In the hills above Pula, Is Molas brings together a golf resort, Mediterranean gardens, a beautiful swimming pool and a beach club on the shores of Porto Agumu. Add ancient Nora, the beaches of Chia and one of Sardinia’s most spectacular coastal drives, and you have the ingredients for a very different kind of island escape.

There are places in Sardinia where the sea is the entire story. Then there are places where the sea is only the beginning.

Is Molas, just outside Pula on the island’s south-western coast, belongs firmly in the second category. Here, a holiday can begin with a swim in a Mediterranean garden, continue with a round of golf beneath the Sardinian sun, move on to a long lunch overlooking the sea and finish with sunset at a beach club. Beyond the resort are Roman ruins, ancient coastal roads, hidden coves, mountain landscapes and some of the most celebrated beaches in southern Sardinia.

The setting is one of Is Molas’s greatest assets. The resort sits inland from the coast, close enough to hear the pull of the Mediterranean but sufficiently removed to feel peaceful. Pula is only a short drive away, while Cagliari is roughly 30–35 kilometres to the north. The surrounding landscape combines Mediterranean maquis, hills and views towards the sea and the distinctive Tower of Nora. The result is a resort that feels connected to the island rather than isolated from it.

The resort: a Mediterranean base

Is Molas Resort is a four-star superior property with 72 renovated rooms, complemented by its golf facilities, restaurants, bars, pool and sporting amenities. The architecture and landscaping are deliberately low-key, allowing the surrounding environment to do much of the visual work.

The centrepiece is the outdoor swimming pool. Set within a Mediterranean garden of palms, shrubs and native vegetation, it is the obvious place to retreat during the hottest part of the afternoon. Rather than feeling like a conventional hotel pool surrounded by buildings, it has a distinctly resort-like atmosphere: green landscaping, open views and the scent of the maquis create a natural buffer from the wider world.

Beside the pool is La Pergola, the pool bar, making it easy to turn a few hours by the water into an unhurried afternoon of drinks, light food and shade. There is also a tennis court overlooking the golf course, with rackets and balls available through reception, while electric bicycles with pedal assistance are available to guests for exploring closer to home.

For golfers, the attraction is obvious: the golf course is immediately part of the holiday rather than an excursion that requires a lengthy journey. For non-golfers, meanwhile, the resort provides enough to make staying on site appealing, particularly when combined with the nearby beach.

And that balance is important. Is Molas works particularly well for couples or families travelling together when not everyone wants to spend every day doing the same thing. One guest can head for the fairways, another can take a bicycle ride or spend the morning by the pool, and everyone can meet later for lunch or an afternoon at the beach.

A table for every mood

Food is another important part of the Is Molas experience. The resort’s culinary offering is overseen by chef Ivano Congiu, whose cooking takes Sardinian and Mediterranean traditions and gives them a contemporary interpretation with Oriental influences.

Le Ginestre is the principal restaurant and one of the resort’s most attractive spaces, positioned beside the pool with views towards the surrounding landscape and sea. It is designed for relaxed but refined dining, and is open for breakfast as well as dinner. Its position makes it especially appealing in the evening, when the temperature falls and the Mediterranean light begins to soften. The restaurant seats around 150 guests and is also open to outside diners.

Then there is La Pergola, the pool bar, for lighter meals and refreshments without leaving the water behind.

Golfers have another option at the Clubhouse, while the resort’s restaurant portfolio also includes Le Mole and the more recently introduced La 19 Bistrot, overlooking the golf course and the sea.

But one of the most compelling dining experiences is not at the resort at all. It is down by the water.

Is Molas Beach Club: the sea-side escape

A few minutes from the resort, at Porto Agumu, Is Molas Beach Club changes the mood completely.

The beach is a beautiful crescent of white sand and clear, shallow water, backed by Mediterranean vegetation. Its gently shelving seabed makes it particularly appealing to families, while the protected position of the bay can provide a calmer alternative when conditions elsewhere on the coast are less inviting.

For hotel guests, the Beach Club effectively gives Is Molas a second personality: the resort inland becomes the base, while Porto Agumu becomes the place to spend the day.

The Beach Club currently has 20 dedicated beach stations, each designed around comfort and privacy, with premium loungers, umbrellas, side tables and dedicated service. Beach towels are available for hire, and the resort’s guests can access the beach service at a preferential rate.

