Whenever I return to the Costa Smeralda, with its wave-sculpted boulders and steep cliffs alternating with white-sand beaches backed by azure sea, I not only fall in love with Sardinia all over again, but also feel a powerful urge to explore Italy’s second-largest island more thoroughly. For some reason, however, though I’ve appreciated this dramatic northeastern shore for decades, the rest of Sardinia has remained a mystery.
Sardinia has a resilient identity and has jealously preserved its distinct dialect and culture.
So finally, this past spring, I undertook a 10-day driving tour of the island. We began on the southern coast in Cagliari, Sardinia’s largest city, and finished in Alghero, a beautiful medieval town in the northwest. The island we discovered remains wild and spectacular, with small hotels of comfort and character, delicious food, unexpectedly excellent wines, fascinating archaeological sites, intriguing little towns and miles of empty beach. Sardinia has a resilient identity and has jealously preserved its distinct dialect and culture.
After two days in Cagliari, where the Museo Archeologico Nazionale provides an essential lesson in Sardinia’s long and complex history, we drove southwest out of the city over the bridges and viaducts crossing salt pans that have been in use at least since the Romans arrived on the island. Flocks of pink flamingos punctuated the mirror-like waters, and the air was scented by the white and pink oleander lining the well-maintained roads. Our destination was the sunken Phoenician city of Nora, which is best known for its superb mosaics. Little else has survived, and it requires an active imagination to conjure a thriving city from the ancient stones. The setting on a strategic peninsula, however, affords magnificent views of the coast and its sturdy guard towers and lighthouses constructed by successive civilizations.
After leaving Nora, we followed a series of minor roads running parallel to the beautiful beaches in and around the small resort town of Chia. Eventually, we found ourselves on the unpaved trail that leads to the Faro Capo-Spartivento hotel. The ocher-colored stone lighthouse, built in 1856 by the Italian navy, has recently been converted into an intimate hotel with just six junior suites (request one of the two Sea View Suites, which offer spectacular 360-degree views over the coastline and hinterland).
The design of the hotel respects the original function of the structure — which is an Italian national historic monument — but renders it warm and comfortable, with details such as wide oak-plank floors, Murano glass chandeliers, white linen curtains and quarry stone-lined baths. Although slightly bemused by the circular bed in our suite, which followed the curves of the tower, we found our quarters to be unexpectedly plush and cozy. Divided in half by massive structural steel girders, the room came with a white canvas sofa and glass-topped desk, as well as a large Balinese mirror propped up against one wall.
The point of a stay at Faro Capo-Spartivento is relaxation.
The point of a stay at Faro Capo-Spartivento is relaxation. Aside from two nearby white-sand beaches fronting transparent turquoise water — Cala Cipolla and Su Giudeu — there is little to do in the vicinity. The phone service can be interrupted by high winds, and the Internet connection is feeble. This turns out to be a gift, of course, since lounging beside the infinity pool with a book and getting lost in the ever-changing spectacle of the sea is profoundly therapeutic. Overall, the hotel is a very private place, with a variety of secluded nooks that allow guests to be alone and out of the public eye. I discovered my favorite perch when I climbed the spiral cast-iron lighthouse-keeper’s staircase to the last floor below the actual beacon. (The light is still in service.) Here, I found two chairs and a telescope for ship-spotting.
Because of its remote location, we ate dinner at the hotel during our stay. Happily, the chef had worked in St. Moritz for many years, and his food was superb, with dishes such as octopus carpaccio, gnocchi with mussels in a zucchini sauce, and grilled tuna with herbs and tomatoes. The wine list was brief but interesting, and service in the dining room was courtly, quiet and English-speaking. We left Faro Capo-Spartivento with the intention to return one day, perhaps having rented the whole place for a family reunion.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The strong sense of place; the spectacular views; the unexpectedly delicious food.
DISLIKE: The 4 p.m. check-in time; the too-formal service.
GOOD TO KNOW: There is no elevator. When booking, request direct access by car, rather than a transfer to the property from a parking lot a half-mile away.
Faro Capo-Spartivento 95 Classic Suite, $650; Sea View Suite, $870. Viale Spartivento, Domus de Maria. Tel. (39) 070-513-489.
Beyond the city, the winding road followed the coastline and offered such spectacular panoramas that we pulled over constantly to enjoy them.
The following morning, we retraced our route to Cagliari — about an hour’s drive — on our way to the town of Villasimius. There, we enjoyed an excellent lunch of spaghetti with spiny lobster and swordfish steaks at Da Barbara. Beyond the city, the winding road followed the coastline and offered such spectacular panoramas that we pulled over constantly to enjoy them. The air smelled of salt and wildflowers. Soon we came to Costa Rei, a pretty and easygoing resort town on a stretch of coastline backed by parasol pines.
