One island, five coasts: booking hair, nails and beauty across Sardinia

Twenty-one salons across five stretches of Sardinian coast, each with real reviews, prices you can see before you book and a slot you can reserve online. This is your Sardinia beauty planning, settled before you pick your beach.

Why this guide exists

Here is the thing most people learn a week into planning Sardinia: you cannot really “do” the island. It is enormous, the good bits sit hours apart, and the drive from the Costa Smeralda in the north to the beaches below Cagliari eats most of a day. So the smart move is not a lap of the coast. It is choosing one stretch of sea, settling in, and letting the rest wait for another trip.

That single decision, which coast, shapes everything else. It decides your beach mornings, your dinners, your boat trips. And, quietly, it decides where you get your hair done when the salt and the sun have had their way with it, or where you book a gel manicure that will outlast the fortnight. Because beach hair is only fun and breezy until it refuses to cooperate for dinner.

That last part usually gets left to chance. This guide fixes it. Twenty-one salons, grouped across five coasts, all on Treatwell with verified reviews, visible prices and instant online booking. Wherever you land on the island, you can spend less time scrolling and more time swimming because your beauty is already sorted.

A note on what you’ll find here (and what you won’t)

Search “hair salon Sardinia” and the result is close to useless, because the island is the size of a small country and the map pin could be four hours from your hotel. What ranks tends to be a mainland pop-up that flies stylists in for the season (bookable only by phone), or a listings page with no prices and no way to actually reserve. Beauty is the afterthought behind endless beach and boat-trip content. Lovely if you’re researching coves. Less helpful when your fringe has declared war.

So this is not that. Every salon here is genuinely bookable, filtered to the coast you are staying on, with three things the rest of the internet keeps hiding: reviews from real customers, prices you can see up front, and a slot you confirm online without a single phone call in Italian. No detective work, no hoping for the best. Pick your coast, then read only the section that matters to you.

What to book, and what it costs

A quick sense of the going rate, so nothing surprises you at the till. (Prices sit lower here than in most European capitals, which is one of Sardinia’s quiet pleasures.)

• Gel or BIAB manicure (from around €23). The holiday staple, built to survive sand, seawater and one too many attempts at opening a beach umbrella.
• Wash, cut and blow-dry (from around €25). The reset after a few days of sun and swimming.
• Hydrating facial (from around €35). Your skin will thank you after a week of salt and UV.
• Massage (from around €30). The proper switch-off after a long beach or trail day.
• Waxing (from around €8). Small, quick, sensibly priced across the island.
• Barber cut and beard (from around €20). Sharp work for a lot less than you would pay at home.

Exact prices are always visible on each salon profile before you book.

Cagliari and the south, the all-round base

What you’re doing here: the capital, with its Castello old town, the long golden sweep of Poetto beach, aperitivo in the Marina and easy runs out to the southern coves.

Cagliari is the island’s most complete base, and its beauty scene reflects that. This is where you find serious barbering, a proper hair colourist, a full nail and beauty menu, and somewhere calm to be worked over after a day in the sun. Book here if you want the city as much as the sea, with plenty of options for squeezing an appointment between sightseeing and sunset spritzes.

The barber with the waiting list: District Barbershop

Via della Pineta, 157, Cagliari.

One of the most-booked barbers on the whole island, and it shows in the diary. Expect clean fades, hot-towel shaves and a buzzy chair-side atmosphere that regulars are loyal to. The kind of place where you’ll probably wish you booked sooner. Book: a cut and beard tidy before dinner down in the Marina.

The city-centre hair salon: Hair Queen

Via Sebastiano Satta Poeta, 64, Cagliari.

A refined central-Cagliari salon with a big, loyal following and a wall of five-star reviews, strong on colour, balayage and restorative treatments. The place to book when sun and salt have flattened your colour and you want it properly revived. Holiday hair deserves a comeback story too. Book: a colour refresh and blow-dry early in the trip, so it lasts the fortnight.

The one you book for the works: Top Estetica

Via Alghero, 13a, Villanova, Cagliari.

