New Trip: Sardinia's Secrets for a Long and Healthy Life
Explore Italy's blue zone with me, October 12 to 18, 2026
Hello, everyone. I’m excited to share that this fall I’ll be hosting my third trip with Academic Travel Abroad to explore the heart of Italy’s Blue Zone—Sardinia. This is an active vacation focused on food, fun, and learning why people here live such long, healthy, and often dementia-free lives.
Why Sardinia? Simply put, there’s no place like it on earth. Sardinia was the first region where researchers identified pockets of exceptional longevity—what we now call Blue Zones. Traveling through these villages feels like stepping back in time. We’ll cook with local Sarda families, meet vibrant elders, and explore the mountainous countryside on foot and by bike. There’s no better place to experience Italy while learning what it truly means to cultivate a meaningful, brain-healthy life.
Throughout the week, we’ll be staying active with easy hiking, e-biking, and yoga on the beach. Nothing is too strenuous or extreme, and there will always be a more restful option each day.
Registration is now open! Read on to learn why guests call this trip “absolutely lifechanging.” Paying subscribers to BHK get first dibs on spots. Click on the button below for a detailed brochure.
Sardinia’s Secrets for a Long and Healthy Life
When: October 12 to 18, 2026
What: An 7-day educational vacation through Sardinia’s blue zone
Who: Annie Fenn (your host) + You (food-loving travelers who are curious about culture and passionate about longevity)
Call 877-298-9677 (M-F, 9 am-5 pm ET) for more information and to reserve your spot. Or reply to this email and I’ll connect you with the team.
The Tour
We’ll start in Cagliari, Sardinia’s vibrant port city at the southernmost tip of the island. From there, we’ll head into small villages in the interior, meeting with locals and Blue Zones experts along the way. We’ll learn how to cook traditional foods from local cooks. We’ll hike amongst goats and sheep to ancient settlements, and walk through villages who honor their elders by painting murals of their lives. We may even get to meet some centenarians!
Next, we’ll travel to the eastern coast, home to stunning sunsets and quiet beaches. We’ll stay in the most luxurious hotels, all designed for a restorative vacation.
A Few Highlights:
Visit renowned Blue Zone villages and engage in conversations with local elders to learn how community, daily walks, and hyper-local foods may be the secret to their longevity
Taste traditional Sardinian cuisine, from fresh seafood and crispy flatbread to homemade stuffed pasta and minestrone
Stay active with guided hikes through oak forests, ancient villages, and rocky coastal trails
Explore the countryside by e-bike, where an electronic motor offers a helpful boost over steep hills and allows you to take in the expansive views
Embrace the Italian practice of an afternoon riposo and learn how rest and relaxation is a vital component of a healthy lifestyle
For this trip, I am partnering with Academic Travel Abroad, a leader in experiential travel since 1950. They have curated tours for Smithsonian Institution, the New York Times, Yale University, and many others.
Day-By-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome to Sardinia
Arrive in Sardinia (Cagliari Elmas Airport - CAG) and transfer independently to your hotel. Gather with your fellow travelers for a welcome drink and kick off your week of healthy living with a fun quiz to discover how Mediterranean your diet is. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner at Is Feminnas.
Included Meal: Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Villa Fanny
Day 2: Move Like a Centenarian
This morning, depart Cagliari and journey into the heart of Sardinia’s Blue Zone, arriving in the hilltop village of Baunei. Meet a local guide for a walking tour that explores why this region is home to one of the world’s highest concentration of centenarians, offering insight into the traditions, lifestyle, and community bonds that support healthy aging. Gather for lunch at Ristorante Baunei Centro before continuing to nearby Urzulei, a Blue Zone village of just over 1,000 inhabitants. In the evening, learn how to make the perfect culurgiones, or traditional Sardinian stuffed pasta during a cooking class, then enjoy the fruits of your labor during a communal dinner.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Gorropu
Day 3: Ancient Ruins and Modern Stories
Set out on an easy 2.5 mile hike through an oak forest and past the historic Nuragic village of Or Murales, a route that offers a deeper connection to Sardinia’s rugged landscape and ancient past. Pause for a light picnic lunch, then return to Urzulei for a walking tour of the village’s striking black and white murals and discover the blend of folk art and storytelling. Reconvene at the hotel for another engaging Aperitivo Talk, followed by dinner.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Gorropu
Questions? Call 877.298.9677.
Day 4: Brain Health Mindset
Venture to the Tombe dei Giganti S’Arena, megalithic burial structures known as “Giant Tombs” that date back to a period between 1500-1000 BCE. Enjoy a classic shepherd’s lunch of cured meats, vegetables, cheeses, and local flatbread, then depart for the picturesque coastal town of Santa Maria Navarrese. Check into Lanthia Resort where you may choose to stroll the grounds, grab a bite at the onsite Beach Bar & Grill, or take a quiet riposo in your room. Afterwards, gather on the grounds overlooking the sea for an outdoor yoga class. The instructor will suggest yoga flow sequences based on the experience and abilities of each participant. In the evening, dine together as a group at Ristorante Sa Cadrea.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodations: Lanthia Resort
Day 5: All About Olive Oil
Experience coastal Sardinia by e-bike on a half-day excursion. Departing from your hotel, you will first travel to the town of Lotzorai where you will learn all about olive oil during a visit to Frantoio Olivina Sorelle Tangianu. Learn the history of olives at the foot of centuries-old olive trees, visit the oil mill where the extraction process takes place each fall, and enjoy a taste of freshly crushed olive oil. Continue to Girasole, then turn west and into the countryside for Agriturismo Nuraghe Murtarba. Pause for lunch at the farmhouse, then return to your hotel in Santa Maria Navarrese for a final Aperitivo Talk. This e-bike ride is approximately 30 km / 4 hours, and will travel on asphalt, dirt, and sand roads. Dinner and the rest of the evening will be at your leisure.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodations: Lanthia Resort
Day 6: Takeaways and Goal Setting
Enjoy a morning at leisure in Santa Maria Navarrese. Depart for Cagliari and check into your hotel, Hotel Villa Fanny. Gather for a farewell feast at Libarium Nostrum, celebrating your week of cultivating the habits of a brain-healthy life.
Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodations: Hotel Villa Fanny
Day 7: Departures
Saying arrivederci is always so difficult! After breakfast at the hotel, we’ll transfer independently to Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) for individual flights home.
This is truly the trip of a lifetime!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions. For more information, click on the FAQ sheet below. I can’t wait to be back in Sardinia for our next trip!
Love,
Annie
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Brain Health Kitchen to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.