About the Sea Kayaking in Sardinia, Italy Trip

Known for jewel blue waters, dramatic landscape, and rich cuisine, Sardinia is a large island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Corsica and west of the Italian mainland. In addition to miles of sculptured rock coast and white sand beaches, Sardinia offers prehistoric stone villages, ancient Phoenician and Roman ruins, and a unique culture with music, dancing, crafts, food and wine that express the Sardinian soul. We'll be based on the Gulf of Arzachena, gateway to the Arcipelago della Maddalena and its national parks--and within easy reach of inland destinations.

Dates: September 19-25, 2004
Cost: $1595 (airfare not included)
Incudes: use of single fiberglass kayaks (doubles available upon request) and paddling equipment (sprayskirt, lifejacket, paddle, etc); kayaking instruction; lodging in cozy seaside bungalow (6 nights, double occupancy); two site-seeing expeditions; one agriturismo (farm house) dinner, all meals; transportation from and to seaport or airport in Olbia, Sardinia.

Prerequisites: Beginning Sea Kayaking class, or equivalent.

TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Transportation hub cities recommended: From the US you can fly to Rome, Milan or Naples to make your connection to Olbia, Sardinia. Arrive in Olbia on the day the trip starts (Day 1). If you’d like to arrive a day earlier, just let us know so we can book your room in advance!

How to get to Olbia:
Olbia is one of four Sardinian airports. It serves the Costa Smeralda region where we’ll be based. It also has an active port with ferry service from Genoa (Genova), Rome (Cittavecchia) and Naples (Napoli). High-speed and overnight ferries are available. Tickets can be purchased from travel agents in Italy.

ITINERARY
Day 1
(Sunday, September 19, 2004)
Arrive in Olbia. Whether you arrive by ferry or plane, one of our guides will greet you and drive you to the Isuledda tourist village where you'll be able to check into your bungalow, take a refreshing swim at one of the two lovely sand beaches, or just relax on your shady porch. Isuledda has a general store, a grocery store, a cafeteria, a restaurant, a cafe/bar and disco! Each bungalow has its own bathroom, a mini-fridge, a shaded deck, a laundry drying rack (paddling clothes dry overnight!) and is a short walk to the beach. Since we're visiting during the off season, the facilities will feel roomy and uncrowded.

Isuledda is a short drive from the town of Cannigione where you can buy souvenirs, local liquors, Sardinian flatbread, delicious gelato, or whatever you might have forgotten to bring.

Depending on your arrival time we may be able to launch kayaks for a short afternoon paddle from our beach and into the sheltered Gulfo Arzachena.

Day 2
We'll gather at 9:30AM after breakfast to fit kayaks to paddlers, and give everyone a chance to get familiar with the Greenland style paddles favored by Italian sea kayakers. "Sport" paddles are also available. (please let us know in advance if you'd prefer a feathered paddle.) We'll offer kayaking skills refreshers as needed. The warm Sardinian waters are the perfect place to practice rolls and re-entries, so bring your nose plugs ("stringinasi" in Italian!) if you want to take advantage. With our bag lunches packed in our hatches we'll set out to explore the Gulfo Arzachena.

Day 3
Every morning our local kayaking guide, Gianni Cosu, will be checking the internet for wind and weather predictions. Taking conditions into consideration we'll either paddle directly from our own beach or we'll put the kayaks on the trailer and head to one of the many beaches within an hour's drive to find the conditions and scenery that suit us.

You should have a good appetite after a day of paddling. You'll need it because tonight we have dinner at a nearby farm. We'll be treated to locally grown and prepared appetizers (Sardinian olives, cured ham) Sardinian flat bread, red and white wines, roast pork, and course after course of local delicacies rarely even served on the Italian peninsula, let alone in the USA. Sardinian pastries are heavenly, and with the digestive aid of mirto (liquore made from a wild blueberry and its leaves) we'll be able to sleep deeply, ready for the next day's adventure.

