Baia Sardinia Holidays, Italy This elegant resort on the Golfo di Arzachena is well endowed with luxury hotels. Fanning out over a wide bay with a fine, sandy beach, Baia Sardinia is especially popular with families. The Aquadream water park has slides and chutes for thrills and spills and the beaches nearby are excellent for windsurfing. Nearby too are important Nuraghi remains, including Coddu Vecchiu, one of the best-preserved giants’ tombs.
Costa Esmeralda Holidays, Italy Playground for the rich, the waters of the Emerald Coast sparkle like the precious jewel, matched only by the diamonds of those who flock here. In the 1960s, the Aga Khan discovered this idyllic 35-mile coastal strip of sandy beaches, studded with 80 bays and idyllic coves, and made it an exclusive private resort. Low-rise buildings blending harmoniously with the landscape and beautiful (free) beaches ensure the coast’s enduring popularity.
Gulf of Orosei Holidays, ItalyThis is perhaps the most spectacular gulf on the whole island. Framed by towering cliffs, indented with countless coves, clear, emerald green waters lap long, sandy beaches. In the north, Orosei lies among lush citrus and olive groves. The central Piazza del Popolo is ringed with splendid buildings, including the white-stuccoed church of San Giacomo. Marina di Orosei beach is a long crescent of golden sands fringed by fragrant pines.
Olbia Holidays, Italy The Costa Smeralda’s main arrival point, Olbia is one of Sardinia’s oldest towns, although much of it is now modern and sprawling. But the cobbled lanes in the old part of town around the Corso Umberto are full of good restaurants and some pretty piazzas to linger in over a drink. Olbia’s only real monument is the granite Romanesque church San Simplicio. Nearby are the prehistoric Nuraghi sites around Arzachena.
Porto Cervo Holidays, Italy Ultra-glamorous Porto Cervo is the Costa Smeralda’s most famous resort, a haven for the yachting set and HQ for the ‘paparazzi’. Synthetic, but nonetheless picturesque in pink terracotta, the villas and buildings vie for attention with luxury mega yachts. The beautiful people meet on the Piazzetta and shopping is a dream, but seriously expensive. The (free) beaches are a highlight; access to a boat for exploring the little inlets is a must.
Porto Rotondo Holidays, Italy On the northern coast of the Gulf of Olbia, Porto Rotondo is Olbia’s answer to the nearby Costa Smeralda and chic Porto Cervo. Built in the early 1960’s, it is a stylish resort set in a picturesque bay, with white, sandy beaches, pretty piazzas, a sprinkling of designer boutiques and a marina. Excursion boats visit the little archipelago of islands in the gulf of which Soffi and Mortorio are the largest islands.
