Chia Laguna
Chia Laguna is a resort of three hotels sharing one site inside a protected stretch of coast at Chia, on the south-west corner of Sardinia in Italy. Families come for the setting and the spread: a mini-train that runs all day down to a long golden beach, cottage rooms in gardens with free kids' clubs from age three, professional-coach football academies in summer and a run of Sardinian restaurants across the grounds.
On this page
Is it worth it?
Who Chia Laguna suits, how the three hotels differ and the facts to skim first.
Chia Laguna is three hotels sharing one large site inside a protected coastal reserve, and which one you book shapes the holiday. The Village, a four-star hotel of cottage rooms in gardens, is the family hub, with the kids' clubs, the main buffet and most of the pool life. Baia di Chia and the Conrad are the two five-star hotels, one adult-oriented on the clifftop and one the luxury tier, and you can use most of the shared facilities whichever you're in. The draw for families is the setting and the spread: a mini-train that runs down to a long golden beach through the day, free kids' clubs from age three, summer sports academies run by professional coaches and a spread of Sardinian restaurants. It was named Italy's Leading Family Resort at the World Travel Awards in 2018 and 2019. The main things to weigh are that there's no all-inclusive plan here, so dinners and the academies are paid extras that add up, and the resort is big enough to feel overwhelming on the first day.
Best for
You want a family base with kids' clubs, a real beach reached by a mini-train and Sardinian food across the site, and you're happy to book the Village and pay for dinners rather than an all-inclusive.
Maybe not for
You want everything in one price, a small resort that's easy to get around from day one or you're booking the adult-oriented Baia with young children.
Best ages
Toddlers upwards. The kids' clubs start at three and the sports academies take fives to sixteen; under-threes are served by the Baby Welcome kit and feeding corners rather than a crèche.
What stands out
The mini-train ride to the beach that small children love, the protected dune-and-lagoon setting with its flamingos and summer coaching from the Inter and Juventus academies.
What to check
Which of the three hotels suits you, and whether to add the Chia Passport dining plan or budget for meals as you go.
Where is it?
In a protected coastal reserve at Chia on the south-west coast of Sardinia, about 50 to 60 minutes from Cagliari airport.
Quick facts for families
What the resort is like
How the three hotels sit together, how you get around and the way the board basis works.
Chia Laguna sits in a protected natural area at Chia, on the south-west coast of Sardinia, and markets itself as a nature resort: low-rise buildings in local materials and natural colours, set among the Mediterranean maquis, the scrub of juniper, rosemary and myrtle that covers this coast. It's run by the Italian Hospitality Collection, and it works as one integrated site of three hotels sharing a single main beach, Dune di Campana, with each hotel keeping its own pools and character.
The Village is the four-star hotel and the family heart of the resort, with 240 rooms in low-rise cottage blocks set through the gardens. This is where the kids' clubs, the Domus family buffet, the main show stage and the poolside Mezze restaurant are, so it's the hotel most families book. Baia di Chia Resort Sardinia, Curio Collection by Hilton, is a five-star hotel of 77 rooms and suites up on the headland above Chia Bay, run as an adult-oriented hotel. The Conrad Chia Laguna is the five-star luxury tier, 107 rooms and suites in two areas, with its own La Terrazza restaurant, the Bar Bollicine and Bar Bioaquam and the Conrad Spa.
Guests can use facilities across the whole resort, with a couple of limits worth knowing. Some restaurants need a supplement or a booking rather than being open to everyone, and two of the Conrad's bars, Bar Bollicine and Bar Bioaquam, are kept for Conrad guests only, with no supplement route to get in. Everything else, from the beach to the pools and the kids' clubs, is shared.
Getting around means walking the low-rise, garden-laid-out site, which is generally manageable with a pushchair, though the ground-floor Garden and Superior rooms are the easiest for buggies while the first-floor rooms involve stairs. The one piece of internal transport is the mini-train down to the beach, which runs guests to and from Dune di Campana through the day. For the rest of the site, plan on walking between the hotels and the pools. For the wider island, its beaches and when to go, see our Sardinia guide.
Board basis and dining plans
There's no all-inclusive plan at Chia Laguna, which is the first thing to understand if you're used to that format. Bed and breakfast is the default at the Village and at Baia di Chia. The Conrad is on half board, with La Terrazza as its included dinner restaurant, and Conrad guests can dine at the other resort restaurants by booking directly at the hotel.
