The Costa Smeralda in Sardina is set in the middle of the Mediterranean just over two hours away by plane from London, it has some of Europe’s finest white sandy beaches and sparkling turquoise sea. The waters around Sardinia, thought to be the cleanest in Italy, are home to a rich array of flora and fauna for the snorkeller or scuba diver to explore. The island offers a diverse natural landscape from the stunning macchia-scented coastline to the vast and wild Gennargentu range in the interior.Tourism on Sardinia, which began in the sixties, has been a gradual and deliberately low-key affair. It has generally not been allowed to compromise the natural environment and nowhere is this more the case than on the Costa Smeralda, where the Aga Khan’s development enhances the superb scenery to provide a truly luxurious and unspoilt setting for the discerning holiday-maker.
The Costa Smeralda is only 10 kilometres long but manages to offer an incredible 56-kilometre coastline of sandy beaches and rugged coves. The consortium, which the Aga Khan formed in the early sixties, has stuck firmly by one guiding principle. Any development should blend and enhance the superb scenery and not disfigure it in any way. Consequently there are no high-rise buildings and telephone wires and electrical cables have to be hidden underground. Some of the most prominent architects, such as Couelle and Vietti, have designed the hotels and villas on the Costa Smeralda in an inimitable yet homogenous neo-Mediterranean style. Their creations harmonise with the mountains, the macchia, the 80 magical white-sanded beaches and the blue coves as in no other resort.
Water sports in Costa Smeralda
The Costa Smeralda is made for water sports and boating. Sailing, windsurfing and scuba-diving are available all along the coast and motor-boats (from dinghies to power boats) can be hired. Porto Cervo has one of the finest yachting marinas in Europe and hosts world-class races and regattas.
Golf on the Costa Smeralda
Set between the sapphire bays of Pevero and Cala di Volpe, Pevero is the supreme masterpiece of the greatest of American golf designers, Robert Trent Jones. Described by several golf writers as ‘the most beautiful place to play golf in the world’, the course is also splendidly demanding. It insists on absolute accuracy if you are to keep out of the savage rough of rocks and the tangled, perfumed herbs of the macchia. Despite its charm and challenges, the 18 hole Pevero is rarely crowded and you can walk into the clubhouse and tee off without queues.
The clubhouse has splendid views over the course, spacious locker rooms, a swimming pool, a card room, bar, well-stocked pro-shop and one of the best restaurants on the Costa Smeralda. You can hire clubs, trolleys and electric golf carts.
Tennis on the Costa Smeralda
Floodlit courts and swimming pools are open to everyone on daily or weekly subscriptions at the Tennis Club in Porto Cervo, home to exhibition matches between world class players.
Shopping on the Costa Smeralda
Porto Cervo, the picturesque little village at the heart of the Costa Smeralda, offers the very best designer shops, including Armani, Bvlgari, Cartier, Ferre, Gucci, Prada and Versace. General stores and supermarkets are also available in the resort.
Restaurants on the Costa Smeralda A wide range of restaurants both on and off the Costa Smeralda offer meals to suit all tastes, featuring many Sardinian specialities. Sardinian cuisine is very versatile and offers delicious choices of fish, seafood, meat, pasta, breads and cheeses. The local wines are improving all the time and it is now possible to choose amongst a range of very good reds and whites as well as a range of liqueurs, including the famous mirto.
Nightlife on the Costa Smeralda
Nightlife on the Costa Smeralda offers many choices; it can be simple and laid-back or it can be determinedly jet-set and fashionable, attracting Europe’s glitterati in July and August. You can choose amongst the relaxed piano bars on the piazzetta in Porto Cervo or go for the more frenetic option of the Billionaire Club, famously owned by Flavio Briatore, former head of the Benetton Formula One racing team. Bars and discos are also available at other nearby resorts such as Baia Sardinia, Poltu Quattu and Porto Rotundo.
Situated about ten kilometres south of the Costa Smeralda round the Golfo Aranci, Porto Rotundo is a well-planned resort, designed to blend with its natural surroundings and built around a yacht marina. The quayside and Piazzetta San Marco are lined with designer shops and during the summer months the numerous cafes and restaurants buzz with people dining, meeting friends or simply watching the world go by.
On the north-west coast of Sardinia, the ancient town of Alghero has retained the architecture and the language of its Catalan colonial past.
The coastline, known as the Coral Riviera, boasts beautiful sandy beaches, secluded coves and turquoise water. Porto Conte Bay, 12km north-west of Alghero, is almost circular and attracted Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to build a home here. Sardinia’s most famous vineyard, the Sella & Mosca Estate, is situated nearby.
The coastline, known as the Coral Riviera, boasts beautiful sandy beaches, secluded coves and turquoise water. Porto Conte Bay, 12km north-west of Alghero, is almost circular and attracted Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to build a home here. Sardinia’s most famous vineyard, the Sella & Mosca Estate, is situated nearby.
