My husband and I are going to Italy for

When you say beachside, do you mean sandy?

Sardinia does look lovely, we've never been. But we do know the Amalfi coast (Ravello, Positano, Amalfi itself etc) and it is wonderful. Depends what you're after. With the Amalfi option you can also explore Pompeii, Paestum etc and take a boat to Capri (check out the Cesare Augustus hotel http://www.caesar-augustus.com/). Generally the heel of Italy is much less explored - we loved the baroque over-the-topness of Lecce and the trulli of Alberobello. Might still be quite hot in September of course as you head down below Salerno. I asked about beaches because in this area bear in mind they are often made up of black volcanic sand or stones. Positano and Maiori have wide beaches. Couldn't quite see what the beaches are like around Arbatax.