For families at the Village, the dining add-on is the Chia Passport, a paid plan that covers lunch at Mezze and a dine-around of dinners at a rotating set of restaurants, the Domus family buffet, Bar Il Canneto, Osteria La Torre, Sa Mesa and Mezze, with La Terrazza and Il Ginepro available on top at a supplement. Village guests book their dinners through the Chia Passport system or at the hotel, and Conrad guests book through their own hotel. Popular restaurants, especially La Terrazza and the beach restaurant, are worth reserving early, so ask the hotel about timing. Dress is Sardinian smart-casual in the evening, with no formal dress code.
Every restaurant and bar
Each place to eat and drink across the site, how children are catered for and how booking works.
Food is spread across the site rather than gathered in one buffet hall, with eight restaurants, seven bars and a snack service. The range of cooking, Sardinian and Italian at its core, is one of the things families come back praising, though it's one highlight among several rather than the single reason to book.
Domus, in the Village, is the main family buffet and the restaurant you'll use most in the evening. It's set up for young children, with high chairs, a dedicated kids' buffet for over-threes at dinner and an Infant Corner where parents can prepare food for babies. It's a core Chia Passport dinner venue. Mezze, also in the Village, is the casual poolside restaurant for lunch and daytime eating, with an Eastern Mediterranean slant; it's included in the Chia Passport for lunch and dinner, and it too has an Infant Corner at lunchtime for under-threes.
Osteria La Torre is a traditional osteria, an informal Italian eating house, serving speciality pizzas alongside Sardinian dishes, and it's part of the Chia Passport dinner rotation, which makes it an easy family choice. Sa Mesa is communal dining in the traditional Sardinian style, a set menu of local recipes using locally sourced ingredients, also in the Passport rotation. Bioaquam is a wellness-led restaurant built on the island's Blue Zone reputation, Sardinia being one of the places in the world known for unusually long-lived residents, with light, largely plant-based plates; it's open to all guests.
La Terrazza, at the Conrad, is contemporary Sardinian cooking served on a panoramic terrace over the bay, open for breakfast and dinner; it's the half-board venue for Conrad guests and a supplement dinner for everyone else. Il Ginepro, at Baia di Chia, is an intimate restaurant with a seasonal Sardinian menu; it's the Baia guests' own dinner restaurant and open to others as a supplement. Le Dune Beach Restaurant & Lounge Bar sits in the gardens by the beach, serving seafood by day and in the evening, an easy lunch spot when you're already down at the sand.
All the restaurants offer children's menus, so a fussy eater has options everywhere. The two feeding corners are the practical bit for the youngest: the Infant Corner at Mezze at lunchtime and at Domus at dinner gives parents the equipment to prepare food for children under three, and the kids' buffet at Domus dinner suits over-threes eating on their own schedule.
The bars run from beachside kiosks to a champagne lounge. Bar Piazza is the central piazza cafe for Italian coffee, baked goods and homemade gelato, and it becomes an evening focal point for live performances. Bar Il Canneto sits by the semi-Olympic pool near Baia di Chia, serving meals to the table with barbecue evenings in July and August, and it's included in the Chia Passport. Down at the sand, the Le Dune Beach Kiosk at Dune di Campana and the Chia Beach Bar at Monte Cogoni serve drinks, ice cream and espresso, both with delivery from PA-NI-NO, the resort's gourmet sandwich corner that brings snacks to your umbrella at the beach and pools. The Le Dune Lounge Bar is a separate aperitif spot near the main beach. The Conrad's two bars stay for Conrad guests only: Bar Bollicine is a champagne and sparkling-wine bar with a terrace, live music on summer evenings and food through the day, and Bar Bioaquam serves a light lunch, cocktails, smoothies and organic wines.
How dining and booking work
Village guests are on bed and breakfast and either add the Chia Passport for lunch and dine-around dinners or pay for dinners as they go. Conrad guests are on half board at La Terrazza and can book the other restaurants through their hotel. Baia guests have Il Ginepro as their own restaurant. Most restaurants are open to all guests with a supplement or booking; the exceptions are the two Conrad bars, which stay Conrad-only. Reservations are made through the hotel, so put popular restaurants in early and confirm the arrangements when you arrive.