There is also private parking, a lounge and cocktail bar, and a restaurant with a 200-square-metre terrace and seating for approximately 40 people. It is the kind of place where lunch can easily stretch into an afternoon aperitivo, and where sunset provides a natural transition from beach day to evening.

The restaurant’s menus reflect the same contemporary Sardinian approach found at the resort. Recent menus have included fregola with shellfish and crustaceans, spaghetti with clams, saffron and courgette flowers, Sardinian fried seafood and seadas-inspired desserts, alongside meat and vegetarian dishes.

The Beach Club is not simply a restaurant with sun loungers. It also has a social side, hosting live music, DJ sets, aperitivi, parties and private events. The setting lends itself naturally to evening occasions: the sea is only steps away and the terrace becomes particularly atmospheric as the sun drops towards the horizon.

Water sports are another attraction. Depending on availability and local operators, visitors can arrange pedal boats, canoes, small boats, dinghies and windsurfing through the nearby nautical club.

For many guests, however, the greatest luxury is simply the lack of need to go anywhere else.

The shuttle: wonderfully simple

During the beach season, Is Molas takes some of the logistical work out of moving between resort and coast. A frequent beach shuttle operates between the hotel and Beach Club from June to September.

That makes the Beach Club particularly easy for a pool-and-beach holiday. You can leave the car at the resort, head down to the coast for the morning, return for lunch or a rest, and then go back to the beach later in the day.

It is worth checking the exact operating times with the hotel before travelling, as seasonal schedules can change. But the principle is simple: you do not need to drive every time you want to swim in the sea.

For families, this can be particularly useful. For golfers, it means the car can remain available for excursions rather than being used for short hotel-to-beach journeys.

Golf at Is Molas: a Sardinian classic

For golfers, Is Molas is the main event.

The club has 27 holes, comprising an 18-hole Championship Course and a nine-hole Yellow Course. The Championship Course is a par 72 measuring 6,383 metres, while the Yellow Course is a par 36 of 3,164 metres.

The history is significant. The Championship Course opened in 1975 and was laid out by the Cotton, Pennink & Partners architectural studio to a design by Italian golf architect Piero Mancinelli. The club became the first golf course in Sardinia and quickly established itself as an important tournament venue.

Its tournament pedigree is impressive. Is Molas has hosted four Italian Opens and a European Volvo Masters, with major events helping establish its reputation well beyond Sardinia.

The course itself is a fascinating combination of strategic golf and Mediterranean scenery. Fairways run through natural vegetation, with bunkers, water and changes in elevation forcing players to think carefully about club selection and positioning.

It is not simply a course where the views distract you from the golf. In several places, the landscape is an integral part of the challenge.

The 18th, for example, is a demanding par four in which the tee shot must be positioned carefully before a blind second approach to a narrow, raised and sloping green. It is a fitting conclusion to a round that becomes increasingly tactical as it progresses.

The hole to remember

Ask golfers which hole they remember and there are several contenders.

The fifth is particularly formidable. Ranked the course’s number-one handicap hole, it combines bushes, out-of-bounds, a lake, bunker trouble and a green perched on a rocky spur. The challenge is less about simply hitting the ball a long way than finding the correct route through a complicated landscape.

But the ninth and tenth provide perhaps the most dramatic sequence.

At the ninth, the approach requires the player to negotiate approximately 70 metres of water before reaching a split-level green surrounded by bunkers. Then comes the tenth, a par three of 160 metres from the men’s tees, with water close to both tee and green and no safe alternative route around it.

The tenth is therefore the hole that can live longest in the memory: a classic risk-and-reward island-style moment, even though the green itself is substantial. Commit to the shot and it can be exhilarating. Miss it and the lake is waiting.

For a shorter game, the Yellow Course provides a nine-hole alternative, designed by Franco Piras, former Italian national-team player and a golf designer associated with Gary Player Design. Its eighth hole is particularly memorable, requiring the tee shot to carry water to reach the green.

The club also offers a practice facility with multiple tees, bunkers and practice greens, together with a golf academy, pro shop, club hire and clubhouse facilities.

Beyond the resort: what not to miss

The temptation at Is Molas is to stay put. Resist it occasionally.

