Sardinia

Sardinia is part of the Mediterranean area and shares its specific hazards. A few basic precautions are generally enough to stay out of trouble, especially during summer and autumn.

Sardinia is scarcely populated, in particular the interior; help is not always easily found, and there remain large patches of land where mobile-phone coverage is inexistent e.g. at the bottom of sheltered valleys. Terrain, despite the lack of high elevations, is generally rugged and steep; this, in combination with heat and lack of water, can quickly lead to disaster. Beware!

Summer is everywhere hot, and the sun quite strong; the usual precautions to avoid heatstroke and sunburns apply. From May to September, water scarcity in the country is a serious problem. Always take a lot of water with you especially so when hiking, even if you plan a short trip; bringing along fresh watery fruit such as peaches is also helpful. While tap water is generally but not always safe, it is recommended to buy bottled mineral water; remember that sweating implies loss of water and of mineral salts.

Autumn is generally fine, but can become very unpleasant because of the heavy rainstorms and hilly topography, creating possibilities for land- and mud- slides; always check the weather before planning a trip, even with your car. Winter and spring are generally safer, with pleasantly mild weather especially during the day and abundance of water; but remember that to higher elevations corresponds an increasingly colder weather and larger precipitation. Much of Sardinia especially the Western part is very windy from September to April; all drivers, and in particular those with campers, must exercise caution.

Some open-sea beaches are notorious for strong underwater currents in particular on the West coast; beware that warning signs are not always posted. Ask at your hotel or locals. The Mediterranean sea is no lily pond; every year, there are several people killed by drowning in Sardinia, and regularly victims are imprudent persons dragged from the shore by large waves.

Be careful when hiking in old mining districts Sulcis-Iglesiente, Sarrabus, Nurra; while local authorities have sealed off many dangerous areas, there remain some. Always avoid dark galleries, because they might hide vertical ventilation shafts; do not venture into closed areas look for the word Pericolo [Danger] or the usual warning signs. If you want to explore mines, go to the local tourist information agencies; they will direct you to organized tours. There have been tales of individuals mostly ex-mineworkers running their own private tours; avoid these, as they are illegal and extremely unsafe, because of risks of cave-ins, water infiltration, etc.

Local fauna and flora can be dangerous or source of discomfort. Three examples:

- Ticks Rhipicephalus sanguineus carry infectious diseases and are endemic to certain areas: avoid tall grass fields or close prolonged contact with domesticated animals in particular sheep.

- Lethal mushrooms among which Amanita phalloides are found in the island.

- Barracuda Sphyraena viridensis, Sphyraena sphyraena abounds in Sardinia; while excellent cooked, it can be dangerous alive.

Consult specialized texts for expert advice.

Sardinia has a very low criminal rate; even kidnapping, which targeted wealthy and at times not so wealthy individuals until the mid 1980's has completely disappeared. Some areas of Sardinia in particular the beautiful Orgosolo area in the Nuoro province have a longstanding reputation of family feuds; apart from the fact that foreigners were almost never involved in such disputes, these belong now mostly to the past.

Beware that some urban areas in particular the Sant'Elia district near the football stadium and the Is Mirionis district, both in Cagliari are unsafe.

Be wary of game hunters during the September-February period; check with locals, hotel employees, and the website of the Sardinian Region (http://www.regione.sardeg...) for legal hunting dates. Do not hike in the wilderness during these days! There are protected areas It. Oasi di protezione della fauna but even these are regularly raided by poachers, especially during the night.

From April/May to September fires plague Sardinia as the rest of the Mediterranean area; some are spontaneous wildfires, but most are criminal. Observe the usual precautions. It is generally forbidden to start domestic fires in forests. Check with local authorities; Sardinia is an autonomous region and Italian laws might be superseded by local provisions.

talk

Along with standard Italian, Sardinians speak one of the dialects of Sardinian language similar to Latin, but with some deep Semitic influence. In Alghero they also speak Catalan, while in the San Pietro Island they speak a Genoese dialect. Sardinians generally speak Italian when addressing people they do not know, even other Sardinians, as the four main dialects are rather different. With the exception of touristic areas, English is not widely spoken, even among the young; you might have better luck with French, especially with 50+ year-old people in the larger towns, but do not expect anything but Italian elsewhere.