Sardinia: An island of mad dogs and playboys

As new flights begin to northern Sardinia, David Ryan discovers how the other 2 per cent live on this beautiful outpost

The village of San Pantaleo (Getty)

I hit the brakes hard and we screeched to a halt about 18 inches from the nose of a large dog. It stood, as if planted in the middle of the road, and gazed into our headlights. As incidents involving dogs in the middle of the night time go, this was, well, curious. I was about to congratulate myself on not making a Sardinian dog rug out of him when … bang! A little blue Fiat rear-ended us. As my frustrated, fatalistic co-victim and I edged our cars on to a grass verge for a long exchange of insurance details in the dark, the offending mutt meandered into the opposite lane where he was clipped by a van and spun through the air, landing on his feet with a yelp before vanishing through a hedge.

This was a low point during our week-long stay outside Arzachena in rural northern Sardinia, just a Ferrari test-drive away from the chi-chi Costa Smeralda – that sliver of sparkling coastline that's a designer theme park for ostentatious wealth. The villas are manicured like supermodels, the infrastructure is groomed like a Serie-A footballer, and there are no mad dogs to avoid.

The playboys' paradise of the so-called Emerald Coast centres on the resorts of Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo. It was dreamt up in the 1960s by the Aga Khan, but this weekend a new flight link from Heathrow offers top-end holidaymakers easier access to their playgrounds – and better prospects for the community. Only a short drive into the stark granite backdrop that jabs harsh fingers into blue skies brings you to San Pantaleo, a thriving village that would have shrivelled away if left to depend on sheep and the cork oaks that flourish here. Now it's a tourist stop for gelato, drinks, and craft shops for visitors en route to gawp at how the other 2 per cent live.

Just down the mountain from San Pantaleo, our villa, Lu Lioni, is not in the Porto Cervo league but pretty dapper nonetheless. As planning regulations dictate, it is built using local stone and wood, and finished in traditional pink-hued plasterwork. It is both peaceful and well-located for touring, with an excellent pool set in finely clipped grounds. Its Sardo owner is a retired gardener and it shows: the lush grass is like a carpet underfoot and all is tended daily and irrigated at night.

On the road from Arzachena to Porto Cervo, we stopped for a tasting and tour at Surrau, a family-run vineyard that produces a dozen wines, including vermentino and the little-known cannonau, a variety of grenache. Antonello showed us the production line, including the cool cellars where the wine rests in oak barrels. After that, came the tasting in the marvellously modern tasting room before browsing in the shop for local smoked meats and cheeses to go with a bottle or two back at the villa.

From the road, we took to the water on a boat trip to Arcipelago de La Maddalena, a spectacular national park comprising seven main islands that were once hilltops in the valley between what is now Sardinia and Corsica. Until 2008 the main island was home to a Nato naval base and off-limits, so tourism is in its infancy.

Daily cruises depart from Cannigione and cost around €40 (£29) per person, including a pasta lunch. We swam and snorkelled in turquoise waters, explored the islands on land, and enjoyed the way the wind has carved granite outcrops into weird shapes. It's also possible to hit the shops in the main town, La Maddalena. That is, unless your skipper leaves you behind on a small island, as the captain of the Virginia did with our party of seven. The mix-up was a result of language difficulties – you might say we were lost in translation. Still, thanks to the skipper of the Squalo IV, we were able to rejoin our cruise by performing a Bond-like mid-channel leap from the back of his vessel into the Virginia's inflatable launch.

If jumping out of boats appeals, there are plenty of watersport outfits dotted along the coast, offering scuba, snorkelling and whale watching with fin and sperm whales all year round, while bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks can also put in an appearance. Orso Diving, at Poltu Quatu, is long-established and reasonably priced for day trips. For windsurfing, kite-surfing and sailing, Porto Pollo and Isolla dei Gabbiani – a bay and almost-island – offer ideal conditions, their land form creating a natural wind trap with calm waters.

Of course, beaches are what draw many to the Costa Smeralda and in the north there is great variety, from long stretches of white sand, backed by dunes, at Berchida in Siniscola to the smaller rugged coves such as Spiaggia del Principe, near Romazzino, which have a more intimate feel, clear water and rocky outcrops that are great for spotting fish with snorkel and mask. It's also said to be a favourite of the Aga Khan, though he probably arrives by yacht and is spared the 15-minute walk from the car park above.

Cliff-walking in the Costa Smeralda is limited by the number of exclusive resorts and private villas on this stretch of coast. So head down the east coast, to the Golfo di Orosei and the Gennargentu National Park. And there are other ways to stretch your legs such as exploring the 7,000 Stone Age sites, nuraghi, that pepper the island. The circular huts of piled stone are not always spectacular but they all possess a haunting quality when seen in seclusion.

Another way to get closer to the rugged landscape is on horseback. At Centro Ippico in Cala di Lepre, outside Palau, we took a two-hour morning trek through the thick maquis to the waterside and the small white landmark lighthouse of Capo d'Orso (Bear Cape), so called because the elements have sculpted a large rock formation into the shape of a bear. Unlike Sardinian dogs, the horses here are bright and nimble and can show you the sort of exhilarating views you just can't get from the road.

Getting there

For the Costa Smeralda, Olbia is the best airport. British Airways (0344 493 0787; ba.com) starts flying from Heathrow this weekend, competing with easyJet (0843 104 5000; easyjet.com) from Gatwick, Bristol and Luton and Jet2 (0800 4081350; jet2.com) from Leeds/Bradford.

Staying there

Sardinian Places (0845 330 2049; sardinianplaces.co.uk) offers a two-week stay at Lu Lioni, a four bedroom Premium Collection villa, from £629pp in September, including return flights from Gatwick, Luton or Bristol, plus car hire and welcome pack.

Visiting there

Surrau Vineyard (00 39 0789 82933; vignesurrau.it).

Orso Diving at Poltu Quatu (00 39 0789 99001; orsodiving.com).

Porto Pollo watersports (00 39 0789 704016; portopollo.it)

More information

sardegna.com