Beautiful clear sea but cold water and very expensive
Written: Aug 26 '09 (Updated Aug 26 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beautiful clear water. Nice scenery.
Cons: Very expensive. Ocean water is cold even in July.
The Bottom Line: This is one of the most expensive resorts of Europe. The swimming season is short; July and August.
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| samiambar's Full Review: Costa Smeralda |
We spent one week in Porto Cervo located on the Costa Smeralda on the north eastern coast of Sardinia, an Italian island located south of Corsica.
It was the Agha Khan who made this area famous and began developing it in the late 1960s. It has become a playground of the super wealthy and this is one reason that prices here are exhorbitant. Most of the resorts like Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo are modern so there is not too much history here unlike other parts of the island. It looks a bit like California.
Most tourists arrive in the town of Olbia (south of Porto Cervo) by air or by boat from Italy. Olbia is located 30 minutes by car from Porto Cervo. EasyJet offer very affordable flights here from Britain, Germany, Switzerland and France. Meridiana is the Sardinian airline serving mostly Italian cities. The airport is very modern and new.
The Costa Smeralda is really famous for its beautiful beaches. All are public so one can rent a deck chair and umbrella. The most beautiful around Porto Cervo are:
Grand Pevero Beach, my favourite.
Romazzino Beach
Princes Beach. the Agha Khan's favourite. Named in his honour.
Liscia Ruja, the longest. However the road is not paved. Parking is difficult in the peak summer so go early morning.
Cala di Volpe but I did not really like this beach.
Though the water is gorgeously clear, even in July the water is cold. It takes some time to finally get comfortable. If one is interested in swimming then I would suggest only coming here in July and August.
Pools here are also not heated so they can also be quite cold.
The town of Porto Cervo is famous for it's fancy schmancy stores like Louis Vuitton etc. Also known for it's yachts, many quite huge.
Porto Rotondo is a famous resort but we were not crazy about it.
A must is to take a one day boat tour around the Magdallena Archipelago. This includes the island of Spargi, La Madalena and Caprera. Another resort in this area is San Rafael where the Queen of England has a large residence. From here one can see Southern Corsica. Many boats leave from Baja Sardinia, about 10 minutes from Porto Cervo. There is also a ferry boat to La Madalena island from Palau about 30 minutes north of Porto Cervo.
Food can be expensive; as much as $30 (EU 23) for a sandwich or $20 (EU 14) for an orange juice so one should check prices carefully. Portions at some restaurants are also small.
Hotels are expensive here. The famous hotels that charge $2,000 a night for 2 with 2 meals are:
Cala di Volpe
Patrizzia
Rommazino
They are managed by Sheraton. They also manage a cheaper hotel in Porto Cervo.
My favourite hotel if money were no object at about $1,200 for 2 is the Colonna Pevero Hotel near the Pevero Beach which is beautiful.
Try and stay at a hotel that has a shuttle bus service to the Grand Pevero Beach. Taxis are expensive, as much as $35 for a 10 minute trip.
A relatively good hotel with a beautiful pool that charges about $400 a night for 2 is the Grand Porto Cervo Hotel.
A cheaper hotel (about $250 a night for 2) better located which is good but whose pool is not as nice is the Hotel Luca Di la Muntagna.
A cute budget hotel with no pool on the beach at about $150 a night is the Piccolo Pevero Hotel.
A new hotel with the most gorgeous swimming pools; about 8 is the Colonna Beach Hotel. The pools are so amazing that it is worth just going for a look.
Conclusion
It is worth visiting the famous Costa Smeralda at least once. However the negatives are the exhorbitant prices and the cold ocean water. While I enjoyed the visit I preferred Taormina in Sicily, Madeira, Cyprus and Malta / Gozo.
Other nice areas that are less pretencious and cheaper in Sardinia are:
Alghero on the northern west coast which has a lot of history. One can then drive to Cala Gonone in 2 hours on the east coast. This area is famous for beaches that can only be reached by boat or hiking on footpaths. An hour south is the resort of Arbatax.
In southern Sardinia the resort of Villasimus is also known for its famous beaches. Some people prefer this area than the Costa Smeralda. It is not far from the city of Cagliari.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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Epinions.com ID:
samiambar
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Member: sami
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 1 member
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