I’m from the north of Italy (so basically, a foreigner in Sicily and Sardinia), and I’ve been to both. They are stunning islands, and each is better under different aspects.
If you want a sun and sea vacation, then Sardinia wins this, hands down. It’s arguably home to the best beaches in Europe. Crystal-clear waters, pink sands and breathtaking panoramas. Its coast is also full of small bays where you might not see anyone else for the entire day. Sicily’s coast is less sandy. There are some nice beaches, but they pale when compared to Sardinia. So, Sardinia is better for a sea vacation.
If you’re looking for culture, just consider that you’re in Italy – there’s something interesting in every angle. Sicily is full of Ancient Greek monuments (think of Valle dei Templi, an enormous archeological site with well-preserved ancient buildings near Agrigento), as well as fine examples of Arab architecture dating from the Muslim domination on the island. Sardinia’s own extraordinary culture baggage includes the nuraghi, built by the Nuragic civilization which settled on the island in the Bronze Age. Still, Sicily has a lot more to see, so I’ll say that Sicily is better for a cultural vacation.
Italy is also synonym for food, and Sicily wins by a landslide here for me. Sardinia’s cuisine is very limited – and this explains the lack of Sardinian restaurants in the rest of Italy. They use a lot of meat and cheese and, despite it being an island, fish is barely present in their regional dishes. On the other hand, Sicilian cuisine is extremely varied, also thanks to the many cultures the island has seen through the centuries. Sicilian fresh fish is definitely the best in Italy, with its tuna and shrimps being sought-after everywhere. Their desserts, most of which were heavily inspired by the Arabs, are my personal favorites. The only problem is that their cuisine includes a lot of frying and massive portions, making it quite hard to digest. Still, Sicily has far better food than Sardinia.
There are also many other things to consider. Sardinia has more tranquillity, Sicily is cheaper and more Italian tourism-oriented… either way, I love both islands and I heavily recommend you to visit both!
No comments:
Post a Comment