From Cagliari to Gallura, four hotels and resorts to book now
As spring arrives, Sardinia awakens: the days get longer, the scents of nature intensify, and the still-quiet beaches offer moments of tranquil seclusion. The Easter holidays and bank holiday weekends of 25th April and 1st May in Italy provide the perfect opportunity to take a break and discover the soul of an island that offers vibrant cities alongside coastal and rural escapes where time seems to slow down.
Four charming locations reopen with packages and special experiences for a short holiday or long weekend less than an hour’s flights from major Italian cities, and with direct connections from several European capitals. From a chic boutique hotel in the capital Cagliari, to retreats immersed in the striking landscapes of Gallura, each offers personalised experiences to delve into nature, gastronomy and well-being.
Casa Clàt, Cagliari | Opening 21st March
The arrival of spring heralds the return of Casa Clàt, a sophisticated boutique hotel in the heart of Cagliari, recently crowned the sunniest city in Italy. A standout design project has breathed new life into the historic 19th-century Palazzo Frau, which now offers nine suites – each with a playful and contemporary style, and each entirely different to the other – created by artists and designers inspired by the sea and its wonders. The hotel also offers a range of vibrant common areas, open throughout the day and evening, where hotel residents, locals and visitors congregate from breakfast through to sunset aperitifs in the outdoor garden, or from a quick lunch at the bar-bistrot to an intimate dinner at the gourmet restaurant.
Its city-centre location makes Casa Clàt the perfect base for discovering the Sardinian capital. Just steps away, the marina and the Castello district, the oldest in Cagliari, invite you to get lost among winding alleys and squares steeped in history. This is also where you’ll find the Torre dell’Elefante and the Torre di San Pancrazio, two impressive medieval fortifications offering sweeping views over the city and the adjacent Golfo degli Angeli. Nearby, the Botanical Gardens are home to over 2,000 Mediterranean and tropical species, set amidst ancient Roman cisterns and ruins. A short distance away, the Roman Amphitheatre tells the story of the capital’s past, while ten minutes from the centre, Poetto beach offers a first taste of summer.
City Break Package
• 2-night suite stay with breakfast
• Welcome aperitif
• Four-course tasting dinner
• In-room massage for two
Petra Segreta Resort & Spa, San Pantaleo | Opening 3rd April
Tucked away in the hills of San Pantaleo, Petra Segreta Resort & Spa combines the rugged beauty of the Gallura countryside with the five-star services of a Relais & Chateaux property. The estate offers 27 rooms and suites – 11 with private heated pools. One such gem is the Petra Signature Pool Suite: over 100 m2 of pure comfort, featuring two bedrooms, a living area, private wine cellar, and unparalleled views of the La Maddalena archipelago.
In addition to being a thoroughly charming resort, Petra Segreta is also one of the most popular culinary destinations on the island. The kitchen at Il Fuoco Sacro, the resort’s Michelin-starred restaurant, is helmed by owner and Executive Chef Luigi Bergeretto alongside Head Chef Alessandro Menditto, in collaboration with award-winning Chef Enrico Bartolini. The perfect location for guests seeking peace and relaxation, the spa offers holistic treatments and eastern-inspired massages in a Balinese-style hut hidden between granite monoliths.
A few minutes from the resort lies San Pantaleo, a lovingly preserved traditional village, renowned for the artisan boutiques and artists’ studios dotted around its winding streets. An aperitif in the town square, the central hub of local life, is a must. For outdoor lovers, nearby trails wind through cork forests and monumental granite rock formations, while the beaches of the Costa Smeralda, just a few minutes away, invite you to take the first dip of the season.
Petra Segreta Escape Package
• Up to 20% discount for bookings of 6 nights or more
• A la carte breakfast
• 1-hour complimentary access for 2 to the wellness centre, featuring Turkish bath, Roman sauna, sensory showers and relaxation area
• Complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi
Gallicantu Stazzo Retreat, Luogosanto | Opening 18th April
Set across three hectares of Mediterranean scrub and sculptural granite formations, Gallicantu lies just outside the historic village of Luogosanto, in the heart of the Gallura region. A major recovery and renovation project has given new life to a historic stazzo, the rural dwelling typical of this corner of Sardinia, which now features nine guest rooms, including Erema and Turritta – recently completed and housed in a medieval-inspired tower. The interiors are designed in Gallicantu’s distinctive organic style: soft, rounded shapes, olive wood details and bullseye windows give the rooms an original, almost fairytale-like character. A large outdoor terrace at the top of the tower overlooks the estate, perfect for soaking up the sun or admiring the starry skies of Sardinia. Tucked away among the rocks, the pool is a corner in which to unwind, forget the hectic pace of urban life, and enjoy the sunshine. For guests seeking an active holiday, Gallicantu offers experiences to discover this destination rich in history, culture and tradition: local cookery classes, visits to wineries, stazzi, cheesemakers, a herbalist, or a ceramics workshop, not to mention the 22 rural churches scattered throughout the area.
On Easter Monday, Gallicantu offers a walking tour of the Palazzo di Baldu, a fascinating medieval fortress immersed in a dense forest of holm oaks and walled granite rock shelters. Its evocative ruins date back to the Judicate era in the Kingdom of Gallura, one of the four kingdoms into which Sardinia was divided from the 11th to 14th centuries. On their return, guests can enjoy a demonstration by Pietro Ragaglia, a young shepherd and producer of sheep’s cheeses, and taste the pecorino, ricotta, stracchino, caciotta and robiola cheeses he makes using genuine artisan methods, according to ancient traditions. Just around the corner, by the outdoor oven, the typical breads of the island are prepared: a sacred, ancient rite, passed down through the ages.Take a seat, then, in the King’s Garden, an open-air lounge shaded by the centuries-old olive tree that dominates the estate, for a hearty Sardinian picnic lunch: meat empanadas and vegetable ravioli, chiusoni (the typical Gallura gnocchi), lamb and seadas are just some of the specialities on the menu.
Cascioni Eco Retreat, Arzachena | Opening 1st May
Cascioni Eco Retreat is a peaceful refuge in the Gallura countryside, where holidays flow at a luxuriously gentle pace. The suites, each with private garden and heated swimming pool, offer privacy in the quiet of nature, where you can enjoy silent nights and wake up relaxed and refreshed. The menus at Ulìa restaurant follow the rhythm of the seasons, with ingredients grown in the estate’s kitchen garden and orchards, while the poolside lounge bar is the ideal setting for a sunset aperitif. Another highlight is the Mediterranea Spa: an oasis of well-being with sauna, Turkish bath and heated pool, where you can indulge in regenerating treatment rituals based on honey or olive oil, made with ingredients harvested directly on the property.
Experiences are at the heart of a stay at Cascioni, and include excursions by kayak to explore the Saloni nature reserve that stretches to the sea, or a leisurely walk among the olive trees and herb garden, picking aromatic plants to be used in wellness rituals in the spa – or even in the woods, upon request. Picnics in the shade of the trees and intimate dinners under the stars are also guest favourites.
For those who want to experience the sparkling nightlife of the coast, Porto Cervo, Baja Sardinia, Poltu Quatu and Golfo Aranci are just a few minutes’ drive away, as are the island’s most beautiful beaches. The in-house concierges, expert connoisseurs of the area and organisers of unforgettable breaks, specialise in designing tailor-made itineraries.
Prestige Pool Suite Package
• 3-night stay in a suite with private pool, organic breakfast
• Welcome aperitif
• Wellness path in the Mediterranea Spa
• E-bike tour, kayak excursion and birdwatching