Is this the new ‘Maldives of Europe’? Crystal-clear water, incredible beaches… but a fraction of the price
Sometimes you can become fixated by a holiday destination. It has happened to me.
After a trip to the Maldives in March, I was so won over by the fine white sands and crystal-clear waters swarming with colourful fish, I couldn’t wait to go back.
There was, however, a slight problem: the eye-watering cost.
My trip had been a special, long-anticipated getaway, not something to be repeated at the drop of a hat.
So, I sought a less expensive alternative in Europe… and found Sardinia.
A little light Googling had uncovered that the Italian island routinely tops the list of enjoying the clearest seawater in Europe. Visibility has been recorded to almost 40m in places – veritably Maldivian, you might say.
Flight prices were somewhat lower. Return flights from London to Olbia or Cagliari can cost from £50 with Ryanair. Returns to the Maldives, meanwhile, are usually at least £700.
Then you had accommodation. Doubles at seafront hotels in Sardinia are typically from about £120, yet even mid-range Maldivian resorts routinely charge over £1,000 a night.
Despite hugely enjoying her time in the Maldives, Kara Buffrey sought to find a cheaper, European alternative to the destination
The food, to me, was better too.
Both the Maldives and Sardinia feature seafood dishes including sea bass, lobster and octopus. But in the Maldives the preparation leans towards Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine, while I prefer Italian.
And it’s cheap. Sardinia offers you family-run trattorias serving dishes from as little as £10, often metres from the tranquil water.
Meanwhile, the sea in the summer is a decent temperature, around 23-26°C, with calm winds.
I booked to stay at Falkensteiner Capo Boi on the south coast.
This was a five-star hotel with rooms from just over £300 and an excellent spa featuring a lovely pool and a wide range of treatments that were easily equal to those in the Maldives. My massage was one of the best I’d ever had.
The price of drinks? Cocktails came in at £12, against £30 on my Maldives trip.
While double rooms in Maldivian resorts can set holidaymakers back over £1,000 a night, seafront hotels in Sardinia typically start from around £120
Kara was impressed by the relative affordability of her trip to Sardinia, where cocktails came in at around £12, compared to £30 drinks in the Maldives
My biggest concern was I would never be able to recreate that ‘wow’ moment flying to the resorts in the Maldives by seaplane.
I needn’t have worried. The drive from Cagliari airport wound along a coastal road as the sky turned deep pink and gold, cliffs dropping away to the sea on one side, and by the time Capo Boi came into view at nightfall, it had taken my breath away.
The only way Sardinia fell short against the Maldives was the variety of marinelife under the water. Snorkelling in the Maldives was like swimming through an aquarium. Sardinia could not match that.
Other Falkensteiner Capo Boi guests who joined a boat trip along the rugged coastline told me they came every year. I could understand why.
I’d recommend the Maldives in a heartbeat, but it is frankly super expensive, most of the time – somewhere for a ‘treat’ holiday.
For a European alternative… look no further than sumptuous, seductive Sardinia.