Rooms and suites
Every Village room type with its official size, the rooms at the two five-star hotels, then the pools and the beach.
The Village publishes an official size for all fourteen of its room types, so that's where a family with a baby or toddler has the clearest picture. The two five-star hotels publish fewer sizes. The table below is the full Village line-up; the guidance after it is which suit young children.
| Room | Size | Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Room | 20 m² | King bed; cot or connecting room on request |
| Classic Plus Room | 24 m² | First floor, overlooks the garden; connecting room on request |
| Classic Room with Balcony | 20 m² | First floor, king bed, balcony |
| Classic Plus Room with Balcony | 24 m² | First floor, balcony |
| Garden Room | 21 m² | Ground floor, opens to a small garden |
| Garden Plus Room | 25 m² | Ground floor, small garden |
| Superior Room | 21 m² | Ground floor, patio doors to an enclosed garden |
| Superior Plus Room | 25 m² | Patio doors to a private enclosed garden |
| Pool Room | 21 m² | Around the central pool, enclosed garden |
| Pool Plus Room | 25 m² | Around the central pool, enclosed garden |
| Family Classic Room | 40 m² | Two bedrooms and one bathroom on the same floor |
| Family Garden Room | 40 m² | A bedroom on the ground floor and one above, plus a garden, linked by stairs |
| Family Superior Room | 40 m² | A bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor and a second above, linked by stairs |
| Family Pool Room | 40 m² | A ground-floor room and an upper room with an enclosed garden, by the central pool |
For a family, the key question is whether you need a door to close on a napping baby. The standard Village rooms run from 20 m² up to 25 m² and sleep a couple with a cot, with a cot or a connecting room available on request in most of them, subject to availability. The four Family rooms, all 40 m², are the ones that give separate sleeping space: the Family Classic has two bedrooms sharing one bathroom on the same floor, while the Family Garden, Family Superior and Family Pool are split-level cottages with a bedroom downstairs and another above, linked by an internal staircase. The split-level layouts give real separation but mean stairs between the two bedrooms, worth picturing with a toddler who wanders at night.
For pushchair access, the ground-floor Garden and Superior rooms are the easiest, opening straight onto a small or enclosed garden with no stairs, while the Classic Plus and Balcony rooms are on the first floor. Across all the Village rooms you get a minibar, a TV, Wi-Fi, a shower bathroom and Culti toiletries. Cots go in most of the non-Family rooms on request, and connecting rooms depend on availability, so ask for both when you book rather than counting on them.
Baia di Chia is run as an adult-oriented hotel, described by the resort as perfect for adults, so if you're travelling with children, contact the resort directly before booking there. Its rooms are Curio Collection by Hilton, on the headland with terraces looking over the maquis, lagoon, bay or sea. One quirk to note is that its largest room, the Suite Incanto, with two king bedrooms, a living room, three bathrooms and a veranda with a jacuzzi, is marketed as the best option for families even though the hotel itself leans adult, so it's worth clarifying with the resort what that means in practice.
| Room | View | Layout and features |
|---|---|---|
| King Deluxe Room | Maquis | 26 m², private terrace; baby cot on prior request |
| King Deluxe Accessible Room | Maquis | Adapted for accessibility |
| King Deluxe Room, Lagoon View | Flamingo lagoon | Terrace looking over the lagoon |
| King Deluxe Room, Bay View | Chia Bay | Terrace; sleeps two adults |
| King Deluxe Room, Sea View | Sea and bay | Terrace over the sea and Chia Bay |
| King Suite, Sea View | Sea | A separate living room with a sofa bed, a king bedroom and a sea terrace |
| Suite Incanto | Bay | Two king bedrooms, a living room with a sofa bed, three bathrooms and a veranda with a jacuzzi |
Only the Baia King Deluxe has a published size, at 26 m²; the other Baia rooms and suites don't list one. The Conrad has 107 rooms and suites across two areas, without individual room sizes listed; larger suites there have two bedrooms and a living room, and some rooms interconnect, sleeping up to five. If exact room size or a specific family layout matters to you at either five-star hotel, ask them directly.
Pools and water features
There are six pools across the whole site: five general pools, one of which is a paddling pool for the youngest guests, plus a separate kids' pool in the miniclub area. Five of the six can be named individually, and none of the pools has a published size or depth.