The 52-room Villa del Re hotel is a new five-star property that opened in June 2014. Set in a landscaped park, the hotel has a contemporary design that makes an effort to fit into the surroundings. Its walls are faced with stone in the idiom of Sardinia’s traditional rural architecture. The centerpiece of the property is an Olympic-size pool surrounded by a wooden deck and overlooking a private beach.
For a luxury hotel, the Classic and Superior rooms are small, so it’s preferable to book a Junior Suite. The décor is Italian beach house chic, with whitewashed walls, limed oak floors and antiqued, ivory-painted wooden furniture. The lighting is good, the beds are comfortable and the baths are well-equipped. Overall, La Villa del Re is fine for a night’s stay during a driving tour, but I don’t recommend it as a destination hotel. The food was lackluster during our visit, and, for an extended stay, there are better resorts elsewhere on the island.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The beguiling setting on private sandy beach; the landscaped grounds; the large swimming pool.
DISLIKE: The overpriced dinner menu; rather mediocre cooking; slow and disorganized service.
GOOD TO KNOW: Rooms tend to be small, so book a Junior Suite. The nuraghi (ancient megalithic stone structures) around Orroli, about an hour’s drive from the hotel, are just as haunting and dramatic as those at Barumini, a site that attracts tour-bus crowds.
La Villa del Re 88 Superior Room Sea View, $500; Junior Suite Garden View, $575. Loc. Su Cannisoni, Costa Rei. Tel. (39) 070-775-3009.
The following day, we drove north to see the dramatic red porphyry cliffs that plunge into the sea in Arbatax. We arrived at the 28-room Lanthia Resort in Santa Maria Navarrese in time to spend a lazy afternoon reading in the shade of the pines, junipers and olive trees that line the hotel’s private beach. Though it was not especially grand or luxurious, we liked this place immediately because of the attractive setting, the friendly staff, the elegant simplicity of its décor, the comfort of its well-designed rooms and the congenial atmosphere found at hotels with visibly contented guests.
The simple accommodations come with framed photographs, colorful Sardinian embroidery, white-painted walls and oak floors. Junior Suites with private terraces — such as “Baunei,” where we stayed — are recommended. These have open-plan baths with Jacuzzi tubs and separate showers, spacious wardrobe areas and excellent lighting.
The highlight of our stay at Lanthia, however, was the highly regarded restaurant, which specializes in traditional Sardinian cooking. The good-value prix-fixe menu included an appetizer of local charcuterie and cheese, Sardinian ravioli, roasted suckling pig with rosemary-roasted potatoes, and a delicious Sardinian cheesecake. Complimentary shots of ice-cold Mirto — a potent, dark-purple Sardinian liqueur made with wild myrtle berries and leaves — concluded this feast and assured an exceptionally good night’s sleep.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The warm and friendly service; the fine beach; the excellent restaurant.
DISLIKE: The small swimming pool.
GOOD TO KNOW: The resort attracts many families, but this does not detract from its appeal for couples.
Lanthia Resort 89 Deluxe Room, $440. Via Lungomare Monte Santo, Santa Maria Navarrese. Tel. (39) 078-261-5103.
After breakfast, we set off on a 36-mile drive along the SS125 from Santa Maria Navarrese to the charming hilltop town of Dorgali. This winding two-lane highway is among the most beautiful in Europe. We proceeded at a speed relaxed enough to smell the maquis — the low carpet of thyme, rosemary and wild mint that covers the countryside — and to gaze at the majestic bare stone mountains. On the way west toward Oliena, one of the prettiest towns in Sardinia, the countryside softened, with poppy-flecked fields of wheat, neatly tended vineyards and groves of olive trees filling a broad, fertile valley.
Throughout the public areas we found Sardinian crafts — textiles, farm utensils, wooden masks and paintings — that provided the hotel with a powerful sense of place.
Just as the cicadas began their chant in the heat of the day, we arrived at Su Gologone. This 68-room hotel, a whitewashed hamlet decorated with museum-quality Sardinian art and handicrafts, was founded in 1962 by the mellifluously named Peppeddu Palimodde and his wife, Pasqua. Their aim was to transform their restaurant, a simple place specializing in hearth-grilled meats, into a country hotel showcasing the cuisine, culture and crafts of rural Sardinia.
