THAT TRAVEL GUIDE: Sardinia, Italy
CHEESE, PRAY, LOVE
Sardinia, Italy
Currently writing this on a plane leaving Sardinia. Out the window I can see the stunning clear water and white sandy beaches on the Northeast coast outside of Olbia. This island is unlike anything else. Full of history, amazing food and top-notch wine, Sardinia is a best kept secret. Way less touristy than it’s neighboring island Sicily, Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean. Sardinians protect this island with pride (as they should) and the age-old traditions and rich culture date back to hundreds of years ago. You can even stumble across ruins scattered about the island called “Nuraghi,” that date back to as early as 1,500 BC. On a nature standpoint, the beaches, mountains, landscape and colorful flowers are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.
We stayed in a small protected cove in the northeast called Porto San Paolo. The beach looked out to a massive cliff/rock and crystal clear ocean. This was a lucky airbnb find. We had zero expectations while looking at options near the Olbia airport in the north and were so happy with this pick. On the first day there, we had a relaxing beach day and took some kayaks out into the ocean. The water was calm and refreshing, ranging in colors from light turquoise to deep blue. The seafood here is NEXT LEVEL. I had some of the best seared tuna and mussels with crisp Sardinian white wine at a seaside restaurant called Ristorante Il Portolano. Similar to Lake Como, it’s recommended to make reservations ahead of time for dinner to ensure a table.
CENTRAL FORMAGGI
The main purpose of the Sardinia chapter of Cheese Pray Love was to visit my friends at Central Fromaggi, a cheesemaker that specializes in delicious pecorino (sheep’s milk cheese) I met them back in 2018 when I used their truffle pecorino, Moliterno Al Tartufo, in a cheese class. The business has been in the family for over 100 years! The facility was about a 2.5 hour south drive from where we stayed. However, it’s only 45 minutes from Cagliari, the biggest city on the island. I wish we had more time to see Cagliari, but unfortuately we had to skip it. I was told to check out the Poetto next time I’m there, a stretch of beach with bars, restaurants and shops in the city.
Upon arrival we met up with Piergiorgio, one of the owners, and he gave us a full tour of the facility. They’re one of the only companies that still use authentic wooden baskets to age their Moliterno which I thought was really interesting. We got to taste test four incredible sheep’s milk cheeses:
Fiore Dolce Piccante: Semi-hard pecorino infused with Calabrian chili peppers
Pecorino Sardo Maturo DOP: A slightly tangy and flavorful pecorino with a slightly sweet finish
Fiore Sardo DOP: A raw sheep’s milk cheese with milk from one local farm, bursting with sharp and tangy flavors
Bon Truffle: A new cheese, semi-soft infused with black truffles from the mainland.
We also got to experience the entire cheesemaking process which was amazing to see. I don’t believe tours are open to the public, but they have a great shop where you can buy cheese right on site.
FARM VISIT
Afterwards, we followed another Central Formaggi friend named Andrea to a remote sheep farm about 30 minutes north. Here we were greeted by Rosanna, the sweetest Sardinian woman, who showed us around her farm, let us meet a baby lamb born the day before, and offered the best hospitality. Her and her husband have owned this farm for over 30 years, which is one of 500 small farms Central Formaggi sources their milk from for the cheese. Rosanna’s farm also has fresh produce, olive trees and a small vineyard. Mostly everything we ate in Sardinia came from the land itself, which was a big change from living in America.
After the lovely day we drove back up north, spent some more time at the beach and had dinner at another seaside restaurant called 12.1, with some more amazing seafood and local Sardinian wine.
This was such a quick trip and I wish we had more time, but it just gives me a reason to go back! There really is so much more to see. We listened to this podcast about the island on the long drive south and I found it fascinating!
Next stop: ROME! Drop your recommendations in the comments below!
<3
Marissa