The ones you can pin down are the Village central pool, the main outdoor pool with a fenced garden around it and the Pool Rooms arranged nearby; the Village paddling pool for babies and early walkers; the extra miniclub kids' pool in the children's club area; the semi-Olympic pool with lanes, set in the greenery for training and lane swimming; and the Bar Il Canneto pool next to Baia di Chia, with its poolside bar. There's no splash pad, water slides or water cannons here, so the water play is swimming and paddling rather than a mini water park. Pool depths aren't listed, so if a specific shallow depth matters for a toddler, check with the resort before you book.
The beach
The main beach, Dune di Campana, is fine golden sand with clear turquoise water and a gently shelving seabed, which is what you want with toddlers paddling at the edge. It's about 700 metres from the Village and Conrad, and the mini-train shuttle runs guests down and back through the day, which removes the walk and is the part small children tend to love most. Loungers and umbrellas are typically provided for guests at the beach, and the resort runs supervised "Beach Bums" sessions there for children, with nature hunts and sandcastles. Watersports operate from this beach too, covered in the things-to-do section below. Chia Bay's beaches are consistently rated among Sardinia's cleanest for sand and water quality.
Baia di Chia has its own beach, Monte Cogoni, a stretch of golden sand at the base of the headland kept for Baia guests. It's reached down 60 rock-cut steps, so it's scenic but not pushchair or wheelchair accessible, and it's a different proposition from the easy mini-train run to Dune di Campana. Beyond the resort, some of Sardinia's most admired beaches are a short drive away, Su Giudeu, Tuerredda, Piscinnì and Cala Cipolla among them, which are worth a day out and covered further down.
Babies and toddlers
What's here for young children, everything that fills a day, the spa and the days out around Chia.
The main thing for the youngest guests is the Chia Baby Welcome kit, for children aged 4 to 35 months, which you book in advance. It brings a stroller, a changing table, a baby tub and a bottle warmer to the room, which saves carrying some of the bulkiest gear. There's no crèche or nursery for under-threes; the kids' clubs start at three, so for babies and younger toddlers the Baby Welcome kit and the mealtime feeding corners are the offer. Those feeding corners, the Infant Corner at Mezze at lunch and Domus at dinner, give parents equipment to prepare food for under-threes.
The kids' clubs run in four age bands and are free for guests. The Mini Club takes threes to fives with painting, play and craft; the Cadet Club covers sixes to tens with group games, activities and challenges; the Junior Club for elevens to thirteens leans into sport, five-a-side and beach volleyball; and the Adventure Club runs social activities for fourteens to seventeens. Some individual activities within the clubs carry an extra charge. The club hours are set out on the daily programme at the resort, so check it once you're there rather than planning tightly around session times. For an evening out, babysitting is available at an extra charge, arranged in advance through the resort.
One practical point: there's no baby shop on site, so for nappies, formula or children's medicine your nearest options are Pula, about 11 miles (18 km) away, which has a pharmacy, or Cagliari, about 31 miles (50 km) away, both needing a car or taxi. It's worth bringing enough of the essentials for the stay.
Things to do
There's a lot laid on, much of it outdoors in the natural setting. At the beach, the watersports centre covers wingfoiling, windsurfing and sailing lessons with Italian Sailing Federation instructors, plus canoes and pedaloes to take out. On dry land there are clay or artificial tennis courts with lessons from a certified instructor, padel courts with free morning sessions in a group or one-to-one, a five-a-side pitch plus beach football, a basketball court, beach volleyball and mountain, road and e-bikes with guided rides through the reserve. Evenings centre on live performances at the Piazza degli Ulivi stage, the gelato and live music at Bar Piazza and the summer music at Bar Bollicine. There's also ChiaTRI, an annual spring multi-sport event with non-competitive versions for all ages.
