🏖️ 🍺 ⛵
It's booked 🎉
Guga's Stag — Budoni, Sardinia
Villa Thia is ours. 8 lads, 4 nights, our own pool. Here's the trip.
🏡 The Villa — Villa Thia
A private 6-bedroom villa with its own pool and BBQ in Budoni / San Lorenzo, on the north-east coast. 8 beds for 8 of us — nobody shares. ~40 min from Olbia airport, ~10 min from the beach.
Bedrooms
6 BR · 8 beds
Bathrooms
4
Outside
Private pool + BBQ
Comfort
A/C throughout
Beach
~10 min Budoni
Airport
~40 min Olbia
📷 Photograph the villa on arrival. It's managed by Sardinia Unlimited but booked through Airbnb, so AirCover applies — take a few photos of the condition the moment we walk in (pool, rooms, kitchen). The listing's one review is 3★ purely over a checkout charge-dispute with the manager; the house itself was praised as “lovely, new, clean.” The photos are our backstop on any deposit/damage chat at the end.
📍 Where We Are — Budoni, NE Sardinia
Villa Thia sits in Budoni / San Lorenzo on the north-east coast — between buzzy San Teodoro (south) and the quiet Posada / Baronìa coast (north), with Olbia airport ~40 min up the road. We've got 2 hire cars, so everything below is an easy drive.
| From the villa | Drive | What |
|---|---|---|
| Budoni / Cala di Budoni | ~10 min | Our nearest town & beach — supermarkets, bars, golden sand |
| Porto San Paolo | ~20–25 min | Boat-day departure for Tavolara marine park |
| San Teodoro | ~20–25 min | The party town — beach clubs, nightlife, La Cinta beach |
| Cala Brandinchi / Lu Impostu | ~20–25 min | “Little Tahiti” — the world-class beaches |
| Olbia (OLB airport & old town) | ~40 min | Flights, Don Carlos / Il Macellaio steak, big shops |
| Porto Cervo / Costa Smeralda | ~1 h | Day trip — super-yachts, designer port, clifftop clubs |
🏖️ The Beaches
This stretch of coast is the whole reason to be here. On the doorstep are Budoni's own easy golden beaches; a 20-min hop south are the famous San Teodoro lagoons that land in Italy's top-10 lists.
| Beach | Drive | Quality | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cala di BudoniBudoni | ~10 min | Very good | Our local — long, shallow, golden; bars & parking. Easy default. |
| Baia Sant'AnnaBudoni | ~10 min | Very good | Thick golden sand, green-blue water, rarely crowded. |
| Porto Ottiolu / Li CucuttiBudoni | ~10–15 min | Very good | Marina + pine-backed turquoise bays just north of town. |
| Cala Brandinchi — “Little Tahiti”San Teodoro · #5 beach in Italy | ~20–25 min | World-class | White sand, shallow turquoise lagoon, Tavolara on the horizon. Pre-book required (see below). |
| Lu ImpostuSan Teodoro | ~20–25 min | World-class | Sister to Brandinchi — wide, shallow, family-calm. Pre-book required. |
| La CintaSan Teodoro | ~25 min | World-class | 3 km of sand for beach tennis/volley + kite/SUP hire. No booking needed. |
⚠️ Cala Brandinchi & Lu Impostu need booking in summer. From 1 Jun–30 Sep, both cap numbers and require an online reservation at santeodorospiagge.it. Slots open at 6pm two days before — so book the moment we know which day. Cost is tiny: a €1–2 per-person environmental contribution (€1 if our tourist tax is paid via the villa), plus ~€2.50/hr parking in Jul/Aug. La Cinta and all the Budoni beaches are free, no booking.
🎉 Activities — let's vote
We've really only got ~3 full days (Sat's arrival, Wed's home), so the move is: pick one boat day, one adrenaline hit, and one chilled thing — aim for ~£200–300pp on activities on top of the villa, not all of it. Here's the menu — vote in the group.
