©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd Olbia, the Costa Smeralda & Gallura Includes ¨ Why Go? Olbia ............................148 The Costa Smeralda evokes Sardinia’s classic images: pearly- Golfo Aranci ................152 white beaches and weird, wind-whipped licks of rock taper- San Teodoro ................153 ing into emerald seas. The dazzling coastal strip that the Costa Smeralda ..........155 Aga Khan bought for a pittance is today the playground of millionaires and A-listers. Come summer, scandal-hun- Porto Cervo .................155 gry paparazzi haunt the marinas, zooming in on oligarchs Palau ...........................165 cavorting with bikini-clad beauties on yachts so big they Tempio Pausania ........ 171 eclipse the sun. A few kilometres inland, a very different vision of the good life emerges. Here, vine-striped hills roll to deeply traditional villages and mysterious nuraghi (Bronze Age Best Places to fortified settlements), silent cork-oak woods and granite Eat mountains. Immune to time and trends, the hinterland offers a refreshing contrast to the coast, best appreciat- ¨ Dolceacqua (p148) ed during a multiday getaway at a country agriturismo ¨ Il Portolano (p153) (farm-stay). ¨ Agriturismo La Colti (p159) Further north the Gallura coast becomes wilder, the pre- serve of the dolphins, divers and windsurfers who splash ¨ Li Mori (p154) around in the startlingly blue waters of La Maddalena ma- ¨ I Frati Rossi (p156) rine reserve. ¨ Agriturismo Saltara (p164) When to Go Best Places to ¨ In March and April, join traditional Easter processions in the Sleep ancient streets of Tempio Pausania. ¨ B&B Lu Pastruccialeddu ¨ Stake your claim on northeastern Sardinia’s legendary (p220) beaches in June before peak holiday crowds arrive. ¨ Agriturismo La Cerra ¨ See the summer out in style at San Teodoro’s annual wind- (p221) sports festival in September. ¨ La Murichessa (p219) ¨ Ca’ La Somara (p220) ¨ Porto Romano (p217) ¨ S’Astore (p219) Ù# Ù# #] Olbia, the Costa Smeralda M E D I T E R R A N E A N & Gallura S E A Highlights 1 Costa Smeralda Santa (p155) Hanging out Teresa di with the bronzed, Gallura Capo Testa #7 #\ beautiful and super- famous on Sardinia’s most exclusive coastline. 2 Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena (p167) Island- hopping around the archipelago and diving into its jewel- coloured waters. 3 Cala Brandinchi (p154) Lounging on the frosty white sands o is of ‘Little Tahiti.’ d ra Luogosanto a ¼/SP90 #\ 4 Golfo dell' P Tempio a Asinara st o Pausania (p171) C OLBIA, C C THE THE Exploring ancient stone streets and Isola 8ÀSS133 endless cork forests. Rossa #\ 5 Porto Pollo (p170) Riding the O wind through the STA STA O wild waters between STA STA Sardinia and Corsica. S MERALDA & GALLURA& MERALDA 6 Olivastri Nuraghe S Luras a Maiori #\ MERALDA & GALLURA GALLURA & MERALDA Millenari di Santo n Lu #\ ella Aggius ä# Baltolu (p161) le d Val Taking refuge from Tempio #\ #\ #4#\ Pausania Calangianus the coastal glamour Santa and clamour in the Maria haunting silence of this magnificent Monte Limbara ancient olive grove. 8ÀSS127 T (1359m) HE C R 7 Capo Testa #\ (p162) Clambering Chiesa di Santa osta Perfugas Ü# #\ among weirdly Maria della Neve C o sculpted boulders g SMER h and looking for in a columns from an s Berchidda A ancient Roman #\ #\ LD 8ÀSS199 Monte R quarry. Acuto A & G & 8 Cantine Surrau (493m) (p159) Tasting #\ A Lago di LLUR crisp Vermentino Coghinas whites and rich A Cannonau reds at this #\ H Oschiri contemporary winery. I G HLI G H ts.