The sports academies are a distinctive part of the offer and a reason some families choose the resort. In summer weeks it runs coaching for children aged 5 to 16: an Inter Academy with Inter Milan-trained coaches, twice-daily sessions from 9am to 11am and 5pm to 6pm, running 20 to 24 July, 27 to 31 July and 3 to 7 August 2026; a Juventus Academy, running 6 to 10 July, 13 to 17 July, 17 to 21 August and 24 to 28 August; and GZ19 Football Legends with the former Italy player Gianluca Zambrotta, running 10 to 14 August. There's also a Padel Academy and Retreat in two age bands, 5 to 12 and 12 and over, with Monday-to-Friday morning sessions running 20 to 24 July, 3 to 7 August and 24 to 28 August, a Nature Fit Academy for tens and up and a Yoga Academy and adult dance for over-eighteens. The paid academies run from about €175 for a single day up to €600 for a five-day week per child, with the kit included from four days or €85 to buy for a shorter stay (2026 season). Dates are for the 2026 season, so check the current calendar for other years. The Chia Dance Academy and Chia Musical Academy are both free and run for fives to sixteens, each an hour a day over five days, ending with a performance: the Dance Academy runs morning sessions, 27 to 31 July and 10 to 14 August 2026, and the Musical Academy runs evening sessions, 20 to 24 July and 3 to 7 August.
Beyond the academies there are bookable children's experiences: Little Sardinian Chefs, a cooking class where children roll culurgiones, the local stuffed pasta, taste olive oil and herbs and take home a mini apron and a junior chef certificate; the supervised Beach Bums beach sessions; Kids' Treat Time, junior spa rituals for eights to sixteens that can run alongside a parent's treatment; and Message in a Bottle, a resort-wide treasure hunt with separate children's and adults' versions on set days. The signature Little Explorer's Club adds bookable, nature-led supervised sessions separate from the structured clubs.
For adults and families together there's a run of nature and Sardinian experiences: the Sip & Sail Sardinia golden-hour sunset sail with wine and aperitivi, taken as a shared sail or a private charter, a guided off-road Quad to the Edge ride through pine woods and maquis (a driving licence is needed), Scenic Saddle Strolls on horseback through the pines and daily Yoga in the Wild. Others include Golden Hour Trails nature walks, Clay & Canvas painting or ceramics, Nonna's Table cooking with the chefs and an adults-only Clifftop Sunset dinner for a handful of covers on the Sky Deck. A few more, such as Wildlife Photography Walks and a Sardinian herb cocktail collection, round out the programme; the full list and the current schedule are on the resort's own experiences pages.
The spa
The resort's main spa is the Conrad Spa, at the Conrad hotel. Whether guests at the other two hotels can use it isn't spelled out, and since the Conrad's two bars are kept for Conrad guests, it's worth checking access when you book rather than assuming it's open to everyone. Its concept is the "Bioaquam Path", running from experiences and rituals through treatments and massages to a luxury tier, with a signature Sardinian Soul Rituals menu. The Sea Salt Ritual, for instance, uses a scrub of local rosemary, lavender and orange and sends you off with a pouch of Sardinian salt; the menu also lists a Wild Honey Ritual and a Mediterranean Wood Ritual. There's a fitness centre on site, and the junior spa rituals of Kids' Treat Time run for eights to sixteens. For prices, opening hours and the full treatment menu, ask the resort directly.
The area and days out
Chia sits in a protected natural area, and its lagoon is well known for the pink flamingos that feed there, visible from the lagoon-view rooms at Baia di Chia. Above Monte Cogoni beach stands the Chia Tower, a Spanish-era watchtower on the headland that's an easy landmark to pick out. The beaches nearby, Su Giudeu, Tuerredda, Piscinnì and Cala Cipolla, are among the finest on the island and a short drive away, worth the effort for a change from the resort sand.
Pula, about 11 miles (18 km) away, is the nearest town with shops, petrol and a pharmacy, and beside it is the Roman archaeological site of Nora, with mosaics, a theatre and a forum running down to the sea; the resort runs excursions there. Cagliari, Sardinia's capital, is about 31 miles (50 km) and an hour away, with its hilltop Castello district, markets and the long Poetto beach, a viable day out. Closer to hand, Domus de Maria, the village the resort belongs to, is about 4 miles (6 km) away and Teulada about 12 miles (20 km), both small with limited facilities. Other trips families take from here include Cannonau wine tasting, horse riding in the hinterland and the island's archaeological sites.
A hire car adds a lot of flexibility for beach-hopping and the towns, and it's worth knowing the resort's car park is gravel, which is awkward with suitcases, so bring a trolley or ask for help with the bags; parking itself is free.
