Villas in Sardinia, Italy

Awash with natural beauty, Sardinia’s landscape is the ideal terrain for a host of sporting activities. From gentle family walks to challenging climbs, its inland mountainous region is great for trekking. Horse riding is a very popular activity here, whether through rich, green countryside or on the white sandy beaches. There’s also golf, cycling tours and sailing excursions.

Eating out in Sardinia is a family affair full of fun and enjoyment. Typically Italian dishes of antipasti, pasta and pizza are widely available across the island – often encompassing the Sardinian slant of fresh, grilled seafood. For a true taste of the region’s distinctive cuisine on your villa holiday, choose from ‘burrida’ (fish marinated in a walnut and garlic sauce), pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk and thin bread called carta musica (or music paper.) Sardinian wine is first-rate, and it’s traditional to finish off your meal with a strong Italian coffee.

Sardinia’s coastline is dominated by long white sandy beaches and breathtaking views. The stunning six-mile-long beach at Poetto, lined with kiosks selling fresh seafood, pizza and refreshments, offers a great escape from bustling city life in Cagliari. East of Cagliari you’ll find some sensational shorelines, with picturesque family-friendly coves and bays that stretch for miles. In the North east, the beautiful beaches of the popular Costa Esmerelda, known as the emerald coast are endless, whilst the admirable white sands of le pelosa near Stintino, provides yet another relaxing haven.

The nightlife in Sardinia is extremely laidback. Expect to wine and dine on a terrace under the stars, or sip espresso in a pavement café. For more capital entertainment on your villa holiday, Cagliari is much busier with lively places for late-night drinking and dancing. Poetto is a blitz of bars, fairgrounds and ice-cream kiosks - a good way to while away a summer evening - and smaller resorts like Villasimius offer localised bars and restaurants ideal for family holiday entertainment. Colourful street festivals, open air opera and ballet performances are also a regular occurrence on the island.

• Take a trip to the archaeological Nuraghic settlement in Su Nuraxi, dating back to 1,100 BC, and learn about Sardinia’s ancient civilisations.

• Visit the Capital Cagliari and catch a ‘Serie A’ football game at the Cagliari Calcio stadium where one-time Chelsea star Gianfranco Zola once played.

• Walk around the fortified walls in Alghero, stroll around the tangle of cobbled lanes to visit the Duomo (cathedral) and then find a small restaurant or pizzeria followed by shopping in one of the many small chic boutiques.

• Try the ruby-red Capo Ferrato wine, produced locally in Villasimius, with a typically Sardinian dish like fried gianchettus (tiny fish).

• Take a drive through Sardinia’s winding countryside roads, stopping off to take pictures of the island’s rugged, unspoilt rural beauty spots.

• Explore glamorous Porto Cervo and shop in the designer boutiques or enjoy a coffee whilst admiring the yachts that dock in the harbour.

• Ballet and opera season falls between January and June – be sure to experience the magic of an open air performance.