SARDINIA - from Porto Cervo to Calasetta
We arranged for a taxi to meet us on arrival at Olbia airport and take us straight to our hotel in Porto Cervo. Car hire arrangements had also been made beforehand and we would collect the car in Porto Cervo after a few days of relaxtion.
Hotels in Porto Cervo itself are limited except for the very exclusive. However we discovered a comfortable hotel overlooking Porto Cervo harbour and within walking distance of the centre. A shuttle service was also included to the wonderful Grande Pevero beach and there are other beautiful beaches within a very short drive. Cala di Volpe beach is used by exclusive hotels but is also open to the public. For 007 enthusiasts Cala di Volpe was one of the locations used in “The spy that loved me”.
View from hotel towards Porto Cervo
The hire car was ready at the rental office (Ali dell'Aria) just a short walk from the hotel. In the same square is a boat hire service (Sea World Services). Even though it was August the roads were never too busy to prevent you exploring the region at a relaxed pace. Porto Rotondo and Poltu Quatu are short drives away with pleasant marina environments to relax in the evening as well as the day. The latter also provides boat excursions to La Maddalena islands. (Also from Palau, to the north)
Beach at Santa Teresa di Gallura
Visits further afield included Santa Teresa di Gallura in the north, which has a typical seaside resort atmosphere with good shops and eating places as well as great beaches. You can also take a ferry across to Bonificio on the island of Corsica, or a boat excursion to La Maddalena islands.The mountain village of San Pantaleo is a pleasant day out with art galleries and craft shops offering works from local artists. The mountain views are also spectacular.
Porto Cervo marina
Porto Cervo has a good choice of eating places for all budgets and the shops have a wide range of fresh produce, branded products and traditional delicacies. A favourite restaurant close to the hotel was 'Spinnaker ' where the atmosphere was as enjoyable as the food. The marina at Porto Cervo provides a pleasant environment for a quiet stroll to view the luxury yachts, or you can take the free boat taxi across to the town for window shopping and a cocktail.
Houses in Porto Cervo
We travelled from Porto Cervo to Calasetta taking the motorway (road 131) across the island. Very quiet roads and beautiful scenery helped make the 4 hour journey an enjoyable experience. An alternative was to take the coastal routes down the east or west with a one night stop over in a small hotel or b&b. Because of time limitation our decision was to make a base in the extreme south and explore from there. Incidentally, the island is approx. 260 km (162 miles) long and 120 km (75 miles) wide.
Continue to Calasetta ......
Views from San Pantaleo