Avoid the Costa Smeralda, especially in Summer. It is an expensive tourist trap. It will be filled with foreigners and will be not at all like a Caribbean island with culture. It will be more like Cannes or Monte Carlo.

I would suggest instead Alghero:

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i4534-Alghero_A…

There you will find hotels on the beach but within easy walking distance of the best concentration of excellent restaurants in Sardinia.

Much depends on whether you will be renting a car. If so, you could stay at some smaller places, and make the most of all the island has to offer.

A lot also depends on whether you are looking for primarily a beach holiday or a cultural/gastronomic tour or a combination of both.

There are lots of great places in Sardinia for a honeymoon, but the Costa Smeralda is not one of them.

I wholeheartedly agree with what WorldVoyager has said.

You posted a simlar request on November 20th & received almost the same advice.

I can assure you that there is absolutely no culture in Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda - other than taking money from visitors. It is a modern, purpose built, tourist trap, in a beautiful location (but so is the rest of the island), which is open for only two months of the year.

The advice you have been given is honest and genuine.

Good luck.

Don't belive all you here about how expensive and what a tourist trap Costa Smeralda is. Once out of Porto Cervo prices are halved!! If you hire a car during your stay, you can see so much, eat out at not expensive local restaurants and still return to the 5 star pampering of either the Romazzino or Pitrizza at the end of the day. I live on the Costa Smeralda and work in the tourist trade - organising trips / outings and activities. A honeymoon is a once in a life time trip - so go for the best.

I agree, go for the best. It's just that the Costa Smeralda is not it. It's true that with a car you can do excursions etc., but why not imerse yourself completely in the real Sardinia, rather than a sanitised tourist trap that you could find in many other places in the world.

If you are going to come to Sardinia, then experience Sardinia. There are lots of great places on the Island that will provide you with a memorable honeymoon.

To say that:

"Alghero is full of brits flaked out, drunk & vomiting on the park benches."

Is completely and utterly untrue. It is also grossly offensive to the the town and people of Alghero.

The comment speaks volumes about the person who posted the response and who admits to having a financial and commercial motive in seeking to divert visitors to the Costa Smeralda.

I would ask all visitors to the TripAdvisor Sardinian forum, who may be interested in the truth of this debate, to review the past postings of fellow travellers (who do not have a vested interest) on the Costa Smeralda , particularly Porto Cervo and Alghero.

I'll tell you what the real Sardinia is not. it's not a purpose-built resort from thw 1960s that is only open a few months of the year aimed at the super rich with prices and facilities to match.

I do think you are biased because your description of Alghero is so far from the mark as to be ridiculous. I have rarely if ever seen the type of behaviour you describe. Anyone who has been to both Alghero and the Spanish costas will see the vast differences immediately.

I always recommend that people rent cars when they visit Sardinia. it is essential to get the most from the island (unless all you want is a beach holiday in which case there are many, many better places on the island than Porto Cervo). Yes of course there is lots to see and do in terms of culture and history in the northeast. But with a car you can visit these sites as day trips from other places (or as you correctly point out stay at one of the Agriturismi or B&Bs away from the main tourist trap areas on the Costa Smeralda).

People should definitely visit the area if they have time but there are better and cheaper places to base yourself.

Dear All

I would like to point your attention to what Costa Smeralda is: around 20 km (linear) of land over 24.090 kmq . The only part of Sardinia that can be called Costa Smeralda is from the first stone where it is written "Costa Smeralda" (where everyone take pictures) to the second stone 10 km, circa, away from the first.

Between these 2 rocks there are 4 main hotels (Starwoods), 1 Golf course and really nice restaurants, clubs and so on. The place is expensive... as much as Monaco, Cannes, Dubai etc Why everyone in this forum seem to speak about 20 Km of land like if it was the hell where everyone try to burn your credit card?!

There are people who love Saint Tropez or Saint Moritz because these are location with something special, I do not think that all travellers that go there are stupid, i think that they just can afford it and they feel well there, the same is for Costa Smeralda or, better said, Porto Cervo.

Example: If you land in Olbia and you go to Palau you are not in Costa Smeralda and you will not pay 2000,00 Euro per night in any of the hotel that are there! It would be better not to paint the all Gallura as the place to avoid because it is very untrue, as well it would be better stop painting Aghero as a place ruined by "mass tourism" without even having seen a real mass destination in life.

Someone call Sardinia a small continent and this is very true. There are so many different kind of landascapes, cultural spots, dialects, food etc etc alll these differences gathered in a relatively small island, is what make this place so unique.

There are many different kind of possible holidays that you can find here, following your taste, pocket and dreams, I believe it is unfair to speack about better or worse, every part here is just different.

Thanks for respecting the whole island.... even those "poor" 20 Km :-)

my appologies to centrostorico, my coments were not ment to insult Alghero, a really beatiful place that I love, but the behavour of the unforgettables who visited last summer when I happened to be there. All I wrote was ment to be informative and compare down side of Alghero to your coments on Porto Cervo - described as having "no culture"

To reply to your coments on "my interest" in getting people to Costa Smeralda - not true at all (doesn't need my help). I'm a huge fan of the WHOLE island as each geographical area has so much to offer.

My coments were ment to suggest that not just Porto Cervo rips off the tourists but others are at it aswell. Yes, I might sound cynical but the facts are there for anyone to see

I do however stand by my coment that the 5 star pampering of the starwood hotels is a wonderful way to spend a honeymoon as a once in a lifetime experience (I do not work for starwood!!!). 5 star hotels in peak season are expensive the world over

loki4 said the best words to explain Costa Smeralda.

It's untrue that that zone is a touristic trap or that you can not go there in summer... if you go there in spring or autumn the most of hotels or bars or restaurantsof will be closed (in Porto Cervo for example the whole boutiques are opened only in summertime).

Suggesting not to go to Porto Cervo in summertime or suggesting to go in winter are not good suggestions i.m.h.o.

If you want to see Porto Cervo you can sleep a few km from it (Cannigione, Palau and so on...) and in 10 15 minutes you'll be in Porto Cervo in order to avoid to stay in very expensive hotels.

Remember to hire a car to visit all the beaches and lovely places in that zone and, if you can, do not stay in a resort swimming pool during all your holidays but remeber to change beach everyday!