A Villanova institution with a big local following, covering nails, brows and beauty under one roof. It is the place for a proper manicure and pedicure combination when you want it all done in one sitting. Maximum holiday glow, minimum running around. Book: a gel manicure and pedicure the day before a Poetto beach day.

The waxing name to beat: Studio Estetica 35

Via Mogoro, 35, Quartucciu.

The highest-volume beauty room in the south, with hundreds of five-star reviews behind its waxing and facials. Efficient, spotless, and used to getting people beach-ready fast. Book: a full wax and a quick facial before your first swim.

The unwind after the beach: Julia Frau Beauty & Massage

Via della Pineta, 211E, Cagliari.

The calm option, pairing massage with LED facials and considered beauty treatments. Come here to be put back together after a long day on the sand. Because carrying four beach bags absolutely counts as exercise. Book: a massage the evening you can barely lift your arms from swimming.

Why base yourself on the south

Cagliari gives you a real city alongside the beaches, and everything sorted within minutes of wherever you are staying. It is also the natural launch pad for the southern coves, the short run east to Villasimius and the drive west towards the Sulcis coast. City break and beach holiday? Turns out you can have both.

Villasimius and the south-east, the beach-day coast

What you’re doing here: the turquoise water of the Capo Carbonara marine reserve, the long flat sands of Costa Rei, slow family beach days and boat trips to the little offshore islands.

This is a coast you come to for the sea, first and last. The salons here are handpicked, aimed at keeping you sorted without ever having to leave the beach behind. Exactly the energy when your itinerary is 90% sunscreen and 10% deciding where to eat. Book here if your holiday is mostly sand, water and long lunches.

The go-to on the piazza: Attilio Secchi Parrucchieri Villasimius

Piazza Generale Incani, 4, Villasimius.

The dependable family salon right on the main square, cutting for everyone from toddlers to grandparents. It is exactly the kind of steady, friendly chair you want within walking distance of dinner. An easy win when nobody in the group can agree on anything else. Book: a wash and blow-dry before a seafront meal in town.

The Costa Rei two-in-one: Quintessenza

Piazza Italia, 6, Costa Rei.

A handy hair-and-nails stop right on the Costa Rei resort strip, so you can tick off two things in one short visit. Less appointment admin, more beach time. Perfect for the gap between a beach morning and an afternoon boat trip. Book: a quick trim and a manicure between the sand and the sea.

Why base yourself on the south-east

You come for some of Sardinia’s clearest water and easiest beaches, and you can keep your hair and nails ticking over without a single inland detour. The sea gets all your attention, and your beauty plans quietly look after themselves. Low-key, sun-first, sorted.

Ogliastra, the wild east

What you’re doing here: the Gulf of Orosei, the hike or boat trip to Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu, dramatic cliffs and coves, and the feeling of being on an island within the island.

Ogliastra is the rugged, adventurous coast, and its salons are genuine local favourites rather than tourist-facing showrooms (which is exactly their charm). Between Tortolì on the water and Lanusei just inland, you can cover men’s grooming, nails, beauty and hair. Book here if your days involve boots and boats and the occasional “whose idea was this hike?” moment.

The mountain-town barbershop: La Bottega di Pablo

Via Roma, 132, Lanusei.

The top-reviewed men’s spot in Ogliastra, with a proper following for its cuts and beard work. A welcome reset after a few days of sea salt and trail dust. Because mountain winds are not a hairstyle. Book: a cut and beard trim after a day out on the coves.

The wax and tidy-up: Beauty Time – Lanusei

Viale Europa, 201, Lanusei.

A well-liked all-round beauty room handling brows, waxing and the essentials, quickly and kindly. The sort of place you nip into and leave feeling neater. Easy holiday maintenance, without turning it into a whole afternoon. Book: brows and a wax before a full day on the water.

The seaside manicure: Sara Nails&Beauty

Via Tirso, 9A, Tortolì.

The dedicated nail specialist near the coast at Tortolì, with a loyal base of regulars. Ideal for a manicure built to shrug off sand and seawater. Sea-proof, selfie-proof and ferry-proof. Book: a long-wear gel manicure that will see out the whole trip.

