Camp lockdown
We were advised and helped by a fellow nomadic travelling couple, who had a great deal more experience than us, having spent eight years living in their campervan. They took us under their wing and, after a few calls to their Sardinian contacts, we checked into an empty campsite. We spent the first 14 days self-isolating, naively expecting the lockdown to ease within a few weeks, but it soon became clear we may be here for some time. Due to the strict rules on movement and concerns about the language barrier, we didn’t leave the confines of the campsite until week six. We heavily relied on our campmates for our food shopping and running our errands.
We kept busy creating Youtube videos, photo editing, blog writing and creating tasty new campervan recipes (I [Meg] am a chef by trade). Thanks to technology, we spent time communicating with friends and family back home in the UK, so it didn't feel like we were miles away. A Skype family quiz became a part of our weekly routine, as well as a campsite barbecue. Along with consuming a huge amount of films, TV, wine and comfort food, I took up yoga and we found time to read the books we had carted around Europe for months!
The site had all the facilities we needed, having water, electric, showers, toilets, Wifi and a washing-up area. Plus, it was a large site with plenty of space to walk about, so it didn’t feel claustrophobic. For this, we were very grateful – we felt safe and secure. The weeks blended into one long period of time and we struggled to remember how many weeks it had been since we had checked in. Looking back now, I think we coped very well – not only mentally but we were very lucky to have been helped in finding a comfortable place to call home, even though it cost us more than we would have liked (€400 per month).
The adventure continues
Eventually, the end was in sight. After spending 67 nights in ‘camp lockdown’, the date had been set for the restrictions to ease and we could continue our adventure. It was time to find our independence again, after having had all of the facilities on hand and relying on our fellow campers.
Our confidence had taken a knock. We knew that we were legally allowed to travel freely around the island but we couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. We didn’t know how we would be perceived. We felt the locals may not be as welcoming or accepting of foreigners in a post lockdown environment. There was no hiding our GB plates and no way of telling passers-by how long we had been on the island to put them at ease. At the time, we felt somewhat at risk of persecution. It was assumed all foreign tourists and visitors on the island had left for their home country as soon as the lockdown began, so we were entering a new uncertain time for campervan travel. We were nervous and anxious but eager not to cut our adventure short.
Through other travellers we had met in Holland months prior, we found out there was another British couple living in a motorhome in Sardinia, so we got in touch and shared our lockdown experiences and updates as the weeks progressed. We learned they had experienced a totally different lockdown to us, living in a free lakeside park-up with friendly locals and police. This put us somewhat at ease, knowing they had been welcomed and accepted.
It was spring and we were ready to get off the beaten track into the countryside of northern Sardinia. Our plan was to avoid crowded places and keep somewhat of a low profile. We had all of our documents to hand in case we were stopped and important information had been translated, such as who we were, when we had arrived and where we had been during the lockdown. In the first week, we had one early morning check from forest rangers, which was pretty routine.
For our first socially distanced gathering, we met up with our new friends and fellow Brit couple, and we celebrated the end of lockdown with prosecco on the beach. Thanks to the power of social media, we were also contacted by British expats who had lived in Sardinia for nearly three years, and they kindly offered their help and assistance. We took them up and booked our campervan in for a service. A few days later, we met up and they shared their wealth of knowledge and insider insight into life on the island. This was invaluable, both for the information and route planning advice they could offer, but also confidence building – knowing that, if we found ourselves in a spot of bother, we had contacts.
We soon came to the realisation we were witnessing the island at a truly unique time. Without the usual tourists, we had some of the top beaches to ourselves, which is a rarity,
as you can imagine. We hiked around the Capo Testa peninsula – a landscape of eroded granite rock formations with views across to neighbouring island, Corsica. We saw no more than five other people during our full day of hiking. La Pelosa Beach was another special experience, as we didn’t see a single soul. Ordinarily, there is a charge and a limit to the number of people that can go on the beach, due to sand erosion.