Today, the property is run by the Palimoddes’ daughter, Giovanna, but it was still the elegant Signora Pasqua Palimodde who ushered us to our table on the open-air terrace for lunch. After a delicious rustic meal of culurgiones (Sardinian ravioli stuffed with cheese) and homemade sausage with grilled vegetables, we decided to pass on a swim in the spring-water pool — Su Gologone is adjacent to some of the most famous mineral springs in Sardinia — and to spend the afternoon in the shade.
Our room proved comfortable and attractive, with a terra-cotta tile floor, a small balcony shaded by a fig tree, and a wrought-iron four-poster bed in an arched alcove next to a white-painted armoire. The cheerfully tiled bath was well-lit and came with a combination tub and shower, plus a single vanity with a limestone counter. In the hallway outside our room were displays of handwoven and embroidered saddlebags and shawls, mounted inside glass cabinets. Throughout the public areas we found Sardinian crafts — textiles, farm utensils, wooden masks and paintings — that provided the hotel with a powerful sense of place.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The successful attempt to curate an experience of the cuisine and culture of rural Sardinia.
DISLIKE: Slow and rather distant service in the restaurant; the frustratingly poor Internet connection.
GOOD TO KNOW: Order à la carte in the restaurant; the menu offered to those on half-board is restricted. Specify that you want a room with views of the surrounding countryside and mountains.
Su Gologone 93 Junior Suite, $510; Suite, $620. Loc. Su Gologone, Oliena. Tel. (39) 078-428-7512.
After two nights at Su Gologone, we continued on our journey to Alghero, making a brief detour to visit the Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia, the polychrome 11th-century stone church outside of Sassari that is almost as much of an emblem of Sardinia as the Empire State Building is of New York City. Alghero is a fine old port town that is perceptibly more cosmopolitan than most other Sardinian cities, having been ruled by the Catalans for several centuries. This heritage is also reflected in street signs in both Italian and Catalan. At the end of the 19th century, Alghero emerged as a stylish seaside resort on par with places such as Viareggio and Nice, which explains why its formidable stone ramparts still surround a dense concentration of restaurants, bars, cafés and shops selling jewelry made from the local red coral. Unlike the Costa Smeralda, Alghero has a life beyond tourism, since the fishing port is still busy and the nearby vineyards — Sella & Mosca and Cantina Santa Maria la Palma among them — are producing excellent wines.
Converted into a hotel in 1959, the villa attracted a glamorous clientele that included Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
After we rang a bell, wrought-iron gates swung open to reveal the lush tropical gardens surrounding the 24-room Villa Las Tronas. The villa was built in 1880 on the ruins of an ancient watchtower by Alessandro, the third count of Sant’Elia. During the Belle Epoque, it was frequented by the European aristocracy, including Italian royalty and a bevy of Romanov princesses. Converted into a hotel in 1959, the villa rapidly attracted a glamorous clientele that included the Italian actors Ugo Tognazzi and Virna Lisi, as well as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
Las Tronas remains an exceptionally romantic hotel, with a mixture of Old World elegance and an easygoing contemporary style of hospitality. (At times, it was a bit too easygoing: On our arrival, no one could be bothered to help us with our luggage, and when we complained to the duty manager, he blithely remarked, “Why didn’t you ask us to come and help you?”) Escorted to our suite, we immediately appreciated its huge private terrace with a Jacuzzi and superb views over Alghero and the Mediterranean. The huge space featured a wood floor and a pair of wrought-iron art nouveau chandeliers hanging from its high ceiling. The bedroom featured a baldacchino bed draped with ivory-and-pearl-striped fabric and backed by a white leather headboard. Amenities included a small butler’s pantry with sink, fridge and espresso maker. Though the bath was snug, it came with two glass sinks on a limestone counter, a separate shower and a small porthole window that provided natural light. Nondescript toiletries were the only disappointing detail.
The Villa Las Tronas has a superb fitness center and spa, including an indoor seawater pool, in an adjacent building. The main outdoor pool is also filled with filtered seawater. The property has more individual personality than the hotels on the Costa Smeralda, hence, it provided a suitably authentic and memorable ending to our fascinating tour.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The spectacular setting; the romantic atmosphere; the excellent small spa.
DISLIKE: The excessively casual service; the lackluster cooking in the hotel restaurant.
GOOD TO KNOW: Quintilio Ristobar, a casual but excellent beachside restaurant much loved by the locals, is just a short walk down the street.
Villa Las Tronas 92 Double Room Sea View, $500; Junior Suite, $690. Lungomare Valencia 1, Alghero. Tel. (39) 079-981-818.
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