Things to do in Sardinia Our Editor's Picks for Food, Shopping and Hotels in Sardinia, Italy
Just Back From… Sardinia, Italy, on the Costa Smeralda—the northeast part of the island where you can be as private or as see-and-be-seen as you like.
Trip Duration: 6 days. Considering that Sardinia has one of world's highest documented percentages of people who live over 100 years old, I'm going to head back no matter what the season—for my own health.
Where I stayed: I first stayed at the breathtaking Hotel Pitrizza—between their super private villas boasting infinity pools, tranquil beach equipped with the comfiest chairs you've ever napped on, an endless supply of Aqua di Parma everything, and their cozy and delicious restaurant I felt like I was on a honeymoon with myself–I never wanted to leave the property. I then travelled down the road to spend a few nights at the Hotel Romazzino, which was more of a "scene" to socialize, the postcard version of Sicily, and an Instagram gold mine. Think: scented myrtle and Mediterranean flowers draped over whitewashed architecture situated atop the seaside cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean. Mama, mia!
Best Thing I Ate: It's Italy—even eating a fresh tomato is a delight. But I did do a cooking class at the Cala di Volpe with a private chef and made absolutely delicious traditional Fregula pasta from scratch, cooked with frutti di mare.
Best Thing I Drank: Sardinia is peppered with picturesque vineyards, and I think I happened upon the chicest one called Vigne Surrau. Here I sampled local drops, including many a delicious Vermentino.
Best Daytime Activity: While I was lucky that both of my hotels came with stunning private beaches, I also dropped into the spiaggia capriccioli (beach)–it has a rugged coastline and is packed with local and low-key sun-seekers. Also, on Thursdays there is an outdoor market selling fresh foods, trinkets and bohemian clothing at San Pantaleo. You haven't lived until you've sampled all the cheeses and salumi available–all while bargaining on a pair of artisan shoes. If you're into ancient ruins and historical excursions, the archeological site, Arzachena, is definitely worth a visit.
Could Not Leave Home Without: Sardinians are very stylish, and so I was always aware to dress up even for a trip to the beach or hotel restaurant. A versatile white dress and polished sandals did the trick.
Trip Highlight: My last night in Sardinia spent at the Hotel Romazzino Restaurant on the terrace overlooking the sea, eating the most delicious poached candied peaches, while a boat in the distance was letting off fireworks. Real life? Not at all.
Emma Ciufo is the Senior Content Editor at ShopBAZAAR.com, Harper’s BAZAAR’s global ecommerce site. An expat—and digital and fashion devotee—she started her career in Australia, working her way up to the Online Editor job at the local editions of InStyle and Harper’s BAZAAR. After a freelance stint that garnered her a well-stamped passport, Emma moved to New York in 2014 and landed as a digital copywriter at Michael Kors, before calling Hearst her home. When she isn’t starring deep into the eyes of her iPhone 6, she enjoys globetrotting, acting, reading American fiction and spending time in the company of cats.
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