Rising more than thirty metres above the sea, Porto Pino is framed by the pine forests that give the beach its name. Further along the shore, its dunes form one of the island’s most distinctive landscapes – a desert-like shifting expanse of white sand against the deep blue Mediterranean.

One of the most striking landscapes in the region, Piscinas is defined by vast shifting sands – among the largest dune systems in Europe - rolling down to the open sea. Shaped by the mistral current, these golden dunes rise dramatically from the beach, sometimes reaching over sixty metres in height.

Among Cagliari’s many Neapolitan-style pizzerias, Maiori is the one we keep coming back to. Tucked into the courtyard of Palazzo Doglio, its white-stucco interiors and organic shapes make a polished setting for Chef Emanuele Riemma’s distinctly Campanian-meets-Sardinian pizzas. Our tip? Order the one topped with pizzutello yellow tomatoes and Sardinian dried sausage, then finish with the rum-soaked babà for a little taste of the Amalfi Coast.