The Tortolì colour and cut: Yourself

Via Vittorio Emanuele, 39, Tortolì.

A friendly coast-side hair salon for colour, cuts and a good blow-dry, handy when the sun has lifted your colour halfway through the holiday. Consider it a mid-trip reset button. Book: a refresh colour and blow-dry to reset mid-trip.

Why base yourself on the east

You get Sardinia at its wildest, plus honest local salons that keep you sorted without backtracking. Come for the adventure, leave looking suspiciously put together. It is the coast for people who would rather earn their beach.

The Costa Smeralda and Olbia, the glossy north-east

What you’re doing here: Porto Cervo glamour, beach clubs and marinas, boat trips out to the La Maddalena archipelago, and Olbia as the busy gateway that ties it all together.

This is the coast that dresses up, and looking pulled together is practically part of the itinerary. The salons cluster around Olbia, the coast’s easy-to-reach hub, with the standout name up in Arzachena near the Emerald Coast itself. If your holiday wardrobe packed itself for “expensive-looking evenings”, this is where you make sure the hair and nails keep up. Book here for the glossy end of a Sardinia trip.

The Costa Smeralda chair: Eleven by Giuseppe

Viale Costa Smeralda, 38, Arzachena.

A polished, welcoming salon on the road up to the Emerald Coast, cutting for both men and women. You get real Porto Cervo gloss without the Porto Cervo price tag, which makes it a smart booking before a big night out, at a fraction of resort prices. Book: a cut and blow-dry before a night out in Porto Cervo.

The beauty regular: Estetica Francesca

Viale Aldo Moro, 314, Olbia.

The highest-reviewed beauty room in Olbia, strong on facials and waxing and trusted by locals. The sort of place you’ll wish you’d found on day one, not day six. A calm first stop the day after you land. Book: a hydrating facial to undo the flight and the first day of sun.

The mix-and-match beauty stop: Centro Estetico Karma

Via Lanfranco, 2, Olbia.

A broad beauty-and-nails menu that lets you combine treatments in one visit. Perfect if your holiday to-do list says “everything, please”. Handy when you want a manicure and a bit more before a big day out. Book: a manicure and pedicure before a beach club afternoon.

The nails-only pick: Kipepeo Nails & Beauty

Via Barcellona, 247, Olbia.

The dedicated nail bar in town, well reviewed for gel work and neat finishes. Book once, admire your nails every time you hold an Aperol Spritz afterwards. The place for a manicure you will not have to think about again. Book: a gel manicure that lasts the entire trip.

The wash and style stop: Sp Beauty di Serena Pinna

Via Mar Ligure, 23, Pittulongu, Olbia.

A friendly hair salon out near the Pittulongu beaches, good for a wash and a proper style. Ideal when you’ve spent all day in the sea and your hair has developed “its own ideas”. Perfectly placed for a pre-dinner tidy without heading into town. Book: a wash and blow-dry before dinner by the water.

Why base yourself on the north-east

It is the glossy, well-connected coast, with Olbia making everything easy to reach and quick to sort. Book here when the trip involves marinas, beach clubs and looking the part.

Alghero and the north-west, the Catalan corner

What you’re doing here: Alghero’s Catalan old town and honey-coloured sea walls at sunset, boat trips to Neptune’s Grotto, day trips to the white sand of Stintino and La Pelosa, with Sassari a short hop inland.

The north-west blends real character with real depth of salons. Alghero itself covers hair, beauty, brows and nails, and Sassari, twenty minutes away, adds one of the island’s heaviest hitters for men. Come for the history, stay because every sunset somehow turns into dinner and drinks. Book here for history, sunsets and a full spread of choice.

The all-day hair and barber: Hair 99

Via Oristano, 11, Alghero.

A busy, well-reviewed hair-and-barber setup handling cuts and colour for everyone. The sort of reliable salon you’ll happily recommend before you’ve even paid the bill and the ideal early-trip booking to get sorted for the week. Book: a cut and colour on your first full day in town.

