White sand, clear turquoise sea and plush timber swaying within the breeze. This may sound like an outline of the Maldives — nevertheless it’s truly what I skilled on a latest journey to Italy.
Sardinia, the Mediterranean’s second-largest island after Sicily, is typically known as “the Maldives of Europe” for the fantastic thing about its seashores — two of which seem on “The World’s 50 Finest Seashores” 2024 checklist, chosen by greater than 1,000 journey professionals.
Just like the Maldives, components of Sardinia have a fame for being costly. These with deep pockets head to Costa Smeralda — or Emerald Coast — recognized for its yacht-loving jet set, upscale golf resorts and designer shops.
Porto Cervo, a part of Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda area. The world was based by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV within the Sixties and now attracts the jet set. As we speak, it’s owned by the Qatar Funding Authority.
Emanuele Perrone | Getty Photographs
Luxurious resort firm Belmond opened the renovated Romazzino at Porto Cervo in August, with fellow LVMH model Cheval Blanc set to open a resort in 2026. Accommodations from the Rocco Forte group and Mandarin Oriental are additionally attributable to open in the identical yr.
However it’s attainable to expertise Sardinia’s stunning shoreline with out spending a fortune, as I discovered on a latest trip. Airfare clearly impacts journey prices, however I spent $1,500 for per week on the island, together with flights from London.
First, I used to be completely satisfied to journey within the fall when costs are cheaper. Faculties within the U.Ok. begin in early September, and I reasoned that the climate would nonetheless be nice.
I used to be additionally content material with mid-range lodging and needed to remain someplace that included some meals to make budgeting simpler. I used to be additionally eager to be close to native eating places as they’re usually cheaper than these in touristy locations.
Friends can go on a kayak or paddleboard “safari” to an adjoining seashore.
Supply: Neilson
Looking on-line, I discovered that vacation firm Neilson had a resort on Sardinia’s northeastern coast, not removed from the Costa Smeralda. I might been to a Neilson-run resort in Greece a number of years earlier than and was impressed with its service and meals, in addition to actions like kayaking and yoga.
Neilson’s Baia dei Mori Seashore Membership is a 40-minute drive from the airport at Olbia, positioned subsequent to the sand dunes of a reasonably seashore. I discovered a deal for 849 British kilos ($1,102) per individual for per week, primarily based on two sharing a room and touring on the finish of September.
The value included return flights from London Stansted Airport, transfers, every day breakfast and lunch, plus 4 dinners and on-site actions like tennis teaching, guided biking, yoga courses and windsurfing. The resort’s web site confirmed pale sandy seashores lined with pine timber, and rooms in single-story buildings set amongst easy gardens.
I used to be offered, and I booked to go along with my pal Sinead.
Guided bike rides have been included in the price of Lucy Handley’s trip to Sardinia.
Supply: Neilson
On the primary morning, I headed to a yoga class held on a wood health deck close to the seashore. Then I sunbathed for a number of hours and took an aqua aerobics class within the resort’s pool.
Within the afternoon, Sinead and I joined a guided mountain bike journey, selecting the “inexperienced” newbie stage, which took us on a 9 km (5.6 mile) round route. Keener cyclists can enterprise alongside the twisting roads within the hills for intermediate or superior routes. We stopped for a lemon granita on the Shardana restaurant, set among the many timber overlooking the white sand Baia Sant’Anna seashore.
Our days continued to be a mixture of exercise and rest, usually beginning with yoga, adopted by a weightlifting class or bike journey within the afternoon.
The writer, Lucy Handley, together with her journey companion, Sinead, earlier than a motorbike journey.
Supply: Lucy Handley
A spotlight was a stand-up paddleboard “safari” throughout which, together with different visitors, I paddled my approach round a peninsula to the 4 km white sand Budoni Bay seashore, which has beautiful views to the mountainous Isola Tavolara. The resort additionally runs crusing courses for all ranges, with a race on the finish of the week.
On evenings when meals wasn’t included, we walked into the village of Tanaunella for dinner. At L’Resort Pedra Niedda, I loved malloreddus alla campidanese, a Sardinian pasta with a sausage sauce, for 12 euros ($13), whereas family-run Pizzeria da Paolo had a variety of pizzas for beneath 10 euros. At Ristorante La Volpe, I splashed out on a tuna steak with an anchovy mayonnaise for 25 euros.
The remainder of our price range went to alcoholic drinks and coffees at native bars, and at some point we employed a automotive (about 120 euros, together with supply, assortment and gasoline) to go south to the Gulf of Orosei and Gennargentu, a nationwide park with dramatic cliffs and a string of white-sand seashores.
Cala Fuili, a white pebble cove on Sardinia’s east coast, is fashionable with climbers.
Enrico Spanu | Reda&co | Common Photographs Group | Getty Photographs
The coastal city of Cala Gonone has boat rides to the Grotte del Bue Marino caves, which I think about are very fashionable in the summertime. As a substitute, we drove alongside the coast to the cove at Cala Fuili, the place a tiny, white pebble seashore is flanked by cliffs fashionable with climbers. There, we headed down steep steps to discover a spot among the many sunbathers.
Like many locations, Sardinia is eager to cut back overtourism and has launched limits to the quantity of people that can go to sure seashores in excessive season. At La Pelosa seashore alongside the northeastern coast, folks should place mats beneath their towels to stop sand getting caught to them and being faraway from the seashore.
My resort is a low-rise resort set again from the shore, with paths marked by means of the sand dunes to stop harm — and its seashore by no means felt crowded.
It was the best low season escape.