The first essential excursion is Nora. Just outside Pula, the archaeological site contains the remains of a city whose history stretches from Phoenician beginnings through Punic and Roman rule. The surviving forum, baths, mosaics, temples, houses and amphitheatre make it one of southern Sardinia’s most compelling historical sites.

The nearby beach of Nora adds another reason to visit. It combines clear, shallow water with white sand, the Coltellazzo tower and the extraordinary backdrop of ancient ruins. It is one of those rare places where a morning swim and thousands of years of history occupy the same frame.

Then drive west.

The coast between Pula, Santa Margherita and Chia is a succession of sandy bays and coves. Chia is the star attraction, with beaches such as Su Giudeu, S’Acqua Durci, Cala Cipolla, Cala del Morto, Monte Cogoni and Sa Colonia. The combination of dunes, clear water and Mediterranean vegetation is quintessential southern Sardinia.

For a full-day road trip, continue towards Tuerredda. The beach is frequently described as one of the jewels of south-western Sardinia, with fine sand, exceptionally clear water and a small island just offshore. The panoramic road itself is part of the experience.

Cagliari is another worthwhile excursion. Its historic districts, restaurants, cafés and waterfront provide a useful contrast to the slower pace around Pula. Is Molas’s location means the capital is close enough for a day trip without turning the holiday into a city break.

Why renting a car makes sense

The beach shuttle is useful, but a rental car transforms an Is Molas stay.

Without one, the holiday can comfortably revolve around the resort, Beach Club and organised excursions. With one, southern Sardinia becomes much more accessible.

A car means you can leave early for Chia before the busiest part of the day, stop at several beaches rather than committing to one, drive the coastal road towards Tuerredda, explore small villages, visit Nora independently and return to Pula for dinner.

It is particularly valuable for golfers who want to combine Is Molas with other courses or for visitors who want to explore the area’s archaeological and natural attractions at their own pace.

The resort does provide transfers on request to and from Cagliari airport, Pula and other destinations, as well as chauffeur-driven cars and minivans. Guests with their own car can also use the hotel’s open-air parking.

The ideal approach, therefore, is not to see the shuttle and rental car as competing options. Use the shuttle when you want an effortless beach day; use the car when you want to discover Sardinia.

When to go

The beauty of Is Molas is that the best time to visit depends on what you want from the holiday.

For golfers, spring and autumn are particularly attractive. The temperatures are generally more comfortable for walking 18 holes, while the Mediterranean landscape is at its most appealing. The area’s proximity to the sea and surrounding hills gives Is Molas a mild microclimate that makes golf possible for much of the year.

May, June, September and October are arguably the sweet spots for travellers who want a mixture of golf, sightseeing and beach time. June and September, in particular, combine strong beach conditions with less intense heat than the height of summer.

July and August are the months for the classic Sardinian beach holiday: long, hot days, warm sea temperatures and a lively atmosphere. They are also the period when the coast is at its busiest and midday heat can make a round of golf considerably more demanding.

For a golfer who wants to walk the course and still have energy for dinner, the shoulder seasons have an obvious advantage.

For a beach lover who wants maximum summer atmosphere, however, July and August remain irresistible.

The Is Molas formula

There is a particular rhythm to a holiday at Is Molas.

Breakfast with a view. A morning round of golf while the air is still cool. A few hours beside the pool. Then perhaps the shuttle down to Porto Agumu, where the afternoon dissolves into sea, sand and lunch on the Beach Club terrace. Later, a drive into Pula for dinner, or perhaps a sunset aperitivo by the water.

And on another day, swap golf for Nora, Chia or Tuerredda. Follow the coast. Stop whenever the colour of the sea becomes impossible to ignore.

That is ultimately what makes Is Molas more interesting than a conventional golf resort. Golf may be its historic calling card, but it is the combination of golf, beach, food, history and landscape that gives the place its character.

You can come for the fairways and discover Sardinia. You can come for the beaches and discover one of Italy’s most established golf courses. Or you can simply come for the luxury of having both within a few minutes of each other.

In a part of the world where the landscape is often the star, Is Molas has understood something important: the best Sardinian holiday is not necessarily about choosing between the mountains, the golf course, the archaeological ruins or the sea.

It is about having all of them within reach.

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