At first, I was unsure if I should go to Santa Teresa because I didn’t have much time and everything felt like a rush. However, within less than 6 hours of being there, I already decided I would stay one more night.

What was it in Santa Teresa di Gallura that got me hooked?



After spending the last two days on the beach around Palau, just reading, eating and sleeping (maybe also swimming…occasionally), I started to get bored. Once I got to Santa Teresa, my host took me to Capo Testa that afternoon. I had heard about this place before but I didn’t really know what to expect. Turned out that there were rocks everywhere, and they were big enough that it was fun to climb up and down the rocks next to the sea.

So up and down we climbed, and I learned that I really liked being active. Beach holiday where you just lie there on the towel reading and talking just wasn’t my thing. It might be good for a day or two but then I would feel the need to move again. So the abundance of hiking trails in Capo Testa really got me hooked.



After that, we also hiked the nearby Valle della Luna, known for the hippy people who built their shelters there and stay all year long, or some that would camp there during the summer period, living in the wild and smoking weed just like that.



Apart from what it was famous for, though, the place was breathtakingly beautiful. As we entered the valley the sun was low over the horizon and the light was perfect. It seemed like this valley was under the spell. And once you got inside there were so many more hiking paths for you to discover. I decided to return to this place again next evening. It wasn’t a hard decision to make.

That night, I had a chance to sleep on a sailing boat. My Couchsurfing host rented out two apartments he had in town and he said if I wanted to stay I would have to sleep on a sailing boat with him. He asked if that would be okay for me and of course I said yes. How often would you get to sleep on a sailing boat like this?



He brought some prawns and vegetables for dinner. So after I got back from my hike that night, we made our way to the boat and started to grill our dinner right there, on the boat, surrounded by seawater. It was such a memorable experience.

I slept in the little cabin that night and he on the mattress on a bench outside. The small sailing boat consisted of the ‘bedroom’ I was in, a tiny toilet, small living room and an area designated for cooking. It was what I imagined sleeping in a converted can would be like, just that this was on the water instead of solid ground. The waves and wind made the boat rocked a little like I was in a baby clot, just perfect to put me to sleep.



Waking up on the boat wasn’t bad either, because as soon as you woke up, you were just there, surrounded by other boats, out in the fresh open air as the smell of seawater hit your nose and the morning sunshine hit your skin. It was a great experience but not the most comfortable way to live.

I think I would opt for a van life though…as soon as I learn how to drive that is.