Sardinia
Costa Smeralda
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Aga Khan-built luxury enclave — Porto Cervo super-yachts, Hotel Pitrizza, and €30 cocktails on every terrace.
Built from nothing in the 1960s by the Aga Khan as a private Mediterranean playground, Costa Smeralda is now Italys most expensive stretch of coast. Porto Cervo marina hosts the largest super-yachts in the Mediterranean during August, Hotel Cala di Volpe still defines five-star Med luxury, and the beaches at Capriccioli and Romazzino remain genuinely spectacular when you can reach them.
Scores
Walkability
Transit
Price
Local feel
Nightlife
Family-friendly
Centrality
What you gain
- ↑Beaches at Capriccioli, Romazzino and Liscia Ruja are among the Mediterraneans clearest waters
- ↑Hotel Cala di Volpe and Hotel Pitrizza define the regions luxury ceiling
- ↑40 minutes by boat to the Maddalena archipelago and Spiaggia Rosa
What you sacrifice
- ↓Highest prices in Italy outside Capri — €100+ sun loungers, €200+ beach lunches in August
- ↓Almost entirely closed mid-October through April
- ↓Car required — public transport effectively non-existent
Best for
Avoid if
Other Sardinia neighbourhoods
The islands working capital — Castello quarter on a hill, flamingos in the lagoon, Poetto beach to the east.
Catalan-walled old town on the northwest coast — Bombarde and Lazzaretto beaches and Neptunes Grotto by boat.
West-coast wild card — quartz-pebble beaches, the Phoenician ruins of Tharros and Sa Sartiglia carnival.
Know where to stay — now find when to go.
Best time to visit Sardinia →