{"id":1358,"date":"2025-04-25T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-25T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1358"},"modified":"2025-04-29T13:06:36","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:06:36","slug":"italian-island-with-perfect-little-tahiti-beach-gets-new-direct-uk-route","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/25\/italian-island-with-perfect-little-tahiti-beach-gets-new-direct-uk-route\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian island with perfect \u2018little Tahiti\u2019 beach gets new direct UK route"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"A\t<\/div>
Olbia is located on the Northern coast of Sardinia (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With white sandy beaches, ancient ruins, a quaint town square filled with cafes and restaurants, and easy access to the popular Costa Smeralda, Olbia has everything you could want from a Sardinian<\/a> getaway.<\/p>\n

And if that sounds like your dream holiday, you\u2019re in luck, as British Airways<\/a> is launching a new flight route from the UK to Olbia \u2014 right in time for summer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

As of May 25, BA will offer a weekly service between London City<\/a> and Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, making it easier than ever for Brits to visit the spectacular Italian island with over 200 beaches.<\/p>\n

Many are regarded as the most beautiful in the world, and one is even nicknamed \u2018Little Tahiti<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

While BA flights to Olbia are currently available from Edinburgh and Heathrow<\/a> airports, the central outbound airport and shorter journey time of this new addition is an exciting prospect for UK holidaymakers.<\/p>\n

What to see and do in Olbia<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Olbia, a small industrial town, is often seen as a base for exploring surrounding areas such as the Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast.<\/p>\n

However, tour operator Viator argues it \u2018boasts some of Sardinia\u2019s most stunning coastlines\u2019 with \u2018crystal-clear turquoise water and white-sand beaches, like Spiaggia Pittulongu, Punta della Saline, and Bados.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Sardinian\t<\/div>
Tavolara Island is well worth a visit (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To get a feel for the Gallura city, take a wander around the shops, restaurants and bars along the Corso Umberto, and watch the world go by with a coffee from Piazza Regina Margherita\u2019s numerous cafes.<\/p>\n

Or, if history\u2019s more your thing, head to the Museo Archeologico \u2013 which houses all sorts of ancient artefacts and relics \u2013 before visiting the Basilica of San Simplicio, a world-renowned and incredibly well-preserved church dating back to the 12th Century.<\/p>\n

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@whozleti<\/a> <\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccdGolfo Aranci, Olbia, Nemi \ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9 #fyp<\/a> #fyp\u30b7<\/a>#italy<\/a> #food<\/a> #italia<\/a> #italianfood<\/a> #italiansummer<\/a> #estate<\/a> #estateitaliana<\/a> #nemi<\/a> #olbia<\/a> #sardegna<\/a> #golfoaranci<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c Golden Hour: Piano Version \u2013 Andy Morris<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

About 20 minutes from Olbia is Porto San Paolo, where you can take a ferry to the rugged, marine-protected island of Tavolara. <\/p>\n

Popular with hikers and snorkellers alike, it features an array of wildlife, striking rock formations and pristine beaches.<\/p>\n

\u2018Little Tahiti\u2019<\/h2>\n

While Sardinia boasts dozens of otherworldly beaches, one of the most sought-after shorelines is Cala Brandinchi, otherwise known as \u2018Little Tahiti\u2019.<\/p>\n

More French Polynesia than Mediterranean<\/a>, this half-mile cove on Sardinia\u2019s northeastern coast has pillow-soft sand and translucent azure water that need to be seen to be believed.<\/p>\n

Best of all, the beach is about a 25-minute drive from the Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Seascape\t<\/div>
Marooned 120 miles off the Italian mainland, Sardinia is home to some of the world\u2019s best beaches (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But a word of warning: just like Cala Goloritze, another of Sardinia\u2019s most popular beaches, you\u2019ll need to reserve a spot at Cala Brandinchi. <\/p>\n

During peak season, from June 1 to September 30, visitors are capped at 1,500 per day. You can get a QR code for access here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How much do flights to Olbia cost? And how long does the journey take?<\/h2>\n

Depending on when you travel, round-trip fares from London City to Olbia via British Airways start from \u00a3258, with the journey taking around 2 hours and 10 minutes.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, the airline offers flights from Edinburgh or Heathrow, priced from \u00a3121 return and taking an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Olbia,\t<\/div>
Olbia is less than three hours by plane from UK airports (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Direct flights are also available between the UK and Olbia from the likes of easyJet<\/a>, Jet2<\/a> and TUI and Ryanair<\/a>.<\/p>\n

According to Skyscanner, the average journey time is 2 hours and 36 minutes, with last-minute tickets from as little as \u00a337.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the only change BA has made to its schedule this year.<\/p>\n

Next month, it will launch two more Italian routes \u2013 Rimini on the Adriatic Coast from London Heathrow, and\u00a0Salerno\u00a0on the Amalfi Coast from London Gatwick<\/a> \u2013 and twice-daily flights to Tokyo.<\/p>\n

This comes alongside the airline\u2019s return to the Georgian capital of Tbilisi after a 12-year hiatus, and to Kuala Lumpur for the first time in five years.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t8 exciting new flight routes from the UK to broaden your horizons in 2025\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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At least 50 new routes will launch from airports across the UK in 2025, opening year-round travel opportunities to destinations of all cultures and climates.<\/p>\n

Whether you\u2019re flying with Jet2 or\u00a0British Airways, travelling from\u00a0Birmingham<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Cardiff<\/a>, or seeking relaxation in summer or autumn, there are plenty of options.<\/p>\n

Check out Metro<\/strong>\u2019s top picks of the newest flight routes here<\/a>, then get your diary out and start planning.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Do you have a story to share?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Olbia is located on the Northern coast of Sardinia (Picture: Getty Images\/iStockphoto) With white sandy beaches, ancient ruins, a quaint town square filled with cafes and restaurants, and easy access to the popular Costa Smeralda, Olbia has everything you could want from a Sardinian getaway. And if that sounds like your dream holiday, you\u2019re in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1358"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1358\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1362,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1358\/revisions\/1362"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}