Sarena Harvey – Sardinia Villa Collection Founder

English born and bred, Sarena is the founder of The Sardinia Villa Collection  Even though she loves to travel the world, these days she is more than a little biased towards Sardinia when it comes to taking her ideal holiday.  Here she explains why…

My first stay in Sardinia was a one week lightening tour of the island, driving every single mile of the coastal roads. People tend to think that Sardinia is a small island, but that’s 1,850km to get around the whole coast and to put that into perspective, that’s a quarter of Italy’s total coastline… in just one week.

It was enough to make me fall in love with Sardinia, and before long I’d set up The Sardinia Villa Collection to allow me to live on the island and to help others to discover her too.

Since the move, I’ve been a little lazy about international travel. I’d spent most of my life visiting and living all over the world, but Sardinia has so much to offer so nowadays I tend to jump in the car and go and explore a little closer to home.

As I have some of the best beaches in the world on my doorstep, I can’t imagine going anywhere else for a beach holiday. If you’re after clean white sand and crystalline waters you’re really spoilt for choice here, but I do have a few firm favourites.

La Maddalena archipelago

I make the most of our own complimentary concierge service and charter a boat for a day tour around the La Maddalena archipelago. It’s a great day out with a friendly local skipper who will take you island hopping and it’s not unusual to find stunning beaches without a single footprint on them.

Nora beach

For a beach day with a twist, Nora beach in south Sardinia is hard to beat. It’s home to the ruins of the Roman capital of Sardinia so you can wander around the site checking out the amphitheatre, old bath houses and mosaics.

The chapel which marks the spot where Sant’Efisio, Sardinia’s patron saint died is also right on the beach and well worth a visit, and if you hike a little way up the hill overlooking the bay there’s some fabulous World War Two fortifications as well, so you can take in several centuries worth of Sardinian history all without straying far from your beach towel.

Vila Volpe

If I really had to choose just one place as a base for a week in Sardinia, I’d have to pick our Villa Volpe. Built by the godfather of Sardinian architecture, Savin Couelle, it showcases the best of the traditional, local building materials and style with a modern twist. The salt water infinity pool, direct sea access on all sides and the private beach make it the best place I know to relax, unwind and fall in love with the Mediterranean.

During Carnival

Carnival in February is a great time to visit, and the best place to go is Bosa with cute cobbled streets and pastel coloured houses as the perfect backdrop for the wild and friendly street parties.

Mamoiada is also famous for its more traditional festivities. In the autumn, head for the wilder mountainous interior of the island where entire villages are opened up to locals and tourists alike. It’s a great opportunity to sample local wines, liquors, cheeses, honeys and meats and the residents will invite you into their homes for meals of roast suckling pig followed by traditional dancing and singing.

Fonni – Winter's Best Kept Secret

When winter rolls around, Sardinia’s best kept secret is Fonni, a small ski resort within easy reach of all of the main cities and although the pistes aren’t quite up to the standards of the Alps it’s such a novelty to be able to ski in the Med.

Sarena's travel tip:

When coming to Sardinia  my tip would be to be adventurous.

The best beaches are the secret, hidden ones so don’t be afraid to head away from the more famous beaches and down any interesting little dirt tracks you see near the coast. That’s what rental cars are for!

Most of the time, you’ll find yourself on a tiny beach, miles away from other tourists.

Don’t be afraid to sample the local cuisine either, even if some of the dishes may seem a little odd to you. Sea urchin pasta is one of the most delicious treats known to man, as is pasta with bottarga (dried mullet roe) grated over it.

The famous Casu Marzu cheese is only for the bravest of the brave though… it’s the live maggots in it that gives it that unique, tangy flavour.

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