How to get there: From Northern Italy catch a ferry from Livorno (near Pisa) or Genova (in Liguria), or from southern Italy get on the ferry from Civitavecchia (Lazio, near Rome) or Palermo (in Sicily) to Olbia. Once in Olbia, take the costal highway SS 125 south, toward Cagliari. Once in Dorgali (about an hour and a half), follow signs for Cala Gonone and Cala Luna and, voila! If the boat isn’t your favorite transportation, you can fly from Rome, Napoli, or Genova to Alghero, Cagliari, or Olbia; Alitalia or Ryan Air usually offer good fares. 

Cultural attractions: Sardegna is not only known for its sandy, white beaches and the tasty savoiardi, but the archeological ruins of Nuoro, I Nuraghi -- trademark conical monuments with truncated summits, 30 to 60 feet high and 35 to 100 feet in diameter.  They are, essentially, very fancy graves shaped like giant igloos. 

For Spanish-city lovers, visiting Alghero is a must.  Also known as Barcheloneta (little Barcelona), Alghero is a Catalan city with Spanish-style fortifications. Also, once there, peek at the Grotte di Nettuno at Capo Caccia, which takes its name from the god Neptune and houses wonderful stalactites and stalagmites.

History freaks who known of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the “hero of the two worlds,” must go to Caprera, in the Archipelago of the Maddalena in the northern part of Sardegna, where he was buried.

Where to sleep: Municipal campground Cala Gonone, open May through October. Or, if you feel like sleeping in a real bed, check out the numerous pensioni (cheap guest houses).  Flexible budget? Great -- rent an apartment in Dorgali, the nearest city.  

Suggested Travel Guides: Arrampicare a Cala Gonone and Pietra di Luna, both available online. 

Federica, or Fedex as we in the office call her, just received her college degree in PreMed from CU-Boulder.  She will be finishing her internship at the end of July, then climbing in Italy with her little sister, Benedetta.  Next year, she plans to teach yoga in Boulder while waiting to get into graduate school for a Masters in journalism.