August with the world’s finest super yachts for the season. In the pseudo village alleyways and terraces of Porto Cervo the world’s leading fashion brands fight for your attention from fashionably camouflaged boutique shop fronts. Even so, the Costa Smeralda exudes a laid-back charm more akin to the Caribbean. Venture away from the glitz and you will be rewarded with a far more authentic Galluran experience, steeped in ancient history (neolithic stoneworks dot the land around Arzachena), untamed scrublands of rosemary, thyme, mint, oregano, juniper and myrtle that lend their distinctive Maccia fragrance to the countryside, rows upon rows of vines producing the most sublime red and white wines and a thriving agritourism scene with a strong emphasis on farm (or sea) to fork ethos. The canny traveller would probably avoid the high summer months, especially Ferragosto (late July to mid-August) when the whole of Italy goes on holiday. Instead, enjoy the wonderful colours of late spring or take advantage of late summer right into early October when the sea is still warm but the beaches have emptied and the long winding coastal roads are relieved of queues and irksome tailgaters. This is a time that will appeal to avid cyclists. To get you thinking about a future trip we hope that some of our location highlights, experiential notes and hotel recommendations will inspire you. At the very northernmost point of Gallura the straits between Sardinia and Corsica are at their narrowest. At the lighthouse on Capo Testa you can clearly see across the waters to the white cliffs and battlements of the fortress city of Bonifacio. As if to honour a natural funnel for the racing winds in the channel, the remote coastline delivers some of Gallura’s most wind-sculpted landscapes, a hiker’s paradise with numerous tiny bays and beaches to discover among the primordial granite boulders. Chiselled by the winds Capo Testa, near Santa Theresa di Gallura It seems that the Aga Khan was not the only nobleman to be wooed by Gallura in the 1960s. In this case it was a Spaniard, Count Rafael Neville from Andalucia, who had a dream of an idyllic, village of whitewashed casitas with a central Piazzetta in a pretty, little bay overlooking islands. After scouring France and Italy he found his corner near Palau. Sadly, the bon viveur Count died in 1996, but his legacy thrives, as a popular enclave of soft-contoured villas and wellness retreats. Porto Rafael is all he imagined, a bucolic ‘Dolce Vita’ hideaway. There is even a tiny little church, Santa Rita da Cascia, built to fulfil a rich aunt’s bequest, in return for financing his dream project. “To Dream is to Live” dedication plate at Porto Rafael Porto Rafael, near Palau Highlights of Gallura View of the bear rock at Capo D’orso, near Palau Giants' grave of Coddu Vecchiu, near Arzachena ArtMediaFactory / Shutterstock.com Porto Rafael Nuraghic watchtower at Capo Testa with Bonifacio (Corsica) in the distance 12
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