Olbia kept its Roman name through the Middle Ages as Civita, then Terranova Pausania under Aragonese and Savoyard rule, before reverting to Olbia in the 1930s under a fascist classical revival. The 11th-century Basilica di San Simplicio anchors an old town built over Nuragic, Phoenician and Roman layers, including a sacred well at Sa Testa. Its Isola Bianca port is one of Sardinia's main links to the mainland, and the population has grown past 61,000 as the island's commercial and food-industry hub for the northeast coast. The airport nearby feeds the Costa Smeralda's yacht economy, built since 1961 by an Aga Khan-led consortium, but most of its European routes run only in summer.
Nights sit around 18°C and afternoons around 29°C, though some days reach 32°C.
Olbia has real seasons: summer afternoons sit around 31°C, winter ones around 16°C.
Some summer days reach 36°C, and some winter nights drop to 1°C.
Most of the rain falls in autumn, least in summer. The wettest month is November, with 87 mm.
The air stays clean through the year.
Days stretch to about 14.9 hours of light in June and shrink to 9.1 in December — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Olbia are June – September. Expect fast internet (274 Mbps) and a high cost of living (about €1750 a month).
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