sardinia |
|||
images: alamy; getty |
Clockwise from left: A souvenir shop in Castelsardo; Greater flamingo; exploring Cagliari; Bay of Calamosca Previous pages: Porto Faro Beach in Costa Smeralda |
I sip a light, bright Vermentino di Sardegna, followed by an aromatic Cannonau di Sardegna, and finally, the winery’ s flagship wine, a Nuracada— named after the medieval village that once stood on this parcel of land.
COASTAL BEAUTY
I knew about Costa Smeralda’ s spectacular blue waters and untouched white-sand beaches thanks to Instagram, with big names like Anne Hathaway, Beyoncé and Heidi Klum having posted about their travels there. Home to posh resorts and villas, the area attracts high-end visitors who laze on its beaches and wade in its chilly, clear waters. The Poetto coast, near Cagliari, is a stretch of beach that extends for five miles. On my drive to lunch, I spy the famous pink flamingos along the roadside. They’ re standing on reedy legs and gorging themselves on the local bounty of shellfish in shallow ponds and salt marshes. In the afternoon,
|
I board a catamaran for a sailing tour of Devil’ s Saddle, a promontory in the Bay of Calamosca. As we bob along, the captain points out sites where ancestral waterworshippers built stone cisterns to collect that life-giving gift of the gods. Playful dolphins jump and splash as they follow our path. I pluck up the courage to jump into the freezing cold waters— I can’ t resist the opportunity to float in the salty blue Med for a few blissful minutes.
Later that day, at five-star Hotel Palazzo Tirso Cagliari, I walk into Cielo’ s glasswalled elevator and head up to the rooftop restaurant, admiring the 360-degree view of the Gulf of Angels and the medieval downtown district before sitting down to a plate of pasta. Malloreddus alla Campidanese is homemade gnocchi, cooked duro— slightly firmer than al dente— then mixed with a sausage-based red sauce and topped with a generous sprinkling of grated Pecorino. I’ m told the sauce gets its unique flavor and
|
fall 2025 • 43 |