Porto Cervo is one of the most interesting cities in the north of the Italian island of Sardinia. This resort is not for backpackers and budget travelers. Here, celebrities and people are richer. It was created, as if in a fairy tale, at the request and direction of a real prince. This resort has become a household name for luxury vacation for VIP-persons. Many of them built palaces and villas here. Although travelers with average incomes, his visit can also be affordable. Photos of this resort adorn the glossy covers of glamorous magazines as a symbol of "star relaxation." Now we will find out why.
Location and how to get
So, Sardinia ... Porto Cervo is located in the north-east of the island. This area is traditionally known as Gallura. It is part of the Olbia-Tempio region. Porto Cervo resort is located on the beaches of the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast). If you rented a car at the airport of Olbia - the closest to the resort - then you need to move along the SS 125 highway. It is better to get off it following the sign for Costa Smeralda or the city of Artsacena. After 8 kilometers, you turn right onto the local highway number 73. It leads to another resort town, Porto Rotondo. And you will have to go to our resort on highway 59. But many hotels in Porto Cervo in Sardinia include transfer directly from the airport to the accommodation and ticket prices. It’s not long to go, about forty minutes.
Resort History
Porto Cervo (Sardinia) is a fairly young resort. He made journalists around the world talk about himself when, in the 60s of the 20th century, Prince Karim Aga Khan the Fourth acquired these lands. He lived in Switzerland, was related to the prophet Mohammed himself and was the imam of the Shiite Ismaili community. He really liked the picturesque landscapes around, although he traveled around the globe. He decided to build an elite resort on this place, which would fit into the local nature. For this, the prince, who did not know the money bill, hired the best architects of his time. Among them was Luigi Vietti. It was these architects who designed and built the current city of dreams. The prince personally ensured that neither the ecology nor the traditional style of the island's buildings were disturbed by the creation of a new resort. It was built around the port, located in a deep natural bay, in the shape of a deer ("worm"), hence the name. Since that time, the crowned persons of all countries, as well as presidents, celebrities, millionaires, movie and show business stars - in a word, all people with money rushed here.
Resort Porto Cervo
First of all, it is famous for its magnificent harbor. It can be seen already when you approach the city. It usually jokes about seven hundred ships, and the resort's yacht club is one of the most exclusive in all of Italy. Here the most expensive yachts belonging to different celebrities are moored. And when you think about what to see in Porto Cervo (Sardinia), first of all take a walk along the promenade and admire the snow-white ships. Surround the harbor of rare beauty hills. And the city itself is a great example of modern Italian architecture. Not only Luigi Vietti, but also Jacques Cuell and Michele Busiri Vichi put their souls into it. The result is an amazing mixture of traditions and new trends. Since then, other resorts in Sardinia have begun to practice this type of architectural style. In the most beautiful palace of the resort was the residence of the prince himself. And from the central square, Piazzetta, the most fantastic view opens up on the Costa Smeralda. It is located on a hill in relation to the port, and the audience often gather here in the evenings. The square and narrow streets with bright balconies are the heart of the city. And villas, hotels and night clubs are located on the coast.
Porto Cervo Sardinia Attractions
The pearl of the resort, of course, is the dazzlingly white, strange sloping church of Stella Maris (Star of the Seas). It was designed by architect Michele Busiri Vichi, who tried to embody the style of the famous Catalan Gaudi on Sardinian material. The local golf club is a creation of the genius of modern design Robert Trent Jones, who turned the fields for the game into a work of panoramic art. If you want to explore the surroundings, be sure to visit Cape Capo Ferro, where the lighthouse is located. It is a rock of 46 meters high, cliffing steeply into the sea. You can still go to the town of Santa Teresa Gallura itself, the administrative district of which, in fact, is the resort of Porto Cervo (Sardinia). Here you will find beautiful bays, Capa Testa and Marmorata, as well as cozy coastal restaurants. And you can go on a yacht to the neighboring Maddalena archipelago. For its natural attractions, it is declared a National Park. This ridge of islands is located in the Strait of Bonifaccio, between Corsica and Sardinia. On one of them - Caprere - Garibaldi lived and died, and now there is his house-museum. From it to the island of La Maddalena stretches a six-meter dam. The archipelago is famous for the rare seabirds nesting there. And the island of Santo Stefano has a reputation for being the most beautiful in the Mediterranean because of its pink beach. Well, for comparison, look at the neighboring resort villages - Bahia Sardinia and Puerto Cannigione.
Hotels in Porto Cervo (Sardinia)
If you manage to settle here, then you will feel what a beautiful life is. In almost any local hotel, the staff will guess your desire. However, not only the service is at the highest level, but also the rich decoration strikes the imagination of tourists. Each hotel was built on an individual project by famous Italian designers who used the national Sardinian style as a basis, complementing it with surrealistic motifs a la Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. All hotel buildings are made of first-class, high-quality materials. The most beautiful hotel of this kind is considered to be Capo di Volpe, where one of the epic films about James Bond was shot. Another masterpiece of architecture, perfectly fitting into the natural beauties of Sardinia, is considered to be “Pitritsa” of the “Sherwood” line, located in the bay of Lisha di Vacca. One of its pools is carved into the rock and filled with sea water. For rest with children, the Romazzino hotel is the best suited. A children's menu, games and entertainment programs from morning to evening, and most importantly, a variety of water sports with instructors and security systems await small tourists.
