Beach · Italy
The verdict upfront Sardinia with young children in July and August is expensive, crowded, and ferociously hot. Sardinia in late May is a different proposition entirely — 30 degrees, quiet roads, manageable crowds, and prices that make the same island feel like a different destination. We split a week between two hotels in the north and centre of the island, rented a car, and covered more ground than we expected. One hotel impressed us. One disappointed. Both taught us something useful about how to do Sardinia properly with a toddler.
Why May?
Late May hits the sweet spot that family travel in the Mediterranean rarely finds. Warm enough for beach days — consistently around 30 degrees during our trip — but without the July heat that makes outdoor time with a young child a constant battle against sunstroke. The roads are quiet. The parking is easy. The beaches have space on them.
The one trade-off: some restaurants and businesses in smaller towns are not yet open for the season. We found this in Porto Rotondo — a beautiful town where a number of places were shuttered until June. If you want the full buzz of the summer season, go later. If you want the island at a pace that works with a toddler, May is the right call.
The approach: two hotels, one car, explore the island
We flew into Olbia Airport and drove north to Santa Teresa Gallura to stay at Mangia’s Resort for the first part of the trip. After a few days we drove south to stay at Abi D’Oru near the airport for the second half.
Splitting between two hotels suited our travel style — we wanted to see different parts of the island rather than planting ourselves in one place. For families who prefer to settle into a routine and use a single base, one hotel for the full week is the better approach. Both are valid. Know which kind of traveler you are before you book.
Renting a car is not optional in Sardinia. The island does not work without one. The roads are manageable — some curvy coastal sections, nothing technical — and the distances between the north and centre are longer than a map suggests.
Hotel 1: Mangia’s Resort, Santa Teresa Gallura
Mangia’s Resort, Santa Teresa Gallura
Mangia’s is a newly built resort in the north of the island, about an hour from Olbia on a curvy but manageable road. The facilities are genuinely impressive — the property is large, well-designed, and has the bones of something that could be exceptional.
The food was the standout surprise. The buffet restaurant served better food than most all-inclusive buffets we have been to anywhere. The pasta in particular was notably good. They also maintained a small snack table throughout the day with sandwiches and light options, which for a toddler who does not always eat at official meal times is genuinely useful. Opening times of 12:30 for lunch and 6:30 for dinner work well for families with young children — earlier than the Italian norm.
The honest downsides: the service was inconsistent in the way that a recently opened property often is. Getting towels was not always straightforward. The pool bar was not reliably open. Some restaurants within the resort were not yet operating. The kids club was run by enthusiastic and genuinely kind staff, but the space itself — a repurposed room — did not match the quality of the rest of the property. These feel like teething issues rather than structural problems.
The resort is built on a hillside. If you stay in the lower sections, you will rely on the resort shuttle to reach the main facilities or face a meaningful uphill walk. Be aware of which section you are booked in before you arrive.
The beach is excellent. Direct access, good sand, and the Mediterranean quality of light that makes Sardinian beaches so distinctive.
Mangia’s in one line: Strong value, great food, some operational rough edges — a hotel with real potential that has not quite reached it yet.
The La Maddalena detour: worth doing differently
On the drive between our two hotels we stopped in Palau and spent time around the La Maddalena archipelago — one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the Mediterranean.
We rented a small tender for a couple of hours and hired a skipper to drive us around the islands. This was the right approach for us with a toddler. The larger full-day boat tours that most visitors take would not have worked — too long, too exposed, too much waiting around for a two-year-old. The tender gave us the flexibility to move at our own pace, see the landscape, and return when we had had enough. Our daughter managed two hours in the boat without issue.
Practical notes: call ahead and book. We arrived without a reservation and almost could not do it. Bring everything you need — towels, water, sun protection — the tender hire does not come with any of that. We also took the ferry from Palau to La Maddalena island itself, which you can buy on the spot and is straightforward.
If you are driving between the north and south of Sardinia, build the La Maddalena stop into the journey rather than treating it as a separate day trip. It is worth the detour.
Hotel 2: Abi D’Oru, near Olbia
Abi D’Oru, near Olbia
Abi D’Oru is a five-star resort positioned about 20 minutes from Olbia Airport, which makes it genuinely convenient for arrival and departure days.
Our experience was mixed and we will be honest about where it fell short.
The beach did not open until 9am — meaning no access to hotel sun loungers on the beach before that time. With a toddler who wakes at 6am and is ready for the day, waiting for the beach to open is a meaningful constraint. Breakfast started at 7:30, which is slightly late but workable.
The pool chair situation was the most frustrating issue. By the time we moved from the beach to the pool at around 10 or 11am, there were essentially no chairs left. A hotel of this size with approximately 20 poolside chairs is an operational failure that should not happen at the five-star price point. We raised it with the management and it was addressed, but the fact that it needed to be raised at all was telling.
The kids club was genuinely excellent — well-staffed, well-resourced, with a separate water park for children that our daughter loved. Operating hours of approximately 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm gave a good structure to the day. This was the unambiguous highlight of the hotel.
The food and the pool and beach bars were overpriced for what was delivered. The dinner restaurants did not open until 7:30pm — too late for a toddler without either a significant snack at 5pm or a hungry, tired child at the table.
Abi D’Oru in one line: Excellent kids club and a convenient location for the airport; the rest did not justify the price.
Porto Rotondo
A beautiful small town worth a half-day. In late May some restaurants were not yet open, which was manageable but worth knowing. The town itself — the harbour, the streets, the church — is worth the visit regardless of what is open. Go in the morning, have whatever lunch is available, and move on.
Olbia for lunch
We stopped in Olbia on the way back to the airport on our final day. There is a small playground in the city center that our daughter used to burn off some energy before the flight. A good stopping point if you have time to fill before departure.
The Maison Voyage summary
| Best time to go | Late May — warm, quiet, significantly cheaper than July and August |
| Flight into | Olbia Airport |
| Car | Essential — rent at the airport |
| Hotel 1 | Mangia’s Resort, Santa Teresa Gallura — great food, some rough edges, good beach |
| Honest note (Mangia’s) | Be aware of which section you are booked in; service still finding its feet |
| La Maddalena | Rent a tender for 2 hours — book ahead, bring everything you need |
| Hotel 2 | Abi D’Oru — excellent kids club, disappointing pool chairs and dinner times |
| Honest note (Abi D’Oru) | Beach opens 9am, around 20 pool chairs for full hotel, dinner at 7:30pm |
| Porto Rotondo | Worth a half-day — some places closed in May |
| Trade-off | Some seasonal businesses not yet open in May — worth it for the quiet |
| Verdict | Sardinia in May is the right version of Sardinia for families. Go before peak season. |