Natural Sardinia - Environment

Sardinia has taken many initiatives to protect its environment, although the balance between generating economic growth via tourism and other industries, and protecting the island’s precious environment, is a difficult one and the subject of ongoing debate.

Areas of environmental importance are protected throughout Sardinia. In Gallura alone there are 3 important parks; the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena, the protected marine area of AMP Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo, and inland, the Parco Regionale del Limbara.

The coastline has a variety of sandy beaches, rocky granite outcrops and promontories, plus salt flats with their own specific ecology. For bird watchers the coast has many interesting sites, particularly the salt marshes, with numerous native species plus migrating visitors. Flamingos can be found in Gallura; the colonies in the south of the island, near Cagliari, are the most famous but the salt flats near Olbia airport, Tavolara and San Teodoro are also home to pink spindley legs.

Tavolara Sheer-sided Tavolara island rises 565m out of the sea and dominates the seascape around Olbia – instantly recognisable for those arriving on the island by air or sea – and is particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset. Tavolara is uninhabited, although has day trippers during the summer, so has its own unspoiled and traffic-free micro-environment.

The nearby islet of Figarola off the Costa Smeralda has a small community of mufloni, a breed of wild sheep with huge curled horns native to Corsica and Sardinia.

Mufloni can also be spotted in the Limbara park, 20 thousand hectares of wild countryside south of Olbia/Tempio and home to eagles, peregrine falcons, wild cats, wild boar. The park area is protected which helps them thrive, but these species can also be found throughout the mountains of Gallura.

Sea water purity

The sea around Sardinia is generally some of the cleanest in the Mediterranean; although Santa Teresa di Gallura is the only northern resort with an EU Blue Flag designation, this doesn’t mean that other beaches are not clean. Tourist beaches are groomed daily during the summer, and water quality is monitored. The island's economy is very dependent on the clarity and cleanliness of sea, and Sardinia works hard to ensure it's kept that way.

In the far north-west of the island, around the industrial port of Porto Torres, there has been some local water pollution; heavy industry and commercial shipping have been blamed for unacceptable levels of certain pollutants. However, it's not an area where tourists tend to venture unless they're taking a ferry from the port.

Refuse

Disposing of refuse is a growing problem for the island; landfill sites are under pressure and a limited solution. Most areas now have recycling schemes and colour-coded bins in the streets for plastic, glass, paper, aluminium and batteries. There is also daily rubbish collection of either Non-recyclable or Compostable refuse for householders in the Arzachena/Gallura area (relevant if you are renting a house or apartment).

PLEASE dispose of rubbish thoughtfully. Please help by taking the time to use the appropriate bins. Leave nothing on the beach - cigarette butts can take years, even decades, to decompose. Plastic bags and water bottles blow away, and end up despoiling the sea.