Taking the scenic route
On 4 June, the ferries began to run again from the mainland, which increased the tourist population. However, on the plus side, we felt like we were now a little less inconspicuous, as we were no longer the only foreign tourists on the island. The intense anxiety we had experienced subsided. It was now time to relax and truly enjoy our time, whilst being responsible, informed and keeping to the social distancing rules, of course.
We spent the next three months slowly travelling around the island, re-embracing our vanlife lifestyle in beautiful surroundings and glorious sunshine. Persevering through the lockdown was so worthwhile. This allowed us to discover contrasting landscapes, culture, history, food and lesser-known inland regions. We have so many highlights from our time in Sardinia, but here are just a few...
Beginning in the north we made our way anticlockwise, leisurely taking in miles of stunning coastline. We explored the beautiful, medieval town of Castelsardo, and the famous Elephant Rock, then found a great beach park-up at Spiaggia Regia. One of our top spots we will forever remember and associate with our time here is Spiaggia Pazzona, near Stintino. Right on the northwest tip of Sardinia, the white sand and clear turquoise waters here blew our minds. Capo Caccia is an astonishing landscape of limestone cliffs rising out of Alghero Bay. It is renowned for its sea caves, including Neptune’s Grotto.
No matter what roads you drive, it's always the scenic route. The views through the windows are stunning. Our favourite drive was the Alghero to Bosa road – a 28-mile coastal route that is often used in TV adverts. Around the colourful town of Bosa, we found plenty of secluded coves and a unique natural saltwater pool. The city of Alghero has a history full of Catalonian influence with the old town and walls to explore. The city is a great culinary stop, too, and specialities here include lobster, sea urchin and Alghero-style octopus.
The Sinis Peninsula is an eden for nature and wildlife. Here you will find the top beaches on the island, such as Spiaggia di Mari Ermi and Spiaggia di Is Arutas, as well as beaches made of tiny quartz gems known as sea pearls.
Costa Verde, the ‘green coast’, is a mountainous landscape lush with vegetation on the southwest coast.
The green forest frames golden sand beaches with a mass of dunes that encase the area’s mining heritage, including abandoned buildings, railway tracks and deserted mining carts at Piscinas.
The inland regions also blew us away. From the plateau of Giara di Gesturi, home to the last wild horses of Europe, to the town of Orgosolo. Here you can seek out over
250 hand-painted murals that capture the island’s political unrest, inequalities and world events. Not only did we find
a refreshing cooler climate up in the mountains but also a ski resort – yes, Sardinia gets snow in the winter season!
Heading east towards the Gulf of Orosei, we checked out the more touristy side of the island, with plenty of hiking routes into the deepest gorge in Europe, Gola di Gorropu, and a three-mile hike down to the famous Cala Goloritzé – a beach only accessible on foot or by boat.
Food heaven
Sardinia has a wealth of regional foods, from the unique pasta varieties including fregola and malloreddus, a wide selection of sheep and goat cheese, over 400 varieties of bread and plenty of locally grown fruit and vegetables. There are multiple wine varieties and regions with some fantastic vineyards you can visit, too.
Our top foodie recommendation is to visit an ‘agriturismo’ for a no-frills authentic dining experience on a working farm. Here, all the recipes have been passed down from grandmothers and are created using the farm’s produce – from roasted meats to vegetable dishes, selections of cheeses, home-made pasta and bread. It is a set price menu, which ranges in price from €25 − €40 depending on the farm and the menu on offer, and this includes wine, water, coffee and a liquor. There was so much food… we ended up taking it home in doggy bags!
As we enjoyed a slower pace of life and relaxed into our surroundings, we saw a huge amount of wildlife on the island, too. From a Hermann's tortoise, cuttlefish and snakes to griffin vultures and a family of wild boars. Each week we would see something new.
Our Sardinian experience was unforgettable in more ways than one. We ended up spending five months here and, as a result, we have learnt more about Sardinia than any other country we passed through on our European campervan adventure. We can truly say it is one of our favourite places, which will forever be special to us, and not just because of the circumstances in which we found ourselves. From the island’s varied landscape, unbelievable beaches and rugged coastlines, Sardinia is stunning and we certainly hope to return.