Loves and gripes
What families rate and what they flag, how it compares, the journey in, the weather and the practical details.
The picture below draws on aggregated review sentiment rather than a stay of our own. A September 2025 review on the Pocket Sardinia blog put it around 4.0 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, 8.6 out of 10 on Booking.com, 8.2 on Expedia and 4.4 out of 5 on Google, with the blog's own review scoring the resort 7.5 out of 10. Scores move over time, so check the current ones when you book. At the World Travel Awards, Chia Laguna won Italy's Leading Family Resort in 2018 and 2019, then was a nominee again in 2020 without winning either that award or Europe's Leading Family Resort. Across the sources the same strengths and the same grumbles come up.
What families praise
- The mini-train ride down to the beach, singled out as a highlight for small children.
- Friendly, engaged kids' club staff.
- The natural setting, the flamingos, dunes and maquis.
- The professional-coach sports academies as a distinctive offer.
- The spread of restaurants, particularly the dine-around.
- The Baby Welcome pack for parents of under-threes.
What families flag
- Food and rooms described by some as improvable.
- Extras such as the academies and dining supplements adding up.
- The size of the resort feeling overwhelming on arrival.
- Peak-season crowds.
- The gravel car park being awkward with suitcases.
- No all-inclusive option, which some families prefer.
How it compares
Along the same south Sardinian corridor, Forte Village is the bigger, more premium neighbour, a larger resort at a higher price that took Italy's Leading Family Resort award for several years after Chia Laguna. Over on the south-east coast at Villasimius, Falkensteiner Resort Capo Boi is a more integrated all-inclusive, and its kids' club is one families tend to rate more highly, so it's the one to compare if you want childcare and dining bundled into one price. VOI Tanka Village, also near Villasimius, is a more straightforward all-inclusive alternative. Chia Laguna's own case is the protected natural setting, the mini-train beach and the sports academies, at a resort where you build the dining yourself rather than take it all-in.
Getting there and when to goGetting there
The nearest airport is Cagliari-Elmas (CAG), about 31 miles (50 km) away and roughly 50 to 60 minutes by road; the resort sits at the end of a 5 km spur off the SS195 coastal road, so you follow the sign for Chia and carry on. The resort's Chia Express transfer from the airport is a bookable add-on you request in advance rather than something laid on automatically, so arrange it ahead or plan a taxi or hire car. Sardinia's other airports are too far north to be realistic for this coast: Olbia Costa Smeralda is about 200 miles (323 km) away, roughly a 3-hour drive, and Alghero is about 178 miles (286 km), roughly 2.5 hours. Public transport runs an airport shuttle into central Cagliari and then an ARST regional bus towards Chia, but the frequency is limited, so a hire car or a transfer is much easier with young children. If you're coming by sea, the port of Cagliari has year-round ferry links to Civitavecchia for Rome, Naples, Palermo and Trapani.
The best months with little ones are late June and September, both warm and swimmable but short of the July and August heat and crowds; the weather section has the detail.
When to goWeather
Chia sits on the south-west coast of Sardinia, about 31 miles (50 km) from Cagliari on the same uniform stretch of Mediterranean climate, so the Cagliari figures apply here. The Village opens roughly from April to early November; the two five-star hotels set their own dates, so check those when you book. June and September stand out for families, warm with a comfortable sea and thinner crowds than the peak. July and August are the hottest, sunniest, busiest and priciest weeks, averaging around 11 hours of sunshine a day in July and 10 in August (June runs close behind at about 10.5), and heatwaves off Africa can push temperatures past 40°C, with a record 44.6°C recorded at Cagliari in July 2023, so shade and the pool matter in the middle of the day. May and early October are milder shoulder months.
| Month | Daytime high | Overnight low | Rain | Wet days | Sea temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April | 20° | 9.5° | 42 mm | 6 | 15° |
| May | 24.5° | 13.5° | 23 mm | 4 | 18° |
| June | 29° | 17.5° | 10 mm | 2 | 22° |
| July | 32° | 20° | 2 mm | 0 | 25° |
| August | 32° | 20.5° | 13 mm | 1 | 27° |
| September | 28° | 17.5° | 38 mm | 4 | 25° |
| October | 24.5° | 14° | 38 mm | 4 | 23° |
| November | 19.5° | 10° | 73 mm | 9 | 20° |
Typical monthly averages from weather-station records. Sea temperature is the open-water figure, so a sheltered bay can feel a degree or two warmer. The Village runs roughly April to early November; the two five-star hotels set their own dates, so check those when you book.