Day 4
Sardinia is rich with prehistoric sites. Today we'll have the opportunity to visit the ruins of a Nuraghic village, and the ancient tomb known as Tombe delle Gigante. Midtrip we can tour the inland capital of Tempio Pausania at 1,820 foot elevation, surrounded by forests of cork oak.

Day 5
We'll paddle to the granite island of La Maddalena and its thriving town, or nearby Isola Caprera. Passing Caprera we can glimpse the last residence of Italian hero Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-82) or land on a sand beach to eat lunch, swim, and wonder at the fantastic rock formations.

Day 6
We can launch from a Palau beach and find ourselves floating on azure water through a welcoming maze of rocks that might have been invented for Disney. Or you may opt for another land-based excursion, perhaps a drive along the scenic Costa Paradiso to Castelsardo, a town perched high on a cliff. Here we can buy locally made baskets and visit the weaving museum. For dinner we can return to Isuledda, or have a no-host dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 7
(Saturday, September 25, 2004)
After a farewell breakfast one of our guides will give you a ride back to the port or airport. Here you could rent a car and see more of Sardinia on your own, or fly to anywhere in Europe to extend your travels.

FOOD:
Your trip fee includes all meals from dinner on the first night to breakfast on the last day. Meals are served in the excellent Isuledda cafe which offers a choice of appetizers, entrees, salads, and deserts. Water and house wine are included; bottled wine is available for an extra charge. (Please do not bring wine purchased outside the cafe to the table as it is not an accepted custom in Italy.) Isuledda provides generous box lunches for our excursions that include all the makings for sandwiches, salads, and fruit. Breakfast is traditional European with rolls, croissant, ham, cheese, yogurt, juice, coffee and hot chocolate.

WHAT TO BRING:
This list describes the minimum we recommend you bring and is tailored to this trip. You might want to bring more if you will be traveling longer and to a cooler climate before or after this trip.

If you plan to shop for gifts, leave room in your luggage for purchases. If you forget to bring something, almost anything you need can be purchased on Sardinia. Be sure to take your prescription medicines with you on the plane, and bring any pharmaceuticals you may need, as they can be expensive in Italy.

Life in the Isuledda village is very casual. Most people wear shorts, T-shirts and bathing suits. Casual wear is also fine for the evenings at Isuledda and the farmhouse dinner.

Clothing:
(Most clothing will dry overnight if washed by hand and hung. Laundry service is also available, but may take longer.)
Women: Dress for city stroll or dinner out
Men: Dressy short-sleeved shirt for dinner out

• Two pair of quick dry (non-cotton) shorts to wear kayaking and hiking
• Fast dry, long pants. Light cotton or synthetic.
• Bathing suit (s) for swimming and wearing under kayaking clothes
• Underwear for four days
• 2 cotton T-shirts
• 1 long sleeved shirt to wear for sun protection while kayaking. (Should be lightweight and stretchy, preferably not cotton.)
• Sun cover shirt for hiking
• A sarong is great for women and men to use as a cover-up while changing clothes on the beach, as a picnic blanket, or beach towel.
• Light hiking shoes
• Hiking socks
• Light weight wind and rain parka
• Sweater or light jacket for cool nights and to layer under parka.
• Sun hat with tie (to stay on in wind)

• Travel flashlight
• Spare batteries
• Pocket knife
• Prescription medications
• Toiletries (shampoo, toothpaste, dental floss, comb, etc. Women should bring tampons as they are expensive in Italy.)

• Water shoes or sandals for kayaking (nylon socks - found in many surf and dive shops for under the shoes make them more comfortable and keep out sand.)
• Sunscreen, waterproof lip balm
• Nose plugs (if you want to practice rolling)
• Swim goggles
• Paddling gloves if you think you'll blister

• Camera and plenty of film
• Waterproof camera
• Art supplies
• Journal
• Binoculars