The barber that fills the diary: Fabio Desole Acconciature Maschili

Via Giannetto Masala, 6b, Sassari.

A serious men’s grooming name in Sassari, with a following that keeps the diary full. Good barbers get recommended. Great ones get booked out. This one’s worth the short hop inland for a proper cut and shave. Book: a full cut and hot-towel shave, twenty minutes from the coast.

The old-town beauty stop: Afrodite Beauty Centre

Via degli Orti, 51a, Alghero.

An established Alghero beauty room, reliable for waxing and facials and easy to reach in the old town. Easy to squeeze in before your evening wandering somehow turns into three hours of aperitivo. The steady choice before an evening out on the ramparts. Book: a facial and a wax before the sunset passeggiata.

The brow and lash detailer: Claudia Mulas Beauty Lounge

Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 111, Alghero.

The specialist for brows, threading and the small precise things that make a difference. Proof that the tiny appointments often make the biggest difference. A quick in-and-out that sharpens your whole look. Book: brows and a lash tint before dinner on the sea walls.

The finishing-touches salon: Gd Beauty Clinc di Giulia Delogu

Via Vittorio Veneto, 29, Alghero.

A one-stop for lashes, brows and nails when you want everything polished at once. Ideal for those “we’re just going for one drink” evenings that absolutely never end after one drink. The pick before a proper night out in the old town. Book: a manicure and a lash lift before an evening in the centre.

Why base yourself on the north-west

You get one of Sardinia’s most beautiful towns and genuine depth of salons, with Sassari’s big names a short drive away. It’s the coast that quietly overdelivers: beautiful streets, brilliant food and salons that deserve just as much attention. It is the corner for character and choice in equal measure.

For expats, remote workers and long-stayers in Sardinia

A good number of you have a Sardinian address, not a hotel booking. The question changes when you live here: not “where do I go this once,” but “where do I make my regular.” The best salon isn’t the one you discover once. It’s the one you rebook without thinking. A few that reward turning into a habit:

• District Barbershop (Cagliari) for a standing grooming appointment in the south.
• Estetica Francesca (Olbia) for regular facials and waxing on the north-east coast.
• Hair 99 (Alghero) for an ongoing cut-and-colour relationship in the north-west.

Save them on Treatwell and future-you will be very grateful. Book once on the app, and every appointment after that takes about thirty seconds.

Booking around Sant’Efisio, the summer festivals and wedding season

Sardinia’s calendar clusters demand into a few predictable weeks. When everyone suddenly wants a salon appointment all at once, planning suddenly looks very clever. Book ahead around these and you will not be left scrambling.

• Sant’Efisio, Cagliari (1 to 4 May). The island’s biggest procession fills the capital. If you are on the south coast then, reserve a few days ahead.
• Cavalcata Sarda, Sassari (around 24 May, the penultimate Sunday). The great costume-and-horse parade packs the north-west. Book Alghero and Sassari salons a week out. (Dates shift year to year, so confirm nearer the time.)
• Faradda di li Candelieri, Sassari (14 August). A fixed-date, UNESCO-listed festival on one of the busiest weekends of the year. Book well ahead in the north-west.
• Wedding season (May to September). The Costa Smeralda is one of Europe’s top wedding coasts, so north-east salons fill fast in summer. If your outfit has been planned for months, your appointment probably deserves the same treatment. For anything wedding-related, book two to three weeks ahead.
• Ferragosto (15 August). The whole island peaks at once. Salons are busy and some close for the holiday, so this is not the week to rely on luck. Lock in your slot several days early.

How to actually book on Treatwell

Start in the app. Search by the coast or town you are staying on, or by the treatment you want, and you will see every salon nearby with photos, real customer reviews and prices laid out before you commit. You choose the time, you confirm it in a few taps, and it is done. No detective work to find a phone number, no language gymnastics and no turning up to a place that quietly closed last season.

That is the whole point of sorting it this way. Everything is visible and bookable in advance, so the only decisions left when you arrive are which beach and what to eat afterwards. Passport, tickets, Treatwell.