Practical guide for an eco-friendly holiday in Sardinia

Sardinia is among the world’s richest tourist destinations in terms of culture and nature, a paradise of biodiversity where it is possible to live in a respectful and eco-sustainable manner.

But first of all: what do we mean by “eco-sustainability”? It means renewing our land resources cyclically, so as not to ruin the delicate balance of our Earth.

Our goal, as tour operators, is to make you experience a dream holiday while preserving the naturalness of the island through a few simple gestures. There are several ways to visit this suggestive island in an eco-friendly manner, and here is a practical guide for an all-round ecological holiday in Sardinia!

Looking for sustainable tour operators and how to recognise them

For a responsible traveller, the first step is to rely on ecofriendly tour operators when organising a holiday, starting with the search for accommodation. It is especially important to assess how the facilities take care of reducing the impact of environmental pollution.

The best way to understand this is to observe whether certain small details are indicated in the accommodation search, such as:

• whether the accommodation uses organic products at km0
• whether the chosen accommodation uses renewable energy sources (solar panels, etc.)

One way to help you choose your eco-friendly holiday is to do so through dedicated services and businesses such as the Ecoturismo Sardegna Network. A group of enterprises born in Sardinia among which you can find the best eco-friendly proposals for a holiday in Sardinia by 40 entrepreneurs, including: tour operators, accommodation facilities, excursion guides, museums, archaeological sites, activity and experience organisers. These include us, too, who organise stays that respect the environment and nature, providing a wide range of services immersed in nature for lovers of tranquillity.

A few tips to reduce environmental impact on holiday

Woman in brown jacket riding brown horse on green grass field

Once one has chosen one’s accommodation to stay in, the second step to being an eco-friendly traveller is to keep in mind these measures concerning both accommodation and one’s habits:

Save electricity by keeping the lights off

People often tend to leave lights or air conditioning on when staying in hotels, consuming about 45% of unnecessary energy. Turning off the switches shortly before leaving will help decrease energy consumption.

Separate waste collection

Waste separation has now become a common habit in many cities, but you should also try to do it when you are on holiday! If you are staying in a hotel, make sure it is done correctly and ask the staff to dispose of waste properly. Above all, make sure that less plastic is used in the various bathroom products.

Don’t waste water

Substituting short showers for bathing in the bathtub and turning off the tap while brushing one’s teeth are among the simplest methods that will help reduce water waste.

Use the bicycle or move around on foot

Means of transport are the most environmentally damaging causes of pollution. The car is used most frequently for everyday life, but it is also the least environmentally friendly of all!

Fortunately, there are several environmentally friendly alternatives that we often underestimate in our travels, just check the accessibility of public transport near where you are going to stay; not only buses but also electric scooters and especially bicycles. The latter allows us to lower air and noise pollution emissions from motor vehicles, as well as reduce urban decay caused by various road works. In fact, the use of a bicycle compared to a car reduces the carbon footprint by 3.2 kg of CO2, the equivalent to the emissions from driving a car for 10 km. Moreover, by using these means of transport to get around, you will not have to worry about traffic, parking and ZTL zones.

Sardinia Natour offers you a service to rent bicycles quickly and easily, a unique experience to get around in freedom.

Supporting the local economy, from 0 km food to craft workshops

Another way to travel in an environmentally friendly way is to support local businesses, creating a link with the entire Sardinian community. But how do you support restaurants, bookshops, businesses and organisations that are involved in making the local and domestic economy work?  Here are some suggestions:

• Buying handcrafted souvenirs of various kinds;
• Tasting typical local products, such as different varieties of cheese and wine;
• Trying out restaurants, trattorias or agritourisms serving local, Km0 food;
• Visiting the various towns and villages to admire the magnificent historical monuments;
• participating in festivals, events and shows organised throughout the year;

In addition, a different and special way to help the economy of the area and live a different experience in Sardinia is to try out special activities such as: horseback riding for animal lovers, trekking for those who want to walk in the midst of nature, or renting a sailboat for those who want to tour the magnificent beaches surrounding the island.