Page 150 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sardinia

148  SARDINIA AREA B Y AREA

construction work is slowly but
surely spoiling the unique beauty
of this part of Sardinia.

6 The Maddalena
Archipelago
See pp150–51.

7 Santa Teresa
Gallura
Pastel-coloured traditional buildings in Porto Cervo Road map C1. * 4,200.
n Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 24,
4 Porto Cervo promontory, which ends in a 0789 75 41 27. _ 15–18 Oct: Festival.
large, bear-shaped rock, ∑ santateresagalluraturismo.com
Road map D1. n 0789 89 20 19.
∑ portocervoonline.com sculpted by the wind.
To get to Punta Sardegna, take The area around Santa Teresa was
The heart of the Costa Smeralda the road that goes up to Monte inhabited in Roman times and
and a paradise for European VIPs, Altura and then go on foot to the was also important to the Pisans,
Porto Cervo is centred around beach of Cala Trana, on the tip of who used the local granite for
two yacht harbours with some the headland. There is an extra- building. The present-day town
of the most spectacular private ordinary view of the coast and the was built from scratch during
craft in the world. In summer islands, which is particularly lovely the Savoyard period. It has a
there is a series of top sporting in the early morning and at sunset, regular grid plan with streets
events, including regattas and despite the fact that 21st-century intersecting at right angles, in
golf tournaments (see p194 and
p197). The traditional evening
stroll along the quay is almost
obligatory, with fashionable
designer shops on one side,
and luxury yachts on the other.
The church of Stella Maris has
a canvas attributed to the
painter El Greco.
Environs
There are plenty of good beaches
around Porto Cervo, such as Sunset at Palau, departure point for the Maddalena Archipelago
Liscia Ruja to the south, framed
by the sheltered Cala di Volpe.
The Aga Khan and the Costa Smeralda
The Consorzio Costa Smeralda group of foreign investors was
5 Palau founded in 1962 with Prince Karim Aga Khan IV at its head. The
Harvard-educated prince, rich and charismatic, was then in his
Road map D1. * 3,300. n 0789 70 mid-twenties. He is reputed to have spent more than 1,000 million
70 25. ∑ palauturismo.com
dollars in creating an opulent
The logical departure point jet-set playground, complete with
for a trip to the Maddalena yachting marinas, luxury hotels,
archipelago, Palau also owes its villas and elegant restaurants
along the Gallura coastline, all
success to the appeal of the designed to harmonize with
narrow-gauge Sassari-Tempio- the rugged Sardinian landscape.
Palau railway, part of the Trenino The project has proved very
Verde (see pp96–7). Life here is successful: Porto Cervo and
rather frenetic in the summer the nearby villages quickly
and revolves around the ferry became popular holiday spots,
boat wharf and the yacht especially for the wealthy and
harbour. From Palau you can famous of the international
travel to some of the most jet set, who can be seen on
fascinating and famous places the quays of Porto Cervo
on the coast, such as the jagged in the summer. Aga Khan IV
Capo d’Orso (Bear Cape)
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp178–9 and p189

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