🌊 On the water — the big one
| Option | Drive | £/head | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tavolara boat day — private charterPorto San Paolo · Sole Sale | ~25 min | ~140 | THE day — everyone's in. Whole stag on one boat (holds 12), snorkel stops in the marine park, beers in the sun. Book now, August sells out. more ↗ |
| La Maddalena — Pink Beachfrom Palau | ~1 h | ~165–265 | Bigger, prettier version (Cala Coticcio “Tahiti”) but a long day + dearer. This OR Tavolara, not both. more ↗ |
| Self-drive dinghies — no licence2 boats × 40hp | ~25 min | ~70–85 | Skipper yourselves round the bays, 4 lads a boat. Cheaper + looser — but stays close to shore (not the full Tavolara trip). more ↗ |
🏎️ Adrenaline — pick one
| Option | Drive | £/head | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karting mini-GPPista Jolly Park, Budoni | ~10 min | ~20–70 | On the doorstep. Proper 8-man grid race with a podium — cheapest laugh on the list. Night races on, so do it as an evening (€20 a blast / ~€60 for a full GP). more ↗ |
| Quads / buggies off-roadRio Pitrisconi canyon | ~25 min | ~64 | Convoy through the canyon — dust, river crossings, racing your mates. A morning of buzz, then pool. more ↗ |
| Jet ski safari (guided)San Teodoro / Olbia coast | ~25 min | ~130–300 | Throttle-pinned coastal run. Priciest, and you need a boat licence to drive — so it's guided only. Only if we want a 2nd water day. more ↗ |
🌅 Chill & culture — pick one
| Option | Drive | £/head | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach-club / lido dayLa Cinta, San Teodoro | ~25 min | daybeds | Daybeds, music, bar service on the sand — the hungover-friendly social day. Beach tennis + banana boat on tap. |
| Gallura wine tastingSurrau, Arzachena | ~1 h | ~40 | Vermentino on a gorgeous terrace — bundle it with a Costa Smeralda / Porto Cervo day, not a standalone errand. more ↗ |
| Beach day + watersportsLa Cinta / Cala Brandinchi | ~20–25 min | free–25 | “Little Tahiti” white sand. Beach tennis free; SUP / banana / pedalo paid on the day. The no-booking default. watersports ↗ |
| Sunset aperitif cruiseTavolara, evening | ~25 min | ~45–100 | 3 h golden-hour sail, drink in hand. (Largely covered if the full boat day wins — either/or.) more ↗ |
🤿 For the keen few
| Option | Drive | £/head | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scuba try-diveTavolara marine park | ~25 min | ~110–128 | First dive with an instructor, no experience needed (Chrisso wreck / Molara cliffs). A splinter for the keen — Sun/Mon only, no diving the day before flying. more ↗ |
🍸 One big night out
San Teodoro is the area's nightlife hub — Ambra Night (faces the beach), Luna Glam (trendy, guest DJs), or Bal Harbour by La Cinta (churrasco + DJ pool party = dinner and the night in one). Entry ~€15–30. Pre-book a taxi back to Budoni. (One big one is plenty — the rest are pool/villa nights.)
📅 The 4-day shape
| Day | Plan |
|---|---|
| Sat 22Arrive | Land Olbia 16:30, grab the 2 cars, big shop in Budoni, settle in — pool BBQ + beers. |
| Sun 23Boat day | Tavolara charter (the big one) — in early so wind can't write off the trip. Dinner out after. |
| Mon 24Adrenaline | Quads (or karting) in the morning, pool in the afternoon. Sardinian feast night. |
| Tue 25Flex / split | Your call with 2 cars: Costa Smeralda + wine, beach-club day, or a try-dive. Steak night or the big night out. |
| Wed 26Home | Pack, fuel + drop the cars at Olbia, fly back 18:10. |
⚠️ Vote smart: ~3 real days, so 1 boat + 1 adrenaline + 1 chill (~£200–300pp), not the whole list — it stacks up fast. Book the boat now (August sells out). Jet skis need a licence (guided only). No diving the day before flying. We'll do the boat day early in case the wind blows a day out.
Day trips (~1 h, if we fancy a change)
👑 Porto Cervo / Costa Smeralda — super-yacht port, designer strip (+ Surrau wine)
🏰 Posada — medieval Castello della Fava, one of Italy's prettiest villages (~20 min)
⛵ La Maddalena archipelago (the bigger boat day)
🍽️ Food & Drink
One villa BBQ night, one marquee steak night, a proper Sardinian porceddu feast, and a seafood lunch or two. Set-menu agriturismi are made for 8 — one price, drinks included, no faff. Book everything ahead — August is peak.
🥩 The marquee meat night
| Where | Drive | €/head | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Don Carlos Steakhouse & BBQOlbia · ☎ +39 340 113 8662 | ~40 min | 50–70 | Best steak in range — Argentine cuts + real Wagyu + American BBQ, 4.8★ (700+), private group room. The splurge. |
| Bisteccheria Il MacellaioSan Teodoro (Via Lu Licciu) | ~20–25 min | 30–40 | Tableside butchery theatre (fiorentina, scottona) near the nightlife — roll into a club after. Cheaper + closer. |
| Bal Harbour churrascoLa Cinta, San Teodoro | ~25 min | 40–60 | All-you-can-eat grilled meat + DJ / pool party — dinner and the night out in one. |
🐷 The Sardinian feast (porceddu + wine)
| Where | Drive | €/head | The shout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Li MoriSan Teodoro · ☎ +39 348 860 7678 | ~20–25 min | 45 | Best feast — antipasti, 3 firsts, porceddu, 3 desserts; wine/water/coffee/digestivo included. Closed Mon; books up fast. |
| Agriturismo Su NuragheBudoni (Muriscuvo) | ~10–15 min | ~34–40 | Closest & cheapest — full feast, porceddu, malloreddus, wine in. Shortest taxi home. |
| Agriturismo Cabu AbbasOlbia | ~40 min | 55 | The richest feast — ~17 dishes, 4.6★, everything included. Pricier + further. |
The rest
⭐ Groom blow-out (Michelin)
Gusto by Sadler — 1 Michelin star, Baglioni Resort (~25 min). Claudio Sadler's creative Mediterranean tasting (veg menu too). The one “special” meal. Closed Tue; book well ahead, dress code. ☎ +39 0784 190 8000.
