2024 Sardinia Events & Festivals
Sardinia is awash with things to do both inland and on the coast. With its natural rustic beauty, Sardinia is the perfect environment to take part in various sporting activities.
Known mainly for its coastline it is very easy to forget that Sardinia has some of the most spectacular inland scenery in Europe. This vast mountainous terrain allows for a number of sporting activities such as mountain biking and rock climbing to mention but a few.
Monte Urpinu- An oasis in the heart of Cagliari
Monte Urpinu in Cagliari is a green oasis right in the middle of the city. This park is a great place to go for a run or to find a fresh spot during summer’s hot days and enjoy the views over the Castle, the port and Poetto beach. We discovered it by chance during a visit to the tennis club, which is set within the park, for my six-year-old tennis tournament yesterday.
After a morning of tennis, we wandered in the park and were pleasantly surprised by how well the park is kept with a pond populated by ducks, geese, and swans. Most of all I was impressed by how friendly the wild fauna was with peacock showing off their tails right next to you. The park is scattered with refreshment points and playground facilities for children to run around while you sit back and relax. The park of Monte Urpinu is an ideal place for a picnic if you are traveling with children and need to have a break from all those hours at the beach.
Popular Cherry Festivals throughout Sardinia in June
Throughout the year Sardinia hosts a range of Festivals, some are religious and others celebrate food from the land and the sea. In June there are various Cherry Festivals all over Sardinia. A popular one is the Cherry Festival in Bonnannaro, a village in the north of Sardinia at about 50 km from Alghero, on the first Sunday in June that this year falls on the 6th of the month. Celebrations start the evening before with the inauguration ceremony and musical events as well as food stalls providing barbequed fish and other typical dishes.
During the two days of celebrations, the streets are covered with cherry stalls and typical food stalls from the local farmers. Besides the cherries and the derivate products such as jams, drinks, and ice creams, the event includes a range of musical and sporting events, a display of the ancient arts and crafts and an art exhibition from local artists. Other popular Festivals dedicated to cherries take place already this weekend in Villacidro in the province of Cagliari (29th and 30th of May), in Bonarcado in the province of Oristano on the 2nd of June and in Lanusei in the Ogliastra region from the 22nd to the 24th of June.
Discover Sardinia on the Trenino Verde
ImageSardinia is not just about beaches and sunshine. There is a large part of the island, the green and mountainous hinterland that is open to be explored. Nature lovers will find this face of Sardinia very appealing and fascinating. There is a reason why the Sardinia inner regions are still unspoiled and remote. Access to this part of the island is not easy and the tortuous roads and lack of road signs can put many people off. However, you do not need to be a hardcore explorer to see the wonders of Sardinian nature. During summer a tourist train runs 4 routes in this part of the island hitting all those areas otherwise difficult to reach by car.
The Trenino Verde (Little Green Train) is an old fashioned train that runs on a narrow-gauge railway and takes you on a green journey across a fascinating landscape through the forgotten little villages that seem to pop out of the history books. There are 4 routes. Besides Nulvi-Palau (116km), Macomer-Bosa (46km) and Isili-Sorgono (83km) the route from Arbatax to Mandas if the most popular route amongst tourists and also the longest. This route is 159 km long and lasts for about 5 hours bearing in mind that the train doesn’t move very fast and stops at various destinations for lunch and trekking excursions. It is also possible to personalize the trip for large groups who can hire the train for the day and hit the places they wish to visit. For more information on all services available, routes and fares visit the Trenino Verde website.
Parco Avventura Le Ragnatele in Alghero – A mix of fun & relax
Located on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, just a few km from the town of Alghero is the adventure park Le Ragnatele (Italian for cobwebs). The park opened to a great start last year becoming immediately popular with tourists and locals alike. A fantastic green area by the sea, the park is a place to find a little shade during the hottest hours of the day and a great spot for picnics day and evening. As well as a bar for refreshments and light meals, the park offers barbeque facilities prior to booking. However, the central attraction of the Adventure Park Le Ragnatele is disclosed in the name. Three obstacles suspended routes with different difficulty levels are available for children and adults. Children must be at least 120 cm tall to take part and preferably the first time they should be accompanied by an adult because the route is quite long and high at places. Other facilities include a children’s playground area and cycling routes. For further information on opening times and rates visit Parco Avventura Le Ragnatele.
Easter events in Sardinia: Lunissanti in Castelsardo
The week leading to Easter is celebrated in many places in Sardinia, but it is the procession in Castelsardo the most characteristic Easter event on the island. The famous Castelsardo procession known by the name of Lunissanti (meaning Holy Monday) takes place on the Monday before Easter in what is a surreal religious tradition that has been brought forward through the centuries. The day starts at sunrise with an early mass in the church of Santa Maria where the wooden cross of the black Jesus is kept, which is then carried on a day-long pilgrimage that will return to the same church in the evening. The evening procession is the most surreal and mystic with the added atmosphere of the dark streets illuminated only by the torches carried by the worshippers. All the street lights are switched off and people follow the wooden cross carried by the apostles dressed in a white robe and with their head covered by an ominous white hood through the dark streets glowing with the flames of the torches. All is surrounded by prayers and songs by the three choruses following the procession. Read on for more information on Castelsardo.