Beaches
Since, as we have already said, Porto Cervo is a fashionable resort in the north of Sardinia, rich people come here to breathe in the sea air and take sun baths. The coast of the Costa Smeralda itself is good enough for a vacation of this kind. But we will tell you about the best beaches of the resort. The first of these, Cala Granu, is located near the harbor of the city. It is a bay with white sand, a gentle entrance and a shallow bottom, protected from all winds. The beach is literally a five-minute walk from the resort center, so families with children love it. It's not far to go here, and swimming is completely safe. In general, full relaxation.
The second most popular beach, Pevero, is three kilometers from the city. The depth of the sea there is also shallow, but it was chosen by celebrities, as well as paparazzi who are looking for a convenient moment to spy on the personal lives of the stars.
La Chelvia Beach is also good, but it is covered with coarse sand. Since it is surrounded by very beautiful cliffs of pink granite, nature lovers and divers come here. But no matter which beach you choose to relax, everywhere you will see a unique combination of wild pristine beauty and glamorous gloss.
Shopping
Boutiques and shops where you can buy branded items from the best designers in the world are concentrated on Piazza Sotto and the surrounding streets. But you just need to start shopping with a promenade around the city. On every street and square you will see an endless variety of boutiques, souvenir shops, shops with jewelry and antiques, rare wines, unique perfumes. If you are a fan of exclusive shopping, then Porto Cervo on the island of Sardinia (Italy) will seem like a real paradise. All fashion houses exhibit their latest collections here. You can simply move from one store to another, inspect them slowly, and sellers and consultants will not only tell you about new products, but also treat you with coffee, soft drinks and champagne. “Prada”, “Gucci”, “Chanel”, “Louis Vuitton” and many other fashion lawmakers take advantage of the fact that Hollywood stars often relax here, and tempt them to replenish their wardrobe. Therefore, to meet any celebrity in such stores is the norm.
Where and how to trapeze
Porto Cervo (Sardinia) can offer guests gourmet restaurants for every taste. But first of all, guidebooks advise you to try the traditional Gallura cuisine, prepared by the best chefs around the world. Porto Cervo restaurants have an amazing feature - they will serve you dishes with national and even local flavor, but made in haute couture style. Perhaps this is not anywhere else in the world. And you can choose a restaurant at random - the service, the quality of the food and the taste of the dishes in any of them are delicious. It all depends on how you want to spend the evening - with a view of the emerald waters of the bay, Piazzetta, or in the solemn hall, decorated under the Renaissance. And at the same time, even the most sophisticated gourmet admits that here he managed to try something new and unusual. Meat dishes, according to reviews of Porto Cervo (Sardinia), are best served by the cooks of the Esmeralda Churracharia restaurant, and seafood by the restaurants of Il Pescatore, La Pergola and Il Pomodorro. All the freshest and in masterly performance.
Day, night and evening entertainment
In summer, pink sand beach at Liscia Rouge beach, where relict juniper smells like hot sunshine, hosts stunning parties. Secular lionesses and their companions arrive here on their luxury yachts. Parties and other entertainments Porto Cervo (Sardinia, Italy) are considered the most sophisticated and glamorous in the whole world. Here in nightclubs you can meet literally the entire elite of the planet. The most populous and popular of them are located in the hotels Pitritsa and Costa Smeralda Resort. And the most unique night club, founded by the Italian racer and Formula 1 champion Flavio Briattore, is called the Millionaire, which already speaks of the audience who visits him. Here, every night the most fashionable DJs of our time are “annealing”. And if you already get to this unique resort, do not forget to share its eternal holiday with all the cream of society.
Tours in Porto Cervo
Most often, tourists are brought here by bus from other areas of Sardinia. It is not without reason that there are rumors about Porto Cervo that you can meet a millionaire here or a politician just in an alley. Therefore, tourists attracted by this prospect often travel here, but, as a rule, at a time when all the stars are resting and do not even appear on the beach. Therefore, sightseers go sightseeing and buy branded things. Those who stay at least a few days in Porto Cervo to at least just watch the life of a fashionable resort are wiser. After all, here you can even find budget accommodation options. For example, the hotels “Balochcho” and “Colonna Park”. They are not far from good beaches, but you can walk to the center from them.
Reviews
Tourists who were lucky to visit Porto Cervo (Sardinia) claim that the main feature of the resort is not only celebrities and glamor at every turn, but also the opportunity to experience what an exclusive holiday is “in the style of the inhabitants of Sardinia”. Complete relaxation against the backdrop of stunning nature on the one hand and active nightlife on the other are two poles of the pastime here. All these 50 kilometers of picturesque bays and unique architecture are extremely different from the rest of the island, which gives the impression of a certain outback. And here is order, cleanliness and everything is planted with beautiful flowers. Ordinary tourists usually walk in the streets during the day, but to see a celebrity you need to either attend a popular party or go shopping. But if you want to see all the most beautiful in this resort, be sure to rent a car. Public transport in Sardinia is not very well developed.