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The island of Sardinia is a very popular travel destination with both Italians from the mainland and with visitors from across Europe.

It is situated east of Italy, in the Mediterranean Sea, just a few kilometres south of the French island of Corsica. The climate is quite hot in the summer, mild but rarely cold in the winter, making it a popular destination all year round.

Sardinia is a destination with two facets: the popular, well known, side to the island focusing on beaches, harbours and Italian sophistication; and the less known interior of the island where quiet hill villages that have been little affected by tourism carry on life much as they have for several centuries.

Occupied and invaded numerous times over the last 2500 years, Sardinia also bears the traces of many different rulers. The Ancient Greeks, the Carthaginians and Romans, then later the Arabs, Byzantines and Spaniards have all left their mark on the island and helped to shape the unique culture that we see today.

Remnants of one civilisation that you will see signs of across the island is a great mystery. Known as the Nuraghe people, they established homes, fortresses and other temples and tombs in various remote and unwelcoming parts of the island, traces of many of which can still be seen today.

We share four of the top sights not to be missed as you make your way around the island:

Anghelu Ruju

No visit to Sassari is complete without visiting the Anghelu Ruju, one of the most important archaeological sites in the Mediterranean.

This huge area of ancient artificial caves was accidentally discovered in 1903 before being purchased by one of Sardinia's most celebrated wine producers, Sella e Mosca.

The caves were used by different civilisations from around 3000BC to 1500BC. Many of the tombs are gouged out of the ground so they can be entered through low doorways. These tombs are some of the best examples of what Sards call the "Domus de Jonas" which means fairies' or witches' houses.

These tombs are scattered throughout the island and most of them are connected by a series of passages. Most of the dead were embalmed in these tombs and mass burials were often a common thing. The dead were sometimes half cremated and even skinned before the burial.

Neptune's Grotto

Walk down 650 steps at Alghero and you'll be rewarded with a glimpse inside Neptune's Grotto, a fascinating complex of caves. Discovered by fishermen in the eighteenth century, dramatic lighting is used to enhance the multitude of stunning stalactites and stalagmites.

As you walk through a number of different caves, you'll finally reach the Grand Chamber, where enormous columns of rock protrude from the roof, merging into the walls, contorting into wondrous organic formations before finally plunging into a placid lake of salt water below. At the time of discovery, the superstitious locals deeply believed that Neptune himself lived in these remarkable caves with his nymphs and mermaids, hence the name.

One centimetre of limestone takes about one hundred years to form, so you can imagine the painstaking natural process that has been going on here for thousands of years. Drops of natural rain water seep in from the ground above, dragging with them the calcium carbonate found in the earth. These droplets then drip from the ceiling onto the floor, and once the water evaporates, the calcium is left behind forming deposits of limestone stalactites and stalagmites. Inside, you'll see them shaped into church organ pipes, helmets of medieval warriors, curled up tobacco leaves and delicate chandeliers of rock.

Parco dei sette Fratelli

The Parco dei sette Fratelli, or The Seven Brothers Park is located in Cagliari, and has been a protected park since 1886. Well-worn paths will take you past holm-oaks, cork-oaks, Mediterranean vegetation, alders, oleanders and willow trees. You might even be lucky enough to spot the Sardinian deer together with wild boars and moufflons.

Cagliari is also famous for being home to the ruins of the roman amphitheatre and the ruins of Nora. But it is most well known for its beautiful beaches, including the Poetto Beach with its turquoise waters and the Calamosca Beach which is only a short distance away from the city.

Nuraghi

The Sardinian landscape is dotted with more than 7,000 nuraghi, mysterious stone towers belonging to the Bronze Age. These monumental towers of stone are not found anywhere else on earth, and are significant enough to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Megolithic Towers belong to a Bronze Age culture that lived about 3000 years ago. The use of the nuraghes has not been determined: they could have been religious temples, ordinary dwellings, rulers' residences, military strongholds, meeting halls or a combination of all of these.

Nuraghes are found all over Sardinia, and you can often just get out of the car and visit one. The best examples are found at Su Nuraxi di Barumini, Santu Antine, Su Nuraxi, Losa and Arrubiu.