The stunning beaches speak for themselves, so here are a further 6 recommended sites to photograph on the beautiful Italian island of Sardinia:
1. Ancient Nuragi ruins
Nuraghi are massive, ancient stone towers built in Sardinia by the Nuragic Civilization between approximately 1800 and 500 B.C. These unique megalithic structures feature corbel-vaulted chambers and were constructed using a dry-stone technique. Over 7,000 Nuraghi remain visible, the centre of the social life of the Nuragic tribes, with a function of house-fortress comparable to that of the Medieval castles with defensible homesites, watchtowers, or symbols of power, with some evolving into complex fortifications with multiple towers, walls, and courtyards.
A Nuragic site is much more than its picturesque ruins, it is a place of mystery and vestiges of an ancient past. Visiting the Nuraghe Arrubiu means being transported to another era. The name (literally: red nuraghe) is due to the color of its stones, which majestically dominate the plateau. From here you can enjoy, as well as a breathtaking view, a surrounding nature rich in Mediterranean suggestions, with its scents and colours.
2. The Molentargius – Saline Regional Natural Park
The Molentargius – Saline Regional Natural Park is a wetland of international value, especially as a habitat for numerous species of water birds, within the metropolitan area of Cagliari. The history of the reserve is linked to the salt pans in the city so much so that the site owes its name to molenti (donkeys in Sardinian), the "means of transport" used in the past to bring the salt collected from the salt pans to the port.
The naturalistic complex extends for about 1600 hectares includes fresh water basins (Bellarosa minor and Perdalonga), water with different degrees of salinity (the ponds of Molentargius and Quartu, transformed in 1830 into a plant for the extraction of salt which stopped working in 1985 for hygienic-sanitary reasons) and a plain of sandy origin (Is Arenas).
By virtue of the different ecosystems that compose it, the Park boasts a rich variety of plant and animal species, many of which are protected. In particular, the site is famous for the presence of pink flamingos, "sa genti arrubia" (the red people) as they say in these parts, which nested here for the first time in 1993.
3. Sound garden of Pinuccio Sciola
The Giardino Sonoro is an open-air museum, it is the place used by Pinuccio Sciola since the 60s as a laboratory, creating an identity in full union with nature until it became an exhibition site at the beginning of the twentieth century. A horizon of megalithic stones, a timeless, constantly evolving artistic space that allows visitors to take an exciting walk inside the citrus grove in a path without signs or directions, among the megaliths capable of magically amplifying the sense of bewilderment .
A place of art, which is expressed in all the languages of the world, where basalt and limestone produce evocative archaic, ancestral and mystical sounds; where stone "seeds" are sown so that culture can fertilize nature; where the granites, in the dark of the night, reveal new three-dimensional surfaces through the oblique light.
A place surrounded by greenery, full of energy, which involves all the senses, giving visitors the opportunity to enjoy Art and Nature in an unprecedented dimension. A living nature, down to its most immobile and silent element: stone.
4. A Living Canvas Among the Orchards: San Sperate
Art and nature blend in perfect harmony in a vibrant town nestled within the fertile plains of southern Campidano. Surrounded by fragrant citrus groves and colorful orchards, this is one of Sardinia’s most productive agricultural centers—renowned for its peaches, citrus fruits, honey, and tomatoes. Each July, the village comes alive for a beloved local festival that celebrates these treasures with parades, open-air performances, artisanal markets, and traditional Sardinian flavors: malloreddus, panadas, handmade breads, and exquisite desserts are just a few of the delicacies on offer.
But what makes this town truly extraordinary is its soul: a bold, creative energy that turns every corner into a discovery. Known as the "Museum Town," San Sperate is an open-air gallery, where hundreds of murals—bright, expressive, and deeply rooted in memory—tell the stories of its people, its traditions, and its evolving identity. This unique form of street art began in 1968, when visionary local artist Pinuccio Sciola launched a revolutionary project to transform his hometown into a living canvas, a space where art and community would grow hand in hand. Since then, artists from all over the world have added their voices to the walls, and the town continues to breathe creativity.
5. Pan di Zucchero, 'the Sugarloaf'
From the evocative and spectacular setting of the coast of Iglesias, in the extreme southwestern area of Sardinia, a huge cube of sugar appears to be suspended in the middle of the sea. Admiring the impressive rock at sunset, as it rises out of the sea just a few metres from the coast, increases its splendour: the sunlight bounces off the limestone silhouette in every shade of yellow and orange. Pan di Zucchero (meaning Sugarloaf) is one of the most impressive and spectacular natural monuments on the Island and the symbol of the coast of Iglesias. The name comes from its resemblance to the famous Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) in the bay of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Pan di Zucchero has a massive, rounded shape. Karst phenomena have pierced its surface (less than four hectares) with flat steps, leading to the creation of two tunnel-like caves. They open up at sea level, are 25 and 20 metres long respectively, and are both habitats for seabirds. It is possible to pass through one of them in a small boat. Opposite the little island, the outlet of the Porto Flavia mining tunnel looks out to sea, magically suspended halfway up the sheer rock face. It is the most visible extremity of a futuristic complex of underground tunnels that end at a construction carved into the cliff at the beginning of the 20th century.
6. Montevecchio
For a century, the mining complex of the Medio Campidano province was central to the mining industry in the south-west. Today, it is the site of the geominerary park of Sardinia, a UNESCO world heritage site. Here, there are the humble workers' cottages, the luxurious management building, the mining and processing sites, the directional locations and service areas. Amongst the monuments of industrial archaeology of Montevecchio, immersed in the territory of Arbus and Guspini, you can take a historical-cultural tour to discover a “ghost world” evoked by a complex of mines, a few hundred metres from the Piscinas dunes and close to other beaches on the Costa Verde.
The mining activities of the site - being one of the eight that comprise the geominerary park of Sardinia and a symbol of the UNESCO Geoparks - has endured almost a century and a half, since 1848 when King Carlo Alberto granted the first licence to Giovanni Antonio Sanna, who devised the “deal of the century”, until 1991, the year when it finally closed following decades of economic crises. It saw times of flourishment and great development, aided by technological innovations - having 1,100 workers in 1865, it was the most important mine in the Kingdom of Italy.