🐟 Seafood near base
Blueside / Il Colle, Porto Ottiolu (~10–15 min) — harbour views, grilled octopus, fresh pasta. Stops it being meat four nights running.
⛵ Boat-day lunch
Re di Tavolara (da Tonino), Porto San Paolo — seafood on a beach veranda by the boat marina. Great setting; don't over-order.
🍕 Casual / takeaway
Pizzeria La Suprema & Il Pirata, Porto Ottiolu (~10 min) — both do takeaway. Note: Glovo/JustEat only reach Olbia, so it's collection, not delivery.
🍸 Aperitivo
La Cambusa, Porto Ottiolu — wine + cheese/charcuterie to start the evening before a late Italian dinner.
🎉 The club after
Ambra Night (faces the beach, ~€15–30 entry) or Luna Glam — San Teodoro, ~20–25 min. Pre-book a late taxi back to Budoni.
⚠️ Before you book: August is peak — reserve now. Pre-order the porceddu (Li Mori, Su Nuraghe). Confirm a table for 8 on the exact date and watch closures (Li Mori Mon, Gusto by Sadler Tue, Don Carlos Sat dinner-only). For Il Macellaio, confirm the San Teodoro / Via Lu Licciu branch. Prices are peak-season ballparks — confirm on the call.
✈️ Logistics
✈️ Flights — London → Olbia (OLB)
Fly into Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB) — ~40 min from the villa. ~2 h 15 direct from London (easyJet from Gatwick, plus BA, Ryanair, Jet2). Peak-August return roughly £180–320. Try to land together so we can split into the 2 cars.
🚗 Cars — 2× 7-seaters
Eight of us = two 7-seater minivans from OLB. August is peak: roughly €83–150/day each — reckon €700–1,100 total for the cars over 4 days. Book 2+ weeks ahead, stock sells out. Compare Europcar/Hertz/Sixt/Avis on Kayak or Rentalcars.
🛒 The villa shop
Big shop on arrival: Conad and other supermarkets in Budoni town, plus a supermarket, pharmacy & petrol at Porto Ottiolu (~10 min). Stock the BBQ, beers and breakfasts — we've got the pool, do most days in.
📱 Good to know
Paying the tourist tax via the villa halves the beach contribution to €1pp. Carry a bit of cash for beach parking & small bars. Download the San Teodoro beaches booking site before we go.
The 4-day shape (Sat 22 → Wed 26 Aug)
- Sat 22 — Arrive. Fly LGW → Olbia, grab the 2 cars, big shop in Budoni, settle into the villa. First BBQ & beers by the pool.
- Sun 23 — Beach + nightlife. Cala Brandinchi or La Cinta (book Brandinchi Fri 6pm), beach tennis + long lunch, then San Teodoro out — Ambra / Luna Glam.
- Mon 24 — Boat day + steak. Private RIB round Tavolara from Porto San Paolo, snorkel stops. Big steak night at Il Macellaio in the evening.
- Tue 25 — Choose your own. Slow pool morning, then quads / dive / Porto Cervo day trip. Last villa dinner.
- Wed 26 — Home. Pack, drop the cars, fly back from Olbia.
✅ The Crew & The Split
Eight of us, eight beds — nobody shares.
🤴 Guga (groom)
Hugo
Rafinha
Grilo
Maciek
Arty
Dedé
Fran
The money
Villa total £3,794 for 4 nights → ~£474pp @8. Boat day adds roughly €160–230pp, cars ~€100–140pp, plus flights, food & nights out. Settle the villa share with Hugo:
Pack / sort
- Passport valid past late Nov (Brazilian passports — check early, they take a while) + travel insurance that covers boat / quad / dive
- Drivers: full licence + a credit card (not Monzo/Revolut) for the car deposit — non-UK licence needs an international permit
- An EU eSIM if your plan doesn't roam (you'll want maps + the beach-booking app)
- Beach-tennis set + speaker for the pool
- Reef-safe sun cream, caps, a light layer for boat-day evenings
- Some euros cash (beach parking, small bars, tips)
- Book: boat day, steak night, beach slots, 2 cars — once dates are locked
Villa booked 4 Jun 2026 via Airbnb. Prices for boat/cars/flights are live August ballparks (operators & comparison sites) — treat as estimates, not locked quotes, until we book. Beach pre-booking & fees per santeodorospiagge.it.