Miles and miles of glorious beaches, fabulous food, charming old towns, rugged mountains, steep cliffs, enormous caves.
You name it, Sardinia has it. It is overflowing with natural and cultural attractions making Sardinia pretty much the perfect holiday destination. By visiting Sardinia in September we think that you are seeing this fantastic island at its best.
Top Reasons to go to Sardinia in September
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The Crowds Have Gone
July and August is peak time in Sardinia. The incredible beaches great resorts and glorious hot sunny weather draw the crowds to Sardinia and at times it can feel a bit too popular.
Having to squeeze your family onto a tiny patch of sand between everyone else on the beach is never fun but it can be a reality on busy days at beaches like La Pelosa Beach in Stintino. And this fight for a space on the sand could come after a long search for a parking space.
By September the crowds have thinned out significantly and this won’t be a problem anymore. If you love tranquillity on the beach then this is the month to come (although you should be aware that the weekends will be busier as locals head to the coast).
The lack of crowds makes everything a bit easier, you don’t need to worry about booking everything from tours to restaurant tables in advance so you can relax and play things by ear a bit more than you can in the summer.
You can even leave it more last minute to book your accommodation and still have a few decent options to choose from.
It’s not totally dead though so it is still probably best to book in advance to make sure that you get somewhere that you like. If you use Booking.com or Agoda you get free cancellations so you can always cancel and rebook if you find a late bargain.
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Grab a Bargain
This is quite closely linked with the first point, but the lack of crowds means that this is the perfect time to find great deals on travel, hotels, and car rental. The savings are considerable and you can expect flights to the island to be around 40% cheaper in September than in August.
And you can get such good discounts on flights, hotels and car rental (most of the most expensive parts of your trip), you can expect that the same holiday will be almost half the cost if you can travel in September rather than August.
I have done a quick comparison of car hire prices in mid-August compared to mid-September by using Rentalcars.com to find the best car rental deals and the cost in August is about 30% higher in September.
You can find the cheapest car rental deals for your ideal dates by using this handy search calculator.
You can also find hotel bargains in September, see what is available for your dates:
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Sardinia has Perfect Weather in September
This is the important bit. You are getting a cheaper holiday with fewer crowds, but the weather should still be fantastic. Obviously, you can never completely guarantee what the weather will do but in general, you can expect warm sunny days throughout September.
How warm is Sardinia in September?
The average temperature in September is a pleasant 22°C with highs of 26° and lows of 17°. That’s sound like a perfect temperature range to me!
How many days does it rain in September in Sardinia?
On average there are 4.3 rainfall days in September. We were there for a couple ofo weeks and there was one rainy day.
Can you swim in Sardinia in September? Is the sea warm in Sardinia?
Sardinia is a great place to go swimming. The sea is generally calm and warm with nice soft sand underfoot.
As the sea has had all summer to warm up, September is a great month for swimming in the sea or trying a bit of snorkelling (be sure to bring one of these rash guards for every budget). The sea temperature is usually over 20°, which feels pretty good.
Of course, there are loads of hotels with fabulous swimming pools if you prefer to swim in a pool.
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September is a Great Time to Explore Sardinia
Whilst the weather should still be lovely, it won’t be quite so hot as in July and August. It is still a great temperature to sit by the pool, or on the beach, but it is also a great time to get active and explore some of the incredible hiking, biking and climbing opportunities that can be found in the island.
What is there to do in Sardinia in September?
The Supramonte area near to Cala Gonone is a natural playground with incredible cliffs, ravines, caves and mountains to explore in the more comfortable temperatures of the late summer.
Water sports are also still available in September, sailing and kayaking are particularly enjoyable.
There are lots of great activities to do in Sardinia in September. Some of our favourites are:
Cala Goloritze Boat Tour: Discover the spectacular beaches at Cala Goloritzè, Cala Mariolu, Cala Biriala, Cala Gabbiani and Piscine di Venere. By going by boat you can explore small coves that are only accessible by boat. You can swim in the warm seas and if you get lucky you may see octopus and dolphins.
Wine Tasting Tour: September is a great month to visit a vineyard where you can meet the winemakers, stroll through rolling vineyards and take a tour of production facilities.
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Sardinia Festivals in September
It is always good to try and time your travels to coincide with a local festival. They are a great way to see a bit of local colour and to learn about some of the traditions of a country. Generally, people are a bit more open and friendly a festival times and it is a great opportunity to get to know some of the locals.
One of the best Sardinian festivals in September Fiera dell’Artigianato Artistico, a fantastic arts and crafts fair that you can visit in Mogoro in Central Sardinia.
The Autunno in Barbagia festival is a popular event where 32 Sardinian villages (including Bitti, Oliena, Dorgali, Fonni) welcome tourists who want to explore the history, the culture and the most authentic traditions of the island.
You can also see the Round Sardinia Race. The race sets off in Cagliari and sees a range of sailing craft race all the way around the island and back to the capital.
Is September a good time to visit Sardinia?
We hope that this post has shown you that September is a great time to visit Sardinia, and is actually one of the best months for a Sardinia holiday. It is the time that we first visited the island and we had a fantastic time. We were there for a couple of weeks and had great weather on nearly every day.
It is a lovely part of Italy where you can find some beautiful beaches in places like the Costa Smerelda and pretty old towns like Alghero and Bosa.
If you have young kids then Sardinia is the perfect holiday destination and I definitely recommend that you visit Sardinia in September before your children reach school age.
Our travel plans are now restricted by school holiday times and the difference in cost is shocking. So make the most of September while you can, it is the perfect time to visit Sardinia! If you are wondering exactly where to go, check out our guide to where to visit in Sardinia.