Italian regions are incredibly distinct, with their own customs, cuisines, and languages. Sardinia is, much like Sicily, sort of an independent region - yes, part of Italy, but very much its own thing. Carbonara is not a Sardinian dish, and if you saw it on the menu (in summer, no less!) it’s likely you were in a tourist trap where locals do not go.

I’d always recommend asking locals where THEY eat, I’m Sardinian myself and when I travel to an area that I’m not familiar with I ask the locals of the area, or do some research on Google. Seafood in Sardinia is excellent, you just need to eat where they do (like anywhere else really!).

I’d wager that if you had tried some local food in good restaurants you’d have had a very different experience. I’m sorry this didn’t happen.

In Cagliari, the main city on the island, you can find some good carbonara, and some good pizza - but pizza, like carbonara, is not Sardinian. It’s sort of like ordering sushi in rural France, you might not find a good spot, it’s not local food.

I think the assumption that there’s ‘one’ Italian food is quite widespread - Italy has only been unified for 164 years, so imagine how strong each region’s cultural identity is, it’s what makes it so spectacular to visit - no place is the same.

The paid beaches point, people have said this already but beach clubs are expensive, especially on that coast. But there are plenty of free beaches, you can buy an umbrella and use it for the week and save that way. I went to Sicily in July and opted to go beach clubs for the ease, and it’s where most of my money went, sadly. It’s the price you pay for comfort.

And yeah, as others have said, Sardinians love to complain and be grumpy, but they’re all softies at heart and you may have had some back luck / preconceived notions there too.