Arrival at Cagliari airport. You are welcomed by our tour manager and transferred to your hotel. According to the arrival time lunch is at leisure. Dinner at the hotel in Santa Margherita di Pula and overnight stay. (Meals, B,D)

This morning explore the city centre of Cagliari with a guided walking tour. Lunch is at leisure. After lunch you will have your first culinary experience with a special treat; a local chef will introduce you to the art of Sardinian sweets. Amaretti, Sardinian almond biscuits, Pardula, dough filled with fresh ricotta cheese and spiced with safron and orange peel, Seadas, deep-fried pastry made with lard and filled with fresh sheep’s cheese, served warm and drizzled with honey or sugar. These are only a few of the sweets you will taste! Our chef will also show you the secret of one of his recipes! Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel in Santa Margherita di Pula. (Meals, B,D

After breakfast we depart for Calasetta. From here we take the ferry to the island of San Pietro located at the extreme western edge of Italy. We arrive in Carloforte a picturesque village, the only one on the island. Carloforte owes its name to the king of Sardinia Carlo Emanuele III and was founded in 1738 by Ligurian fishermen. You will explore the island in a 4x4 Jeep; lunch is included in a local restaurant, tasting typical dishes. Red Tuna is the main dish in this region and there are dozens of local tuna recipes. You may also be surprised to learn that the local cuisine has a strong influence from the Arabian world. Also remember to taste the cassulli cu pestu and curzetti, chickpea flour and the cashca, a vegetarian variant of the Tunisian couscous. In the afternoon we will take the ferry back to Calasetta and drive back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel in Santa Margherita di Pula. (Meals, B,L,D)

This morning is dedicated to a visit to Argiolas winery where you will learn about the Turriga vine. The family Argiolas opened the winery in the early 1900s; it was a home of farmers, olive groves and vineyards. The tradition has been handed down through the family; today the Winery is run by the third Argiolas generation. An expert will take you around the winery, showing the ancient equipment. The tour ends with a wine tasting served with some Sardinian speciality foods. In the afternoon our tour manager and driver are available to take you to one of the beautiful beaches nearby. Dinner and overnight stay in Santa Margherita di Pula. (meals, B,D)

Today we leave the south of Sardinia and head to the central area of the region. Your culinary experience today will be along the way to Oristano, at the Organic Farm of Cuscusa. It is located in the middle of Marmilla, in Gonnostramatza, in a fertile area of 190 hectares, surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation. The farm’s main activity is the breeding and rearing of domestic sheep. Sheep are reared principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep’s milk), and fibre (wool). You will visit the animal shelter and the milking parlour equipped with milking machine, the shearing area and all the logistics facilities necessary for the efcient functioning of the farm. All sheep at the farm have a pedigree, are highly selected and fed with organic forage and corn. The company also produces cheese, wine and organic extra virgin olive oil, but what prevails is the production of milk for sale to third parties and the sale of high quality meat. Lunch is served at the farm; simple homemade food served in a familiar and cosy ambiance. After lunch your journey continues to Oristano. Hotel check in, dinner and overnight stay in Oristano. (Meals, B, L, D)

In the morning you have free time to explore Oristano for shopping; lunch is at leisure. Your Sardinian journey continues this afternoon, visiting the production of Bottarg, another regional food of excellence. Often called the poor man’s caviar, bottarga is the Italian word for a dense cured fish roe made from tuna. The fishing company you will visit is called Cabras. The company is now in its fifth generation of fishermen and traders. The owner is Mrs Amadu, who dedicates her life with love and passion to the preparation of this particular ingredient. The visit to the fishing company is followed by an excursion to the Sinis territory. The particularly mild microclimate of this area makes these lands unique for the cultivation of the Vernaccia vines. You will be introduced to Mr Mauro Contini, the owner of Contini Winery at his vineyard. The vineyard is situated in the Sinis territory and Tirso Valley; the Contini family manages about 40 hectares of vineyards. End of the visit and drive back to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel and overnight stay. (Meals, B, D)

You cannot leave Sardinia without tasting the world renowned Cannonau wine and the Purceddu (roasted pork). Today we will explore Sardinian nature among the ancient oaks. In the mountains the shepherds cook the lunch under the shade of the age old junipers, among the flavours and perfumes of the natural environment. This is based on salami, cheese, boiled sheep with “patata perras,” roasted pork and typical bread. Of course, everything becomes twice as tasty when accompanied by the full-bodied local wine, Cannonau. The production of this particular red wine will be explored after lunch with a visit to the winery of Oliena. The origins of Cannonau are uncertain; it might have been introduced to the island in the fifteenth century during the colonisation of the Spaniards. However the discovery of grape seeds dates back to 3200 years ago. After the visit we will return to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay. (Meals, B, L, D)

Morning departure to Cagliari airport and back home.