Sardinia: Alghero, Costa Smeralda and Corsica

Speak of Sardinia and the glamorous scalloped bays of Costa Smeralda spring to mind, but the Mediterranean's second-largest island has so much more to offer. A closer look reveals delightful surprises at every turn: an exhilarating thousand-mile coastline of translucent sea, white sands and hidden coves; a long history as diverse and fantastic as its rugged landscapes; and a unique identity that is familiar yet distinct from mainland Italy. Further inland away from the bustling coast is a very different yet perhaps more intriguing and authentic side to Sardinia: immaculate beaches give way to undulating countryside, cloaked in forests of cork oak in the uplands, and swathed in myrtle and olive on the lower slopes. Tucked away are sleepy towns and villages, where you'll catch enticing glimpses of local life and centuries-old traditions.

Even the cuisine of Sardinia differs with distinct takes on Italian staples. Semolina-based 'fregula' challenges our preconceptions of pasta as its spherical shape bears a closer resemblance to couscous than spaghetti. 'Zuppa gallurese' is Sardinian comfort food at its best and, despite its name, has nothing to do with soup - slices of bread are soaked in lamb stock and sprinkled with cheese and herbs, then baked in the oven to golden perfection. Some might say the culmination of Sardinian cuisine is the 'porceddu', suckling pig wrapped in myrtle and bay leaves, spit-roasted for hours over an open fire. Off the beaten track are verdant vineyards producing superb wines, such as the Cannonau reds and Vermentino whites.

Sardinia shares much of its history with Corsica, which once formed a head to its torso before the Straits of Bonifacio divided them over time. The islands' strategic position between Europe and Africa has long attracted invaders since prehistoric times. Scattered across Sardinia are some 7,000 'nuraghi' - these Bronze Age settlements were left by a mysterious civilisation and are an unceasing allurement to the curious traveller. Then came the Phoenicians who founded trading posts at sites such as Tharros, followed by the Romans who ruled Sardinia and Corsica as a province. Both islands were liberated by Genoa and Pisa from Moorish invasion, and in the 14th century the kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica was offered by Pope Bonifacio VII to the Catalan-speaking Aragonese.

The entire island is an open-air museum best explored at leisure, and our wonderful tour follows this fascinating journey through time across Sardinia and the southernmost tip of Corsica. We visit one of the island's largest nuraghi, the astonishing Santu Antine, and see the archaeological ruins left by the Phoenicians and Romans at Tharros. Observe the legacies of the Genoese in the elegant Corsican town of Bonifacio, and of the Spaniards in the medieval port city of Alghero. Of course, we experience Sardinia's wide-ranging landscapes, from fine-sand beaches and towering cliffs to granite mountains and rolling hills. Along the way you'll encounter the perfectly hospitable Sardinians, who are extremely proud of their heritage and more than happy to share a slice of traditional, idyllic island life with anyone willing to embrace it.