Holidays to Sardinia – Great Fun For Children Too!

Planning on taking your children on holidays to Sardinia? There are plenty of reasons this lovely Italian island is such a wonderful destination for children. If you want your family memories to be filled with sand, sea and Mediterranean sun, it may be one of the best places you could choose.

There are plenty of attractions children will love, here are just a few.

The Little Green Train

Most children love trains, so what could be better than a ride on one while on your family holidays to Sardinia? They may be small, slow and not particularly luxurious, but this train is said to be among the best ways to get to the heart of the island to explore its hidden beauty – and it's definitely something children will enjoy. The little green train goes into the woods and through the wildest regions of the island, up mountains and over bridges, traversing the stunning landscape. There are four routes to choose from, covering the northern, southern and central regions of the island.

Animals, Real and Imagined

In Cagliari, the wonderful flamingos at the lagoon of Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius Saline are just one of the 180 species of birds in the area. With both freshwater and seawater areas, there is plenty of wildlife to see the island. Wild ponies are also a firm favourite with children, so a trip to the Giara Plateau to see these lovely creatures is a must.

The nearby Museum of Sa Corona Arrubia is also a great place to learn about animals, plants, rocks and more. Trigger your child’s imagination with stories about the rocks shaped like animals in different parts of the island. They’ll have a fun time taking pictures and studying the elephant rock in Castelsardo, the bear rock in Palau and the turtle rock in S. Teodoro. Many of these formations also have fascinating legends attached to them, and learning how the wind and water has shaped rocks can be interesting for young ones.

Historic Buildings

Nothing instills a love of history in children more than seeing ancient structures in person and learning the stories behind them. On family holidays to Sardinia, there is a wealth of places where this love of history can be nurtured. You can visit any of 8,000 nuraghi, which are the beehive shaped stone buildings from the Bronze Age scattered across the island.

You can explore Nora in the south or Tharros in the west and see the ruins of Roman civilization, as well as the island's capital, Cagliari – a city built on the seven hills. There are plenty of ancient stories from the past that can be recounted in conjunction with an exploration of various sites and it's enough to turn children into history buffs for life!

Family holidays to Sardinia offer a relaxed, laid back alternative to the whirlwind tours of the big cities, without the crowds that can be overwhelming to younger travellers.

Carolyn Spinks is COO of ABTOI - The Association of British Travel Organisers to Italy. If you’re looking for the perfect holidays to Sardinia their LoveItaly website provides destination information, contact details of tour operator members to help you plan the best Italian holiday, ‘insider’ tips, year round offers and information on everything from beach holidays in Sardinia, cycling in Sicily, to a wedding or honeymoon in Tuscany.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.