Sardinia

SARDINIA BEYOND THE SOPHISTICATED EMERALD COAST !

Lying less than 10 nautical miles from Southern Corsica, Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily.
If Sardinia is known above all for its beautiful and sophisticated Emerald Coast, it is home to a rich history.
The island has been inhabited since prehistoric times.
What indeed is unique in Sardinia’s history is the Nuragic Civilization that started in the Early Bronze Age, in approximately the 18th century BC and lasted till approximately the 2nd century AD with the arrival of the Romans.
The Nuragic Civilization takes its name from the «Nuraghi», these remarkable conic-shaped megalithic structures of huge basalt blocks whose purpose and use are still not known.
Archeologists believe some of them could reach height of 30m and speculate they may have been used as defensive watch towers, may have had a religious significance, were used to mark the grave sites of important people, or may have been some type of ancient silos to store grain and food.
There are over 7.000 Nuraghs in Sardinia, the most famous of which is Su Nuraxi of Barumini (a Unesco World Heritage site).
After Roman ruling, Sardinia was occupied by the Vandals, fell in the Byzantine empire, was raided by the Arabs between the 7th and 9th century and shortly occupied by them in the 10th century, was under the influence of Genoa, Pisa and Marseille, prior to being dominated by the Aragonese, Austria and Savoy and finally united to Italy.

In the 60s, young Prince Karim Aga Khan bought some land in the North East of Sardinia, set up the Costa Smeralda Consortium that transformed the area into one of the most exclusive hideaways in the Mediterranean.
An avid yachtman, together with some investors the Aga Khan created an exclusive 700 berths marina, Porto Cervo visited by the most spectacular yachts every summer.

Combining luxury resorts, boutique hotels, golf courses, exclusive beach clubs, fine dining and sparkling nightlife with the natural beauty of its coasts and emerald seas, the Costa Smeralda is not only a magnet for celebrities and billionaires but a paradise for yachting ▪▪▪

MADDALENA ARCHIPELAGO
North East of Punta Sardegna, the idyllic Maddalena archipelago national park, named after the largest of this group of seven islands (Maddalena, Caprera, Santo Stefano, Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, Razzoli) and 55 rocky islets boasts breathtaking anchorages, turquoise seas, magnificent white sandy beaches and splendid seabeds.
Make sure to anchor off in Maddalena Island’s Cala Coticcio in the island of Caprera and Spargi Island’s Cala Corsaro.

The magic of a yacht charter in Sardinia is that you can sway between unspoilt natural beauty and exciting nightlife ▪▪▪

After a relaxing day in the Maddalena archipelago, how about going for a drink to Phi Beach Rock Club to watch the sunset before a refined dinner and a crazy night in Phi Beach open air disco.

PORTO CERVO
Unless, you prefer to berth in Porto Cervo and experience a vibrant evening at Flavio Briatore’s world-famous Billionaire Club. In case you forgot your favorite evening clothes, Porto Cervo is a shopping paradise with Designer boutiques from all over the world.

CALA DI VOLPE
Another celebrity hot spot, close to Porto Cervo, is Cala di Volpe. Cala di Volpe, the bay of the fox, has some of the most stunning and unspoilt beaches in the Mediterranean.
Ashore, can be found de-luxe collection hotels with golf courses, spa, exclusive beach clubs, pool barbecue restaurants…

Amongst Sardinia North East unmissible coves and most beautiful beaches are Cala Sabina, Grande Pevero Beach, Capo Coda di Cavallo and Cala Brandinchi.

TAVOLARA ISLAND
A few miles South East of Olbia lies the protected marine area of Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo.
On your way to the Island of Tavolara, you will pass by two small islets, Isola dei Cavalli, Isola Piana.
The impressive 560m high Tavolara limestone and granite island is approximately 5 km long and 1 km wide, dotted with green juniper, rosemary and mastic bushes and boasts sand beaches, transparent waters ideal for young children.

SARDINIA OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
If you believe wine is the soul of the earth, indulge in a wine tasting tour, explore inland Sardinia, discover its agriculture, products, traditions, arts and crafts.

Weather permitting, depending on the size of your charter yacht, you could cruise South to Villasimius renowned for its beautiful fine white sand beaches.

If you wanted to go off the beaten track, go South West and discover « Le Dune «, the spectacular sand dunes nearby Porto Pino and its lagoon area consisting of three ponds (stagno de Porto Pino, stagno de Brebeis, stagno de Foxi).

Next, you could cruise to the islands of Sant’Antioco (fourth-largest island after Sicily, Sardinia and Elba) and San Pietro island that form Arcipelago of Sulcis together with Isola Piana, Isola il Toro, Isola la Vacca, Isola del Corno and Isola dei Ratta.

The volcanic island of Sant’Antioco is connected to the mother island by an artificial isthums supposedly started by the Carthaginians and completed by the Romans.
Testimony of the island rich history can be found at the ethnographic, archeological and maritime museum as well as at the Pirixeddus punic necropolis.
Sant’Antioco also boats some spectacular beaches like Calasetta, Maladroxa with thin sands and thermal waters springing from the sea bed, already used by the Romans, cala lunga a fjord with emerald green waters.

San Pietro island has dramatic jagged cliffs plunging into crystal-clear seas, enchanting coves and inlets, is covered by Mediterrean brush with captivating scents.
It is a paradise for snorkling and diving.
Even though the island was known to Carthaginians and Romans, the island main town / fishing port of Carloforte was founded in the 18th century by coral fishers originating from Liguria.
The castle and the ancient town walls and forts testify of the defensive structure needed to resist the Barbarian incursions.

Flavours and Tastes of Sardinia
Bottarga (salted cured mullet or tuna fish roe) – Octopus salad – Pasta with sea urchins – Seafood and saffron fregola (fregola is a kind of couscous) – Catalan style lobster – Lamb with prickly artichokes – Pecorino sardo
Sebadas (thin dough filled with mild cheese cooked with lemon peel and sugar) – Pardule di ricotta (star-shaped tartlets filled with ricotta cheese, citrus peels, saffron) – Anicini sardi (sweet made with anise seeds and anisse liquor) –

The Wines of Sardinia
Vermentino di Gallura: this is a dry full-bodied white from North Sardinia
Carignano del Sulcis: indegenous vineyard on sandy soils, intense and fresh
Vernaccia di Oristano: with perfumes of dried almonds, honey, caramel but fresh
Cannonau di Sardegna : robust red, low in acidity and tannins
Malvasia di Bosa passito (produced with dry grapes, amber-colored, intense aroma)
Mirto liqueurs made of myrtle berries and leaves

To discover Sardinia on a yacht charter, please contact Blue-Trend your Yachting Specialist ▪▪▪