Good to know
UK nationals can visit Italy without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180. Your passport needs to have been issued less than ten years before you arrive and to be valid for at least three months after you plan to leave. The EU's Entry/Exit System, which registers a photo and fingerprints on your first entry, is now rolling out at Schengen borders; children aged eleven or younger aren't fingerprinted, and there's nothing to do before you travel beyond allowing a little extra time. There's no FCDO advisory against travel to Italy or Sardinia.
For health, the emergency number in Italy is 118 for an ambulance. A GHIC or EHIC covers medically necessary state healthcare, though it isn't a substitute for travel insurance; pharmacies are marked by a green cross and are widely available, and UK prescriptions aren't accepted there. The FCDO notes a low dengue risk along with biting insects, ticks and West Nile virus, so check the NHS travel vaccinations page about eight weeks before you go. The nearest major hospital is at Cagliari, about 31 miles (50 km) away. Crime is generally low, with the usual petty pickpocketing in city centres rather than in a resort setting.
A few practical points round it off. Pets are welcome at the Village and Baia di Chia, up to two per room, at a daily charge of €20 for a pet under 20 kg or €35 above it, to a maximum of 40 kg, with the weight checked on arrival; the Conrad isn't listed as pet-friendly. There are shops on site, but no baby shop, so bring the nappies, formula and children's medicine you'll need. Baia di Chia has an accessible room, so ask the resort for the details, and its Monte Cogoni beach, down 60 steps, isn't step-free.
Questions
The things families ask most, the official pages worth a bookmark and when this guide was last refreshed.
Is there an all-inclusive option?
No. The Village and Baia are bed and breakfast, and the Conrad is half board, so if you want dinners covered you either add the Chia Passport dining plan at the Village or budget for meals paid as you go. Families who prefer everything in one price will need to weigh that before booking.
Can younger children stay at Baia di Chia?
Not straightforwardly. Baia is the resort's adult-oriented five-star hotel, so with young children the family side is the Village, home to the kids' clubs, the family rooms and the children's pool. If you have your heart set on Baia, contact the resort about staying there with children before you book.
How do we arrange the airport transfer?
The Chia Express transfer from Cagliari airport is an add-on you have to request in advance; it isn't laid on automatically. If you'd rather sort it yourself, a taxi or a pre-booked hire car covers the roughly 50 to 60 minute run.
Who is the Chia Baby Welcome kit for, and how do we get it?
It's for children aged 4 to 35 months and needs booking in advance, so ask for it when you reserve rather than on arrival. It brings a stroller, changing table, baby tub and bottle warmer to the room, which can save packing some of the bulkiest baby gear.
Is there childcare for a baby under three?
Not a crèche, no; the supervised clubs only take children from age three, so a baby stays with you through the day. What's on offer below that age is the Baby Welcome kit and the mealtime feeding corners rather than daytime care. For an evening to yourselves, book a babysitter, which the resort arranges for an extra charge if you ask ahead.
How many pools are there, and is any suited to toddlers?
There are six pools across the site, including a paddling pool for the youngest and a separate kids' pool in the miniclub area. If a specific shallow depth matters for a toddler, check it with the resort, as the pool depths aren't listed.
When is the best time to go with little ones?
Late June and September tend to suit young children best: warm and swimmable but short of the July and August heat and crowds. The Village runs roughly April to early November, so check the exact dates, and the two five-star hotels separately, when you book.
Can we take a pushchair down to Monte Cogoni beach?
No. Monte Cogoni, the Baia di Chia beach, is reached down 60 rock-cut steps and isn't pushchair or wheelchair accessible. The main Dune di Campana beach is the flatter, more buggy-friendly choice, served by the mini-train through the day. If you need to take a pushchair down on the mini-train, check the space with the resort first.
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Useful links
- Chia Laguna Resort: the resort's own site for the three hotels, rooms, the Chia Passport and the kids' clubs.
- GOV.UK Italy travel advice: entry rules, health and safety updates before you travel.
- Sardinia with little ones: our guide to the island, its beaches and when to go.
Last updated 13 July 2026.
