Sardinia Villas | Pevero Golf Club | Italy Luxury Villas

The Costa Smeralda in Sardina is set in the middle of

the Mediterranean just over two hours away by plane

from London, it has some of Europe's finest white sandy

beaches and sparkling turquoise sea. The waters around

Sardinia, thought to be the cleanest in Italy, are home to

a rich array of flora and fauna for the snorkeller or scuba

diver to explore.

Tourism on Sardinia, which began in the sixties, has

been a gradual and deliberately low-key affair. It has

generally not been allowed to compromise the natural

environment and nowhere is this more the case than

on the Costa Smeralda, where the Aga Khan's

development enhances the superb scenery to provide

a truly luxurious and unspoilt setting for the discerning

holiday-maker.

The Costa Smeralda is only 10 kilometres long but

manages to offer an incredible 56-kilometre coastline

of sandy beaches and rugged coves. The consortium,

which the Aga Khan formed in the early sixties, has

stuck firmly by one guiding principle. Any development

should blend and enhance the superb scenery and not

disfigure it in any way. Consequently there are no

high-rise buildings and telephone wires and electrical

cables have to be hidden underground. Some of the

most prominent architects, such as Couelle and Vietti,

have designed the hotels and villas on the Costa

Smeralda in an inimitable yet homogenous neo-

Mediterranean style. Their creations harmonise with the

mountains, the macchia, the 80 magical white-sanded

beaches and the blue coves as in no other resort.

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WATERSPORTS

The Costa Smeralda is made for water sports and boating.

Sailing, windsurfing and scuba-diving are available all

along the coast and motor-boats (from dinghies to power

boats) can be hired. Porto Cervo (pictured opposite) has

one of the finest yachting marinas in Europe and hosts

world-class races and regattas.

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GOLF

Set between the sapphire bays of Pevero and Cala

di Volpe, Pevero is the supreme masterpiece of the

greatest of American golf designers, Robert Trent Jones.

Described by several golf writers as 'the most beautiful

place to play golf in the world', the course is also

splendidly demanding. It insists on absolute accuracy

if you are to keep out of the savage rough of rocks and

the tangled, perfumed herbs of the macchia. Despite its

charm and challenges, the 18 hole Pevero is rarely

crowded and you can walk into the clubhouse and tee

off without queues.

The club was designed and constructed by Robert Trent Jones for the Costa Smeralda Consortium in the late sixties. Pevero golf club has been classed within the 100 top golf clubs in the world. The club was designed and constructed the Aga Khan development group in the late sixties and was in fact the first to appear within Costa Smeralda. The 18 hole Pevero Golf course is considered to be one of the most challenging courses in Europe.

The clubhouse has splendid views over the course,

spacious locker rooms, a swimming pool, a card room,

bar, well-stocked pro-shop and one of the best restaurants

on the Costa Smeralda. You can hire clubs, trolleys and

electric golf carts.

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TENNIS

Floodlit courts and swimming pools are open to everyone

on daily or weekly subscriptions at the Tennis Club in

Porto Cervo, home to exhibition matches between world

class players.

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SHOPPING

Porto Cervo, the picturesque little village at the heart of

the Costa Smeralda, offers the very best designer

shops, including Armani, Bvlgari, Cartier, Ferre, Gucci,

Prada and Versace. General stores and supermarkets

are also available in the resort.

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RESTAURANTS

A wide range of restaurants both on and off the Costa

Smeralda offer meals to suit all tastes, featuring many

Sardinian specialities. Sardinian cuisine is very versatile

and offers delicious choices of fish, seafood, meat,

pasta, breads and cheeses. The local wines are

improving all the time and it is now possible to choose

amongst a range of very good reds and whites as well

as a range of liqueurs, including the famous mirto.

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NIGHTLIFE

Nightlife on the Costa Smeralda offers many choices;

it can be simple and laid-back or it can be determinedly

jet-set and fashionable, attracting Europe's glitterati in

July and August.

You can choose amongst the relaxed piano bars on the

piazzetta in Porto Cervo or go for the more frenetic

option of the Billionaire Club (pictured opposite), famously

owned by Flavio Briatore, former head of the Benetton

Formula One racing team. Bars and discos are also

available at other nearby resorts such as Baia Sardinia,

Poltu Quattu and Porto Rotundo.

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Situated about ten kilometres south of the Costa

Smeralda round the Golfo Aranci, Porto Rotundo is a

well-planned resort, designed to blend with its natural

surroundings and built around a yacht marina. The

quayside and Piazzetta San Marco are lined with

designer shops and during the summer months the

numerous cafes and restaurants buzz with people

dining, meeting friends or simply watching the world

go by.

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On the north-west coast of Sardinia, the ancient town

of Alghero has retained the architecture and the language

of its Catalan colonial past. The coastline, known as the

Coral Riviera, boasts beautiful sandy beaches, secluded

coves and turquoise water. Porto Conte Bay, 12km north-

west of Alghero, is almost circular and attracted Richard

Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to build a home here.

Sardinia's most famous vineyard, the Sella & Mosca

Estate, is situated nearby.

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