting knowing that it could be the Tartesso mentioned in the Bible that is currently sought in Spain without results.
Back to the hotel in Oristano for dinner and overnight.
Day 5 – Meals: B, L, D
Highlights: Casizzolu e Bue Rosso tour in Santu Lussurgiu, Visit Bosa, Malvasia Tasting.
Overnight: Alghero
Morning
We move in the morning to the region of Montiferru.
The village of Santulussurgiu is located in the Montiferru region in the heart of Sardinia.
This very ancient region boasts beautiful forests, churches and even a settlement of Medieval Chevaliers in San Leonardo de Siete Fuentes.
Most of all Santulussurgiu is famous for the breeding of the Bue Rosso del Montiferru: more then 100 years ago a group of Sicilian farmers brought to Sardinia some Modican race Bulls, with their typical red colour, and they mixed with the local cows.
The result is a unique variety of veal: Its meal is delicious and from its milk you can obtain the Casizolu, a delicious fresh or mature cheese with its intense unique flavour.
The Casizzolu and the Bue Rosso are protected by Slowfood, the Italian organisation specialist for the protection of the rare and unique gastronomic specialties of Italy. We visit a cheese farm where they produce this particular cheese and of course we taste it.
Santulussurgiu is also an important centre for handcraft production including knives and typical liqueurs.
It’s very nice to enjoy pass through the mountain road to Macomer, passing by the Medieval Settlement of the Chevaliers named San Leonardo di Siete Fuentes, Sardinian and Spanish word referring to the local Seven Springs.
After We have lunch at the local gourmet restaurant and discover the Bue Rosso del Montiferru, local rough grazing Cattle:
Its meat can be roasted and it is delicious, and its milk is the base of the delicious Casizzolu cheese.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we move to Bosa.
Visit to the city center. The town, well preserving its typical atmosphere and its characteristics, charms for the vitality of its colors, the peculiarity of its architecture, the variety of its natural resources and of its popular tradition.
The city tour lets you explore the historic center with the possibility of access to the monuments. Our guide will accompany you to discover the ancient treasures of the city, immersed in a rich history that has its origins from the Phoenicians until the Middle Ages with the mighty structure of the Malaspina Castle. Meeting at Piazzale Nasiriyah and start the tour of the town. Visit to the Cathedral dedicated to Mary Immaculate, where you can admire the paintings by Emilio Scherer and other important works of art; Walk along the Corso Vittorio Emanuele ( “Sa Piatta”), between the beautiful palaces of the nineteenth century; Medieval route in the picturesque area of Sa Costa, characterized by typical houses perched along the hill of Serravalle.
During the walking tour we will stop in a wine shop to taste the famous sweet wine Malvasia.
Move to Alghero through the coastal road. Stop at the hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 6 – Meals: B, L, D
Highlights: Basilica of Saccargia, Necropolis Andrea Prius, Lunch in a farm, Alghero town
Overnight: Cagliari
Morning
After breakfast we move to Codrongianos for the visit of the famous Basilica of Saccargia.
The Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia is the most important Romanesque site in the island, this beautiful church was built in the Middle Age by the monks. The construction is entirely in local stone (black basalt and white limestone), with a typical appearance of Tuscan Romanesque style.
The church was finished in 1116 over the ruins of a pre-existing monastery, and consecrated on October 5 of the same year. Its construction was ordered by the giudice (judge) of Torres.
After we stop close to Bonorva for the visit of The Domus de Janas of Sant’Andrea Prius. This necropolis is one of the largest and most important in Sardinia, consist of about twenty graves.(Late Neolithic: 3200-2800 B.C.).
The layout of the tombs is single celled or multicellular: three tombs belong to the latter type of particular interest: the “Tomb of the Head,” the “tomb circular hut” and “Chamber tomb.”
The first, the larger, includes 18 rooms arranged, so labyrinthine, around two main compartments.
On the walls of the two rooms open more doors entrance of several secondary cells characterized by the presence of niches and benches.
The necropolis was reused for a long period of time. In the Middle Ages the “Tomb of the Head” was transformed into a place of worship. On the walls of the two rooms were made more internal frescoes of Christians.
After we go to a farm nearby for a typical lunch based on some genuine products and famous recipes.
Afternoon
In the afternoon we get back to Alghero for the visit of the town.
Alghero, a beautiful town on the North-West coast of Sardinia. Renown as the little Barcelona; Alghero is a top touristic destination, calling in visitors from all over the world, situated in the Coral Riviera, so called for the abundance in its water of red coral, one of the most refined quality of the whole Mediterranean.
Alghero’s old town is a real gem. To discover it, wander around the ancient palaces from the Aragonese era, the fortified walls and towers. The centre is populated by many boutiques, restaurants and pubs. Alghero has defensive Towers that surround the old town. Also The Ramparts (bastioni): fortified walls that used to protect the city from attacks via water, built under the Catalan-Aragonese domination.
Plàia Civica: A medieval square where to admire the famous Duke of Abis palace.
S.Maria Cathedral: the Cathedral dates back to the XVI century. Built in Catalan-Gothic style, with subsequent additions during the Renaissance.
Day 7 – Meals: B
Departure
After breakfast free time in the center of Alghero for shopping and last drinks. Transfer to the airport and end of our services.
What is included:
– Hotels 4 stars or boutique hotel with half board
– English speaking tour escort, wine and food expert
– Bus at disposal for the whole tour as program
– 5 typical lunches in restaurants or farm
– Cagliari walking tour on day 1
– Cheese tour and tasting on day 2
– Wine tour, tasting and lunch in front of the vineyards on day 2
– Cagliari Archaeological museum on day 2
– Typical dinner in Cagliari town
– Cagliari market tour on day 3
– Barumini, Su Nuraxi ticket entrance on day 3
– Typical lunch in historic house in Barumini on day 3
– Vernaccia Wine tour and tasting on day 4
– Cabras pond tour and bottarga making on day 4
– Typical lunch in Cabras on day 4
– Tharros tour and entrance on day 4
– Montiferru tour with casizolu tour and tasting on day 5
– Typical lunch in Santu Lussurgiu with slowfood defence Bue Rosso and Casizolu Cheese on day 5
– Walking tour of Bosa on day 5
– Malvasia tasting in Bosa on day 5
– Visit Basilica of Saccargia with ticket entrance on day 6
– Visit of Necropoli of Sant’Andrea Prius on day 6
– Typical Lunch in a farm on day 6
– Walking tour of Alghero on day 6
– Expenses and accomodation for driver and guide
What is not included:
– Flight tickets to Sardinia
– City taxes (payable at the hotels)
– Beverages
– Porterage
– all the things not mentioned in the “quote includes”
