Culture

Best place to see street art:

Orgosolo

The mountain village of Orgosolo has had a somewhat chequered past; in the first half of the 20^th century, bandits ruled the streets and kidnappings and vendettas were almost commonplace. Things are far more peaceful these days but a spirit of subversion lives on in its political murals, which are so ubiquitous as to make the whole town like an outdoor gallery. Art, much of it in the Cubist style, on themes like poverty, war, human rights and hunger plaster the shops and bars; many of the murals were executed by Francesco del Casino, a former art teacher at the local school.

Best festival:

S’Ardia

Held annually on 6th July in the mountain village of Sedilo, the S’Ardia is a two-day festival in honour of Saint Constantine. The action focuses on a three-hour long, high-speed horse race through the narrow, winding streets of the village; the festival’s historical origins are rooted in the Moorish invasions, where locals trained their horses to be able to outrun the enemy through the streets. Unsurprisingly, there are often casualties, both among the participants and spectators, so bear in mind that a front row position is not advisable!

Best museum:

The Witch House

Some Sardinian women are said to pass down their secrets of the dark arts to their daughters the way that your mother might have taught you to make cheesecake. If you don’t manage to encounter any of these bearers and removers of hexes firsthand, you can still get your fix at The Museo S’Omo e sa Majarza (the Witch House) where exhibits include talismans to ward off the evil eye and “the carriage of the dead” (traditionally only visible to those destined to die within the year), as well as the “Malleus Maleficarum”, the 1486 publication which provided the basis and justification for the interrogation, torture and murder of those accused of witchcraft.

Where: Museo S’Omo e sa Majarza, via Monte 9, 09080 Bidonì, tel: 348 3943842 (cooperativa Polis)

Website: www.sardegnaturismo.it/

Best local tradition:

La Morra

La Morra is played by grown men all over the island – head to Urzulei or Gavoi for your best chance of catching an organised tournament. Although it looks slightly playground-ish (think “Rock, Paper, Scissors”), make no mistake about its seriousness: at some points it’s even been banned because of the violence sparked by lost or contentious matches! Played by either two or four men, one side stretches out any number of fingers while the other side screams out a number, hopefully corresponding to the number of fingers being shown. Fast and furious, this continues until a correct guess is made and a point is scored; the winning side is the first to reach 16 with at least a two-point advantage. Copious amounts of wine only add to the general excitement and men who are in poor health are warned against participating.

Beaches

Best beaches:

Baia di Chia, Cala Cipolla & Sa Colonia

Sardinia is blessed with no end of amazing beaches, but for pure paradise you can’t go past those of the Baia di Chia in the south, where crystalline white sand and silky water are the order of the day. The shoreline shelves away gently, too – no dramatic drops – so it’s perfect for families. Cala Cipolla, with its striking rock formations (handily clustered about for that discreet post-swim change) is particularly worth a visit, as is Sa Colonia, where the nearby Stagno di Chia plays host to flocks of nesting flamingoes in the spring

Celebs

Best for star spotting:

Forte Village Resort

Head to glitzy Forte Village, where past guests have included the likes of English footballers and their WAGS, as well as Tina Turner, Annie Lennox and Sting. Channel your own inner A-Lister with visits to the Thærmae Del Forte spa, with its extensive treatment list and series of saltwater pools, or flex the plastic at the array of designer shops – Fendi, D&G, Cartier and Ralph Lauren, for starters – in the resort’s retail hub, Piazza Maria Luigia,

Where: Forte Village Resort, Santa Margherita di Pula Cagliari

Website: www.fortevillageresort.com

Trivia

Best trivia:

As far as local delicacies go, you may not be all that eager to try Casu Marzu (rotten cheese) – an Italian sheep’s milk variety full of maggots. Larvae are introduced to the cheese to promote the fermentation process to the point that the fats decompose to (supposedly) delicious ooziness. Oddly enough, it’s illegal in Sardinia, despite being a specialty of the island, but mountain shepherds produce it for the black market where it sells for roughly twice as much as pecorino.